Inner-city student in documentary "Waiting For Superman"
by Sam Juliano
The Wonders in the Dark horror poll has yielded some all-time classics, and this past week has featured some of the best reviews of the countdown. Allan’s run of Japanese cinema has been eye-opening, and Joel’s latest review (on the Dardennes’ The Son) in his ‘Best of the 21st Century’ series has matched his best work.
Meanwhile, Marilyn Ferdinand and Tony Dayoub have reported at their sites from the Chicago and New York Film Festivals respectively with some fascinating appraisals. Ed Howard is back in action at Only the Cinema, and Troy Olson has archived his outstanding work for the horror poll at his Elusive as Robert Denby: The Life and Times of Troy blogsite.
After a quiet week, I rallied for a very busy weekend in the movie theatres, after spending some time at home with my classic television sets of One Step Beyond and Thriller. I resisted the temptation to see Gaspar Noe’s controversial Enter the Void at the IFC Film Center with a special appearance by the nihilist director and the lead star, in favor of a double feature of Buried and Woody Allen’s latest. I wasn’t in a mood to be depressed.
I saw:
Waiting For Superman **** (Saturday night) Landmark Cinemas
Buried **** (Sunday night) Angelika Film Center
You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger *** 1/2 (Sunday night) Angelika
Tokyo Twilight ***** (Sunday morning) IFC Film Center
The documentary WAITING FOR SUPERMAN’s main focus was on ineffectual teachers and the “antiquated” system that awards incompetants for years of service, and neglects those educators with special gifts. Dazzling animated sequences and some telling interviews with district superintendents makes for a riveting work, but little attention is paid to sub-standard salaries and the startling neglect of some parents in inner-city districts, who often are to blame for low test scores, and the lagging behind of America’s scholastic infra-structure in global ratings.
BURIED is an oppressively claustrophobic film shot entirely in a “coffin” that holds an American prisoner in Iraq, who is armed only with a cell phone and a lighter. The tense interchanges with officials, and the terrifying imprisonment makes for a breathless and riveting watch, even with the bungled conclusion. The lead star, Ryan Reynolds is mesmerizing in this low-budget Spanish-Australian inde, that provides an interesting deviation on the horrifying The Vanishing from years back.
There’s nothing terribly new in Woody Allen’s YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER, but it’s a reasonably engaging and plesantly set drama about marital meltdowns with a high octane cast. And it makes good use of “When You Wish Upon A Star” and features an affecting seance sequence.
TOKYO TWILIGHT of course is an Ozu masterpiece and one of his darkest films. I’ll have a full report of it in my massive round-up post in November.
There are great things going on in the blogosphere:
Ace horror scribe Troy Olson has been penning one fantastic review after another for the Wonders in the Dark polling, and the lot is archived at his own site, Elusive as Robert Denby: The Life and Times of Troy, with the terrifying British entry The Descent sitting on top: http://troyolson.blogspot.com/2010/09/descent.html
Checking back from the Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF), Marilyn Ferdinand has authored an impassioned piece on the Hungarian film The Last Report on Anna at Ferdy-on-Films: http://www.ferdyonfilms.com/?p=6258
Meanwhile, in the Big Apple, Tony Dayoub has attended ‘opening night’ at the 48th Annual New York Film Festival, showcasing a stellar essay on the widely-anticipated The Social Network by David Fincher at Cinema Viewfinder: http://www.cinemaviewfinder.com/2010/09/nyff10-openingmovie-review.html–night-
Over at Movie Classics, Judy Geater continues her gloriously relentless pursuit of all things Wellman, the latest an intriguing unearthing of a little-seen pre-coder, Looking For Trouble: http://movieclassics.wordpress.com/2010/09/25/looking-for-trouble-1934/
Stephen Russell-Gebbett has crafted a short film in praise of Godard. As always, Stepehn’s creativity is astounding: http://checkingonmysausages.blogspot.com/2010/09/in-praise-of-godard-short-film.html
John Greco continues his amazing pace with a superlative essay up at Twenty Four Frames on Underworld U.S.A.: http://twentyfourframes.wordpress.com/2010/09/24/underworld-u-s-a-1961-sam-fuller/
At Cinemascope Shubhajit welcomes Ms. Camiele White, who has penned a superlative essay on the cinema of Guillermo Del Toro: http://cliched-monologues.blogspot.com/2010/09/cinema-art-film-tapestry-of-guillermo.html
Jaime Grijalba has announced a listing of his top five favorite Chilean songs of all-time, and has included you tubes of these being performed live at Exodus 8:2: http://exodus8-2.blogspot.com/2010/09/finalizando-la-blogathon-bicentenario.html
Michael Harford (a.k.a. the Coffee Messiah) talks about meeting friends met on the net and of common interests and philosophies in a beautifully themed post with lovely art work: http://coffeemessiah.blogspot.com/2010/09/art-of-blogging.html
One of the great series of this past year has been penned by our friend in Tokyo, “Murderous Links,” who is presently on part 3 of a 4 essay consideration of a bomb-ravaged Tokyo during the war, and the emotional power of Ozu’s defining masterpiece, Tokyo Story: http://vermillionandonenights.blogspot.com/2010/09/then-and-now-and-in-between-part-3.html
Tony d’Ambra’s exquisite ‘Cinematic Cities’ series at FilmsNoir.net takes us back to New York City circa 1953 with The Glass Wall, directed by Maxwell Shane: http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/cinematic-cities-new-york-1953-2.html
Samuel Wilson, (in the spirit of the recent Horrormania) has penned a superlative review at Mondo 70 of Mario Bava’s Hatchet For the Honeymoon (Il Rosso Segno della Follia-1970): http://mondo70.blogspot.com/2010/09/hatchet-for-honeymoon-il-rosso-segno.html
Craig Kennedy’s enduring Watercooler thread is always a place for cineastes to share their insights and weekly reports: http://livingincinema.com/2010/09/26/the-watercooler-never-sleeps/
Once again that proponent of unheralded cinema, the fecund JAFB, has again brought a director into focus that is known by few: Darezhan Omirbaev, a Russian, who has helmed four memorable works thus far, including the lastest one, structured in vignettes: http://theseventhart.info/2010/09/19/ellipsis-12/
Ed Howard is back after a brief hiatus, and his new essay is a trenchant examination of Michelangelo Antonioni’s seminal Blow-Up: http://seul-le-cinema.blogspot.com/2010/09/blow-up.html
At Hugo Stiglitz Makes Movies Kevin Olson has posted a fascinating piece on the new sensation Boardwalk Empire (complete with a spirited comments section) right after his dazzling Oliver Stone series: http://kolson-kevinsblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/boardwalk-empirethe-best-film-of-year.html
On the theatre beat, Longman Oz is most impressed with an Emerald City production of Euripedes’ Medea at the Samuel Beckett Theatre: http://noordinaryfool.com/2010/09/23/medea_samuelbecketttheatre/ The tireless Irishman has also posted reviews of the Chilean The Maid and new animated Chomet film at No Ordinary Fool.
Jeffrey Goodman, film director, culture maven and statesman extraordinaire has gathered together a list of ‘fifteen’ favorites films in a tempting proposition at The Last Lullaby: http://cahierspositif.blogspot.com/2010/09/15-movies.html
Eggplant and soup lovers need to get over to Terrill Welch’s place pronto, as among other goodies and revelations she has a mouth-watering confection and a recipe all ready for you. It’s a real Creativepotager’s special: http://creativepotager.wordpress.com/2010/09/24/everything-from-soup-to-nuts/
Roderick Heath has penned an all-enveloping appraisal of an underappreciated horror film from the 70’s: The Legend of Hell House, with a screenplay by the famed Richard Matheson. It’s over at This Island Rod: http://thisislandrod.blogspot.com/2010/09/legend-of-hell-house-1973.html
Hot off the presses!!! The gifted Mr. Heath has just posted a stupendous review of William Castle’s campy Homicidal. This one has me smiling from ear to ear! http://thisislandrod.blogspot.com/2010/09/homicidal-1961.html
Pat covers a few films in her latest post at the revamped Doodad Kind of Town, including Harold and Maude, which she admits doesn’t resonate with her: http://doodadkindoftown.wordpress.com/2010/09/18/the-road-from-may-to-december/
Alternating between the Bard and William Wellman, Judy at Movie Classics has written an excellent assessment of the 1936 Romeo and Juliet: http://movieclassics.wordpress.com/2010/09/18/romeo-and-juliet-1936/
Jason Bellamy, just as superlative with sports as he is with film, has penned a masterful post discussing the airing of The House of Steinbrenner. Yankee fans, baseball fans, and indeed sports fans need to get over to The Cooler pronto: http://coolercinema.blogspot.com/2010/09/death-of-statesman-house-of.html
Laurie Buchanan, a lovely and talented lady, has begun to showcase the colors of the spectrum through a wide array of angles at her Speaking from the Heart blogsite. First up was red, today she features orange: http://holessence.wordpress.com/2010/09/24/orange-increase-your-sense-of-delight/
Over at Movies over Matter, crack Golden State writer Jason Marshall has taken a brief break from his great cinema history series, and has penned an incredible piece on Never Let Me Go, based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s classic 2005 novel: http://moviesovermatter.wordpress.com/2010/09/24/never-let-me-go/
David Schleicher has embarked on another memorable trip to rural Pennsylvania, and his findings ate as always, enthralling: http://theschleicherspin.com/2010/09/22/of-canals-lambertville-and-nomad-pizza/
Jon Lanthier’s latest incomparable essay is on Who is Harry Nilsson (and why is Everbody Talkin About Him?) and for those who haven’t yet read Jon Lanthier, you haven’t read film criticism: http://aspiringsellout.com/
Dan Getahun has penned another of his trenchant 300 word reviews on I’m Still Here at Getafilm: http://getafilm.blogspot.com/2010/09/300-words-about-im-still-here.html
Drew McIntosh is back! And his newest post at The New Vial is a must for those who prefer to leave the box more often than not. It’s apparently an experimental work par excellence: http://thebluevial.blogspot.com/2010/09/false-aging-lewis-klahr-2008.html
Bob Clark’s magnificent essay for Tony Dayoub’s Cronenberg blogothon on Stereo and Crimes of the Future is up at Cinematic Viewfinder: http://www.cinemaviewfinder.com/2010/09/cronenberg-blogathon-cronenberg.html
The ever-prolific Jake Cole has peeled away the gauze in his insightful consideration of Ben Affleck’s The Town, a film he likes but doesn’t love: http://armchairc.blogspot.com/2010/09/town.html
R.D. Finch, a Californian film veteran and engaging writer has penned an incisive essay on Sam Peckinpah’s Pat Garret & Billy the Kid (2005 version) at The Movie Projector: http://themovieprojector.blogspot.com/2010/09/pat-garrett-billy-kid-1973-2005-version.html
The spirit of Charles Chaplin hovers over an unforgettable title card from City Lights at Peter Lenihan’s altar of indellible images, The Shock of Glimpsing: http://www.theshockofglimpsing.blogspot.com/
J. D. at Radiator Heaven has penned an exhaustive piece on Iain Softley’s Hackers: http://rheaven.blogspot.com/2010/09/hackers.html
Matt Lucas offers up an excellent review at From the Front Row on Ben Affleck’s The Town, a film he judges as mixed: http://fromthefrontrow.blogspot.com/2010/09/on-town.html
Andrew Wyatt’s three-week holiday from Gateway Cinephiles is drawing to a close, with new postings promised over the coming days. Andrew’s excellent treatment of Machete is still headlining: http://gatewaycinephiles.com/2010/09/09/vaya-con-el-diablo/
Dave Van Poppel has his outstanding review of the Joan Rivers documentary up at Visions of Non-Fiction: http://visionsofnonfiction.blogspot.com/2010/09/joan-rivers-piece-of-work.html
At the home of the ever-thoughtful “Film Doctor” a post on Manly Links is currently headlining: http://filmdr.blogspot.com/2010/09/manly-links.html
Our friend Anu is still highlighting a review of Dennis Hopper’s The Last Movie at The Confidential Report: http://theconfidentialreport.wordpress.com/2010/08/12/dennis-hoppers-the-last-movie/
Adam Zanzie’s towering review of Cronenberg’s Dead Ringers, originally written for Tony Dayoub’s blogothon is headling at Icebox Movies: http://iceboxmovies.blogspot.com/2010/09/dead-ringers-1988.html
With “A Rant from the Childless” Jeopardy Girl has again raised with candor and sensitivity the inevitable questions one must face in life: http://jeopardygirl.wordpress.com/2010/09/09/a-rant-from-the-childless/
At Anomalous Material, “Castor” has penned a superb review on The Town, which he awards a B + rating to: http://www.anomalousmaterial.com/movies/2010/09/movie-review-the-town-2010/
It’s been a while since our very good friend T.S. of Screen Savour has posted, but I offer up here his last post from April on a Keaton masterwork to show us all just what we have been missing: http://www.screensavour.net/2010/04/steamboat-bill-jr-1928.html
and then there’s Dee Dee, here in spirit and hovering over the management of the site, and the business at hand. Always deeply appreciated…….
So what’s up on your end my good friends? Movies? Music? Literature? Sports? Politics? Food? Theatre? Television?
Still of Ozu's post war masterpiece "Tokyo Twilight"
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Writers/Founders
Thanks Sam, as always, for the links. I think Allan would be quick to catch Noe’s latest. Looking forward to seeing the new Allen.
No movies this week too, although I’ve had a good week or two of rest. Hoping to start watching movies again…
I haven’t been reading blogs either. Apologies to all. I’d be visiting them soon.
Cheers!
JAFB: I may chance that Noe film this coming weekend. Yes Allan has already located the French DVD of it!
The Woodman’s latest is no masterowrk remotely, but perhaps a bit better than some of the negative reviews would have you believe.
Glad to hear you’ve gotten some rest, and I see you have a new post up (which I’ll soon be visiting).
As always, thanks so much my friend!
Quick correction: It’s songs, not movies. Full post tomorrow, after I sleep.
Jaime: My apologies for that error (which I’ve just corrected). I look forward enthusiastically to your upcoming report, my very good friend!
Hey…Sam…thanks for the link…but just to be clear…that was a day trip to central Jersey…(I know, right?)…though I did walk across a bridge into PA for some different views.
How was Naomi Watts in the new Woody Allen film?
I am losing it David! I still need to thoroughly read that report (which I will do tonight) and then see the error of my ways!! Ha! I liked Naomi Watts quite a bit, in fact the performances (typically) were engaging!
Thanks so much as always my friend!
WAITING FOR SUPERMAN is going to frustrate me…I can already tell. Mostly because as an educator I feel like no matter how good intentioned the film is, it’s going to miss one of the biggest issues of all (and you allude to this Sam): parental/guardian/mentor involvement in a young persons life; especially when it relates to education.
I’ll probably see the movie, though.
Sam, have you read anything by Frank Smith (The Book of Learning and Forgetting) or John Taylor Gatto (his address after winning the New York teacher of the year award is one of the most brilliant, powerful, and poignant things I’ve ever read on education)? Just curious. Are they mentioned in the movie? They are at the forefront of progressive education, and I use a lot of their theories in my class and just have an overall agreement with their philosophies.
How does the film address the drop out issue? Does it merely lay the blame on exterior things like gangs? Or does it criticize the ridiculously archaic way most public schools go about teaching young people? Any mention of alternative schools or options programs? The drop out rates are high, but schools like the one I work at graduate a lot of 16-20 year old kids with a high school diploma (not a GED…that’s an important distinction); however, those successful students don’t count towards our school district’s graduation statistics because technically they aren’t a part of the school district anymore. I’m not sure if that’s how it works in other states, but in Oregon the numbers always look bad, when in reality, alternative schools are growing because we’re so successful with those marginalized young learners. We have smaller classroom communities (about 100 students total), which means more time to spend teaching important things (our kids go to school for two classes a day, two hours for each class) like critical thinking and application rather than the students having to race from class to class — from learning about evolution to immediately having to switch gears and learn how to explicate a poem to learning about X and Y axis — at the sound of a bell.
Anyway…I went off on a tangent there…I think I was asking whether or not they address the success that alternative schools are having as we see more and more drop outs from the public school system.
That’s all the ranting I have in me for now. Hehe.
Kevin, both you and Marilyn Ferdinand have put on brilliant shows today at this site, and I can do little more than just sit back here and marvel. I never knew Marilyn was employed in that capacity, though it was clear from the first time I read a review she penned that she was brilliant. Yes, I have known you are an educator from past posts, and know you are also up there with the best of them in laying out your positions.
My teacher friend, Broadway Bob Eagleson was furious with the film (we actually argued a bit on the way home) as he thought it was in serious violation of painting irresponsible parents as “victims” of “lemons” (incompetant teachers who were there just to collect checks). I am willing to meet him half way–I agree the film showed one side of the story (although that was the chosen focus), but within those parameters it presented some hard facts about test scores and when the nation’s schools stand in global comparisons, and about political appointments in urban districts of those who received insufficent training for the vigorous demands of city teaching.
The film can be viewed as a sharp criticism against tenure laws, which are eroding the quality of teaching in virtually every school district.
By focusing in on only three districts (Washington D.C., Harlem and Los Angeles) the documentary didn’t present the cross-section of America needed to make such far-reaching conclusions, even though the social problems prevalent in those settings did broach the truth in a number of ways.
Kevin, I am ashamed to say I don’t know of Frank Smith, but of course I’ve heard of Gatto. I have written down both and will do some research. Neither one was mentioned in this documentary. In answer to your questions:
Yes, it explores the archaic way most public schools go about teaching young people. It does however present an engaging view of those who success with unorthodox methods like sing-songing the multiplication tables. It does broach alternative schools, mostly examining parochial and charter schools. That’s a unique situation you have there in Oregon with the longer classes and limited periods. But it’s clear you maximize success potential in a number of ways.
Anyway, this is as awesome as you’ve ever been Kevin, in this comments and other you entered here later. Thanks exceedingly my very good friend!
I intended to go see Zack Snyder’s big CGI animated owl epic this weekend, but got sidetracked. Maybe later. I did watch David Mamet’s “Spartan” again, however, and was rather shockingly impressed with it. Enough perhaps to consider reevaluating his entire cinematic output, which I always sort of wrote off for the most part. Hands down, it’s the best version of “The Searchers” I’ve seen since “Attack of the Clones”.
I had SPARTAN in my top 50 of the 2000’s. It’s one of my three favorite Mamet films. The commentary track by Kilmer is one of the most insanely hilarious things I’ve ever heard. That dude is a little off! Glad you revisited that great, underrated film. Way better than TAKEN in my opinion.
I had “Redbelt” in my own top 100 (maybe top 50, I forget). So I saw that Mamet’s work was improving, or at least my opinion of it was. Now, I see that the trend started earlier, or maybe I’m just seeing something that I didn’t get before. Granted, there’s still stuff that doesn’t work in “Spartan”– oddly, the script and actors felt pretty wooden to me at times. Still, it was really incredible, especially as a piece of visual storytelling.
Bob, (and Kevin), go figure. I’ve seen just about every Mamet, but not SPARTAN! I know, Bob, you have some festival fare lined up too, and I greatly look forward to your responses.
Thanks as always my very good friend!
Thank you, Sam, once again for mentioning me with such a compliment.
It’s interesting that these film festival acronyms are always so similar – is TIFF the Toronto International Film Festival or the Timisoara International Film Festival in Romania?!
I’ve seen SALT recently **1/2
and VISAGE ***
I’d like to give a special mention to Murderous Ink’s Tokyo series. I haven’t commented there yet but it is very well written and very interesting too.
Stephen: I’m thrilled to hear what you have concluded about Murderous Ink’s exceptional series, and I truly hope some will get over there and check it out and possibly comment.
I didn’t see SALT yet but I’m hardly surprised at that rating. It’s just what I expected. You are dead-on with VISAGE the way I see it.
Those initials for the festivals drive me nuts too! I guess that’s why I always spell them out.
Thanks so much Stephen, my very good friend!
Thanks as always Sam for your mention. I wanted to get some current reviews in before I start with 1936. I’m backed up with reviews of “The Town,” “The American” and “Catfish” that need to be posted. You saw “Waiting for Superman” and Woody Allen’s new picture. I agree with Kevin’s comment above; I have a feeling it will frustrate me too. We are much too eager to blame teacher’s unions for all the problems of the school systems. I only taught high school for two years before I said I had to get out of there and — trust me — the teacher’s unions had nothing to do with it. It was low pay, awful students and worse parents. However I am looking forward to seeing it and jumping into the conversation about it and the issues it raises.
That’s right Jason, I forgot you also taught, and at the highest public school level to boot.
I taught English and literature in the 10th and 11th grade in a vocational/technical high school before settling into my hometown district (which is K-8), and I had some severe difficulty with discipline (consistent with my personality I’m afraid). I can certainly corroborate what you say about problematic students and uncooperative parents and at that time very low pay. Salaries are better now, but still it takes you forever to get to the top of the pay scale. I’ve taught 24 years in Fairview, and I’m making around 84K a year. (A second year policeman in my town makes about 90K; so there you have it!) My wife is a principal in the same district and does better of course, but as a teacher herself for 17 years (Lucille is 46) she endured the low salaries and problematic students and parents as a special education teacher.
I would love to know what you think of the film, and look forward to your review of it and the others you saw.
Thanks as always my very good friend!
Sam,
Thanks for re-entering the link to Checking on My Sausages.
I finally got to this Stephen. Shows you sometimes how computer illiterate I am.
Hi Sam. Like Kevin, I am highly interested in this WAITING FOR SUPERMAN film (presumably echoing The Flaming Lips’ song rather than Freddy Nietzsche, mind!). Admittedly, I was far less enamoured by “The Class” than many others were, but that is simply because the notion that these were difficult children was frankly ludicrous and no teacher would ever permit (at least) two other situations shown there to ever occur as depicted. Anyway, another rant over…
BURIED opens here next week and has been getting a lot of pre-publicity, which seems to make a mockery of the emphasis that it has also been getting on its indie roots. Someone is definitely throwing big bucks at the distribution of this one! Still, it is good to see that there the substance may well match the hype.
Busy week back for me (by my standards, at any rate), with six films – two old and four new!
METROPOLIS – The newly restored version has finally reached Irish screens. It has been written about to death, of course. Still, a masterful and visionary work, despite its childish view of how social democracy can save us all. In any event, I hope that it makes Bob’s sci-fi countdown, as it would be great to debate the ideas behind the film within such a suitable overall context.
DEATH BY HANGING – I see that this only made Allan’s “nearlies” for the 1960s. Pity, as I would have liked his thoughts on it as an expert in Japanese cinema of the era. Very interesting and slightly demented work. Still processing it at the moment, but so much truer to the world of dreams than INCEPTION will ever be.
CYRUS – Liked this more than you did Sam. We had just come out of the bludgeoning force that is METROPOLIS, so the change of pace did work well, as something light but quirky was what we were then after.
CERTIFIED COPY – Quite liked this arty European offering from Abbas Kiarostami and will be keen to see it again, as there is more to be absorbed from it. A wry shorthand way to describe it could be to call it a fusion of BEFORE SUNRISE and BEFORE SUNSET.
ALAMAR – Touching tale of a Mexican father and his young son spending one last idyllic summer together before the latter goes to permanently live with his mother in Italy. Nothing mawkish about it and the HD photography of the Caribbean Sea, where the film is set, is gorgeous.
WINTER’S BONE – Not sure if there was a plot of any note here, not that this matters. A remarkable piece of cinematic craft in terms of casting, set design, photography, mood, etc. The winter setting very much reminded me of a similar(ish) Irish film that I saw earlier this year.
Longman:
As someone who works in an alternative school with students who mostly have huge behavior problems, I can say that THE CLASS is actually quite dead-on. Sometime as the teacher of at-risk kids you have to push back. Why? Because they’ve never had someone challenge them positively before. Structure and modeling is what at-risk students need the most, and then they need to know that you’re going to be consistent and fair. Now, I think I know what situations you’re talking about in regards to THE CLASS, and I liked the authenticity of the film and its star (an actual teacher who wrote the book it was based on), and I liked that it portrayed teaching as a hard profession, not some bullshit ‘hugs and kisses’ vocation like DANGEROUS MINDS, DEAD POETS SOCIETY, or FREEDOM WRITERS.
I liked that he made mistakes in that movie…because honestly, teachers make A LOT of mistakes in the classroom…the difference between a good teacher and a bad teacher is whether or not you recognize those mistakes, address them to the students by being honest that you were wrong, and then moving forward together. Students don’t want power hungry teachers…they want someone who will be fair and consistent, and that can take many forms…as long as it isn’t abusive.
I push back a lot with my kids. I bet if some people observed me in class they would think I was an asshole. However, the students know that I love them and care about them, and they appreciate that I don’t feed them lines of bullshit. One thing I do in my class is eliminate the student’s whining about how they don’t know how to do something. I stress critical thinking skills and application…so after modeling that for a week, I will simply write on the board “It’s your responsibility”, and if any of them say they don’t remember what to do…I simply point to the board. This is their queue to look in their notes or as a peer about what they are to do for the assignment.
It’s not that I don’t care or I’m lazy, so I’m simply resorting to pointing at the whiteboard…it’s that I’m trying to get them to own up to the fact that they aren’t paying attention, that they need to start understanding that they can’t blame others for how they are all of the time (something at-risk teens do a lot…and honestly have every right to do in some cases), and that they need to take control of the situation if they want to succeed. It gives them the power. Which is what they want.
So…I’m sorry for the rant, but, yes some of the blame does indeed go on the students. Some of it goes on the parents. And a lot of it goes on the school districts who put teachers in bad positions, and who continue to have a model where no matter how bad the teacher is, the longer they are a teacher, the harder it is for them to get relocated or fired. THAT’S perhaps the biggest issue. We want to hold the students and parent accountable? Fine by me…but the teachers should never be let off the hook just because they’re teachers. The unions do great things, but they are also pretty piss poor in the sense that bad, and sometimes dangerous (pedophiles and such), teachers have too many rights that it takes forever for anything to happen to them if they’re the one who is the problem.
And no…I’m not saying that teachers should be judged on the arbitrariness of state test scores (don’t get me started on standardized tests), the school districts need to free up time for the administrators of their schools so that they can take a day and observe a teacher, and then make a worthwhile evaluation. I’ve been through an evaluation at a public school here in Salem…it’s a joke. The Assistant Principal that evaluated me came up to my room twice all year…and this is the guy that’s going to evaluate my performance? He had no idea what I was doing up there. And yet…I got a raise and was asked to come back the next year. Go figure.
I didn’t, though, and found a better school to work at where the director of my program is very hands on (she even co-teaches with me sometimes).
Okay…sorry for the rant. I mainly just wanted to say that I liked THE CLASS, and I liked its authenticity and how it portrayed what being a teacher is really like. I can’t stand how Hollywood glamorizes and exploits at-risk teens in movies like FREEDOM WRITERS. They make it look like it’s really that simple and easy to have an effect on those students’ lives.
These comments are great, Kevin. Keep ’em comin’…
Joel is quite right Kevin. God this is no rant, it’s one of the greatest comments we can rightfully ever expect at a blogsite. You are in your element here and your strategy (and philosophy) is magnificent. I bet you are a great teacher too. I laughed a lot at this:
“I liked that it portrayed teaching as a hard profession, not some bullshit ‘hugs and kisses’ vocation like DANGEROUS MINDS, DEAD POETS SOCIETY, or FREEDOM WRITERS.”
I love DEAD POETS SOCIETY for a number of reasons, but I’m afraid that the essence of your argument is sound! Ha!
You may recall oddly enough that I wasn’t a big fan of THE CLASS as I thought it was too frantically loquacious, but your sentiments are persuasive, and the vast majority of critics have vouched for the film’s authenticity.
Brilliant stuff!
Thanks Kevin for taking the time to pen such an enthusiastic response. I think that this does go to the heart of both your point and mine, I think. In short, do you consider the kids depicted in THE CLASS to have “huge behavioural issues” and to be “at-risk”?
They are pretty rowdy, of course and most are from disadvantaged backgrounds, with some even struggling to speak French. However, compared to the real problems at many schools with drug / alcohol abuse, kids with genuinely uncaring parents (think Dukie in The Wire), shocking acts of bullying/cruelty/violence, etc., I still think that this is relatively idyllic stuff, albeit that it is nonetheless quite representative of the medium-level problems that teachers today face.
I think that this film got itself something of a reputation thanks to the warning speech that one of the veteran teachers gives to one of the newbies at the start. It was a great piece of dialogue and one that did shape my expectations for what was to follow. However, I am not sure that this film even got close to the reality of daily life in many “frontline schools” that I am aware of. Okay, so its no DANGEROUS MINDS, DEAD POETS’ SOCIETY, etc. However, I was really measuring the distance that this film still is from the opposite end of the spectrum.
It was a separate point, but the sort of “teaching” issues that I am talking about are (i) the kids participating in the staff meetings where the performances of other kids are being discussed (really?!), (ii) the girl who approaches the teacher at the end to say that she learned nothing and he was surprised to discover this, and (iii) his equal surprise to find out that one of the girls is clearly doing a lot of home study. I just found these situations implausible really.
I think the students in THE CLASS do have behavioral issues. There’s also no structure in his class. He’s a pretty poor teacher at times, and that’s what I loved about the movie. I’m a pretty poor teacher at times, too, but I always respect my students by being fair with them and being honest. When I make a mistake, I admit it. You may be surprised, but a lot of teachers don’t do that. They abuse their power in front of the classroom, and when they are called out by their students they resort to do the absolute worst thing you can do to a teenager: embarrass them (there was a study that showed the one thing teenagers fear the most during their formative years is embarrassment).
Some of the scenes you mention are indeed ridiculous; however, the scene where the student tells the instructor she didn’t learn anything is one of the truest of the film. Often with at-risk teens (and especially in multi-ethnic/multi-cultural classrooms) the main issue is power. They feel like school can be the one place where they have an audience who can see them wield their power by making life for the teacher hell. The problem with most public school systems is the lack of behavior management policies. Detentions and referrals and trips to the principal’s office just doesn’t scare anyone anymore. The teacher in THE CLASS lacked structure in his class, and allowed students too often to speak out, belittle other students’ contributions (even if it is in jest, one comment can cause a kid to shut down) to the class discussion, and not have any power over their assignments (rigidity in assignments and rote learning are two of the things I think that can just kill a teacher’s effectiveness).
But I liked that scene with the student after class because it showed how nasty some of these kids can be. And who can blame them? Why do they need another (white)person in power telling them what to do? His linguistic assignments felt rather arbitrary if I remember correctly (it’s been a while since I’ve seen it).
Another thing I liked about the film was his willingness to push back. He challenges the students, and sometimes it may seem that he goes too far, but sometimes that’s called for. When at-risk teens can see that you run a fair, structured class that contains no bullshit, they’ll begin to respect you, and then they’ll not only listen to what you say, but they’ll gladly do the assignments you give them because they now trust that you, the teacher, do indeed have their best interests in mind.
Did that make sense? God I’m blathering on and on tonight, hehe.
Kevin, a lot of what you say makes sense. At the same time, with respect to that girl, my point was really more the fact that the teacher only became aware of the matter at the end of the term. Now, I know that this was done for effect at the end. However, it rankled with me a lot in terms of its credibility.
Just one general thought on “behavioural issues”, it is always a terms that I am hugely wary of in terms of the manner in which it is applied. I have seen many aggressive, disruptive adolescents who are still soaking up the lessons and going home and doing excellent homework every evening. The troublesome behaviour is just the age that they are at, rather than coming from the home environment, from hanging out with the wrong sort, etc.
Moreover, some of the quietest, most bookish kids in school end up going completely off the rails in college because they were used to a rigorous, disciplined environment and never learned to cope with the social interaction side of growing up, etc.
Thanks so much Longman for this great submission, which to boot has attracted an amazing response from Kevin Olson on your regard for THE CLASS. As I explained in a previous submission on this thread, I had some issues with the way THE CLASS was executed. I had seen it on opening night of the 2008 New York Film Festival, where the entire cast of students appeared on stage for a Q & A. But I sat almost in the last row in the balcony at Avery Fisher Hall, and had great difficulty in hearing all the dialogue. I did pen a lengthy review on the film, finding it a bit over the top and talky, but I am an extreme minority voice. You seem to have different issues than I do.
Yep, you do remember I wasn’t a big fan of CYRUS. Ha!
Like Samuel Wilson, I tip my cap to you for seeing METROPOLIS in this fashion. Bob Clark is the site’s biggest Fritz Lang fan (though Maurizio loves him too, who doesn’t for that matter?) and METROPOLIS is pretty much a certainty to finish high up on Bob’s countdown.
That comparison of Linklater to Kiarostami is intriguing in any case the Iranian director is always one to seek out. I haven’t seen it, nor ALAMAR, but will do so when they open here.
DEATH BY HANGING is an excellent Oshima, as is the raw and unsettling WINTER’S BONE, which stands as one of the best films of 2010.
Spectacular roundup my very good friend!
Thanks Sam for the mention. It seems you had a comparatively light week/weekend in terms of the number of movies watched 🙂 Well, I have exams this week, so hopefully I’ll be able to watch a few movies once this turbulent week gets over.
Hey Shubhajit! It was light compared to some past weeks for sure. But I do prefer it this way. I wish you all the success with your exams this week, and hope you do get a few viewings in as a reward.
Thanks as laways my very good friend!
Thanks a lot Sam for the wishes. I sure need them in copious quantities 🙂
Good Morning Sam and Thanks for the mention.
Snail mail “will leave this coming fri!”
Saw a short take of “Superman” and sometimes wonder just how small a picture we really see, when looking locally. When we moved out here from Marin County, where school was structured in all areas, including physical education, the arts and everything else. Here, no physical education, nary a wit about arts, but plenty about sports. In the end, my son skated through the last 2 yrs of high school, with nothing of substance coming from going to the school. Compared to an area with more money, and sadly more open interests of the World in general, I was sorry in that respect that we ever came out here, yet he has done well despite it.
I still remember Kennedy and his push for physical education (seeing as schools have veered away from much of that and the push for fast food over the years, it’s no wonder kids are having so many physical problems with weight these days. That and sitting in front of computers/tvs all day. Anyway, after a couple of trips to Germany and seeing their education in action and how children actually seemed to be paying attention in and out of school, we have indeed lost a lot over these many years in the usa ; (
Wanted to see Get Low, but seems to be only playing at 1 art house in FW and has played too late in the evening to catch. Wonder why that is. Noticed it only playing in one theater in Indianapolis also. Ugh.
Winter is around the corner and hopefully will be making more time to looking at blogs again.
Staying this side of creative for now.
Thanks and Cheers!
Michael, thanks so much for this stupendous response.
I appreciate the insight shared on education, and the admitted (bad) infiltration of senditary habits that have taken their toll. That’s great to hear that your son overcame the emphasis on sports over the arts, though I’ll admit in most places this is quite the case. Perhaps not in San Francisco of course. What you saw in Germany is pretty much the case throughout Western and central Europe I’m afraid (the film has Finland at the top) and current condition don’t portend well for any kind of a reversal in the foreseeable future.
You do very well with the blogs Michael, and I appreciate all you have done here and for your valued friendship. I will be watching attentively for the ‘snail mail.’
Sam,
As always thanks for the shout out. Looking forward to the Woody Allen film and “Waiting for Superman” which has been getting a lot of press. The Yankees has a bad week and with one week left dropped a 1/2 game out of first place. This is no time for them to fold!
My wife and I went to the Tampa Theater and saw Mao’s Last Dancer (*** 1/.2) yesterday afternoon, the moving true story of ballet dancer Li Cuxin, a poor boy taken from his peasant village, brought to Beijing to study Ballet as part of Mao’s Cultural program. He comes to America, is seduced by American “decadence” and a pretty young girl, and decides to defect. The film may be a little too cliché ridden in its view of Chinese peasant innocence versus America’s tempting capitalist delights, and the last fifteen minutes open the teary eyed flood gates not once but three different scenes. The level of the ballet dancing I have to leave to more knowledgeable people than me but we enjoyed it in a film that is overall, an old fashioned Hollywood type tearjerker which I actually fell for.
on the home front I watched the following…
Shock (Alfred Werker) **1/2 I found very few shocks in the tepid psychological thriller to keep you fully interested for the length of the film (which runs only 70 minutes). A young woman witnesses a murder carried out by a doctor (Vincent Price) who runs the sanitarium she has been committed to for treatment. Price is always a joy to watch but the story is never convincing.
Never Take Candy from a Stranger ***1/2 – A strong, some may say even repellent, tale of child molestation brought to you by Hammer Studios, surprisingly made the same year as Michael Powell’s equally controversial “Peeping Tom.” Fortunately, the filmmakers were not looking to exploit such a sensitive subject but treat the entire story in a mature sensitive matter. Felix Aylmer plays the creepy pedophile who does not utter a word throughout the entire film, he really does not need to, his looks and walk are disturbing enough to frighten anyone. Unsettling to say the least.
These Are The Damned (Joseph Losey) ***1/2 Another Hammer film from the early 1960’s, this one from expatriate Losey. Excellent parable of a mad scientist who has confined a group of radioactive children from everyone in a military bunker where they are schooled and lived. They communicate via surveillance cameras and TV monitors. When they ask why they can’t leave, he can only tell them “when the time comes”, i.e. the destruction of the human race via nuclear war which they will survive.
The Maniac (Michael Carreras) ** An American artist has an affair with a French woman in a small village when her crazed husband escapes from a criminal institution and returns. The entire film, released in 1963, is rather talky (script by Jimmy Sangster) and dull except for a decent ending but overall a disappointment.
Out of the Fog (Anatole Litvak) ***1/2 Fine performances from Thomas Mitchell and John Qualan highlight this early noirish film with John Garfield portraying one his most amoral uncaring characters ever. James Wong Howe’s photography is also a highlight. Review coming up at 24frames.
John, interested to hear that you saw ‘Out of the Fog’ – a great film, totally agree about Garfield’s character being one of his most amoral – and also agree that Mitchell is excellent in this. I also liked Ida Lupino’s performance although her character isn’t all that sympathetic. I have read some comments on this film, which was adapted from a stage play, suggesting that Garfield’s character represents fascism and the little/gentle people have to take him on to prevent him destroying everything around him.
It does have an anti-fascist bent to it. The play was produced by The Group Theater, (who leaned to the left) in early 1939 when Hitler was attempting to take over Europe. The play was actually called THE GENTLE PEOPLE and most of the characters (the fishermen and friends) were Jewish. For the movie they change the characters names. The Thomas Mitchell character who was called Jonah Goodwin in the film had a more Jewish sounding name of Jonah Goodman and of course there was the Swed Olaf (John Qualen) who had a Jewish named also in the play.
Reminds me of The Mortal Storm where the non-mention of Judaism is even more egregious (as is the fact that they don’t identify Germany as the country in the film – an absurd withholding given that they refer to Hitler by name!). Powerful film, nonetheless…
MM,
From what I remember when I recently watched this film, the country is identified as Germany. First in an introductory title that identifies the location as a small village in Southern Germany and later on when Robert Young’s fascist character berates James Stewart telling him that with Hitler in charge Germany will now take its rightful place as the leader in Europe.
I meant to add this link…
http://twentyfourframes.wordpress.com/2010/09/10/the-mortal-storm-1940-frank-borzage/
John, yeah I remember doing a double-take when Robert Osbourne said that on TCM. Turns out it was because he was wrong, ha ha…
John: I believe the Yanks lost again tonight, so they are certainly doing all they can to make some kind of photo finish. Theie late seem collapse doesn’t seem to bode well for a strong playoffs for them, but it’s true anything can happen.
I’d be very interested in hearing your reaction to WAITING FOR SUPERMAN (by the way some clips from the classic television series with George Reeves were very well employed in the film)
John, Lucille and I have had numerous chances to see MAO’S LAST DANCER (as it is playing in out Monclair arthouse multiplex) but somehow we’ve never managed it. I think the festivals have tied us up. I am happy to read this very fine assessment of this always fascinating subject.
I look forward to your upcoming 24 FRAMES review of OUT OF THE FOG, John. I am a fan of Litvak’s work, and feel your rating here is dead-on, including the praise for James Wong Howe’s work.
I would give only ** to SHOCK, but we are basically in agreement, and it’s true that Price is always fun to watch! Yep, NEVER TAKE CANDY FROM A STRANGER is unsettling, and deserves the rating you give it.
I haven’t seen THE MANIAC, but agree that the Losey is provocative.
As always, a spectacular comment, my very good friend!
Sam, thank you for your most considerate and kind words for my post.
I just concluded the series with part 4. I hope you will find it interesting.
By the way, your energy to keep up with all the films, links and comments is always amazing… Please take care !
Thanks so much my very good friend! I loved TOKYO TWILIGHT once again yesterday morning at the IFC, and stand by my view it’s one of Ozu’s best (and darkest) films. I will be reading your fourth installment very soon, and am thrilled you completed this excellent project, which for me is so timely! Thanks too for those very kind words.
Sam, thanks so much for the wonderful mention.
That’s one of the Ozus I still need to see. It sounds fantastic.
Yesterday was a tough one for Louisiana. I don’t know if you saw any of the Saints game, but it was a great one, yet a heartbreaking one for the Saints to lose.
This week was a little slow for me in terms of movie-watching. My wife was celebrating a milestone birthday. But I was able to see THE SEVENTH VICTIM and HANGMEN ALSO DIE! I found the Lewton/Robson film to be particularly effective, full of lo-fi atmosphere and demonstrating well how offscreen sound and action can be just as powerful as full-on reveals.
Here’s to another great week, Sam. Thanks for all the infectious enthusiasm!
“Hangmen” is at times my favorite film from Fritz Lang, and certainly my favorite that isn’t silent or part of the Mabuse series. The only film he made in the states where he enjoyed remotely the same kind of autonomy that he had in Germany, and it shows. Great cinematography from James Wong Howe, as well.
Bob, that’s great to hear. I definitely found it interesting and full of moments where Lang’s (and James Wong Howe’s) incredible eye is on display. There was something desperate and helpless about Gene Lockhart’s performance that made me think of Peter Lorre in M. And I even found some of the plotting, like Donlevy spilling red wine to hide the blood stain, to be very inspired.
Oh, Lockhart is fantastic, and I really do love how Lang manages to make you feel some amount of sympathy for a collaborator like him. That bit with the wine is cool, but I’m actually more impressed by how the movie plays with sound, another continuance from “M”. That scene where the resistance leaders suss out Lockhart as a traitor by watching his reaction to a joke told in German, or the bit in the restaurant where the conspiracy to trap him begins, with diagetic music and conversation white-noise keeping us from hearing the beginnings of a staged argument. It really is an underappreciated gem, and hopefully it’ll someday get the recognition it deserves (as well as a restoration for the original, bleaker ending).
Bob, your comment about the sound is very interesting. I particularly remember the part in the restaurant where some of the conversation was drowned out, actually reminded me of some of Godard’s later experiments.
You’ll have to tell me more about the original ending. I was unaware that there was another.
It’s pretty simple– in the existant cut, we never learn if Professor Novotny and the other hostages survive. In the full cut, they don’t. They’re executed, and we see the family grieving at a mass grave (which includes Jewish mourners, something co-writer Bertolt Brecht fought to include) with Brian Donlevy hiding. Then it cuts back to the Nazis and their decoded debriefing.
Apparently this ending has been restored in the European prints of the film– perhaps Fish can attest to this. It’s been supposed that Lang may not have cared much for the material, and might’ve even filmed it with the cynical motivation of having something to give up if the studio wanted the movie trimmed (the same is often said of the lost footage of Edward G. Robinson cheering as Dan Duryea’s execution in “Scarlet Street”). Still, it’s something I’d love to see in a proper American release– that Kino DVD is okay, but the film deserves better.
I really am such a big fan of Lang’s “Hangmen Also Die”, I’m actually going to dig up an old article I wrote on it and two of the director’s other underrated WWII propaganda-thrillers back over at the archives from The Aspect Ratio. It’s always great to find somebody else who’s into this gem.
http://www.theaspectratio.net/wartimelang.htm
Bob, what a fantastic article. Thank you so much for sharing. I still need to see MINISTRY OF FEAR. I did recently see MAN HUNT.
That’s fascinating about the original ending. I had no idea.
Thanks so much for all the perspective and added information. I truly appreciate it. It really adds to the great experiences I already had with the two films.
Thanks so much again Jeffrey for your feel-good and perceptive comment!
Yes, TOKYO TWILIGHT is one of the master’s best three or four films, and I’d love to eventually hear what you thought.
You did indeed see one of Lewton’s best works with THE SEVENTH VICTIM, a poetic film, executed with exquisite artistry. I do remember Jean Brooks was unforgettable in this Robson film with all the Lewton trademarks.
I know the Saints incurred a heartbreaking loss with that 3 point loss to the Falcons, but don’t let it get you down. It’s early in the season and they’re teh defending world champions. The season will include some tough games, but I’m sure they’ll lead that division at teh end of the regular season!
Thanks again Jeffrey for your beautiful words!!!!
Thanks for the shout-out, Sam. Altho the link is actually:
http://rheaven.blogspot.com/2010/09/hackers.html
So, are you gonna see WALL STREET 2? I caught it over the weekend. Good but not great. Certainly the best thing Stone’s done snice ANY GIVEN SUNDAY which ain’t saying much but certainly an enjoyable film nonetheless.
Thank YOU J.D. I did fix that link this afternoon. It appears I was giving Samuel double-coverage there! But I always seem to make a few mistakes every week with this thread, I’m sorry to admit.
J.D. I definitely will see WALL STREET soon, especially since it’s playing at my nearby Edgewater multiplex. Your statement: “Good but not great” is exactly what I expected. I hope you’ll be reviewing it.
Thanks as always my very good friend!
Good morning, Sam – thank you for the mention.
I just aleft a comment on your review of “Brother Sun, Sister Moon” (https://wondersinthedark.wordpress.com/2009/07/08/forsaken-70s-cinema-franco-zeffirellis-brother-sun-sister-moon/#comment-35946). We had the opportunity to see it last evening after a long bicycle ride in Wisconsin yesterday.
Now I’m going to check out some of the other links you’ve provided. As always, THANK YOU.
Thanks so much Laurie! I read your comment on that thread and am thrilled to hear the high praise! The scenery is indeed gorgeous and among the best in this department in all of cinema. Donovan’s melodic score, and the final scene in the Cathedral in Rome (where Alec Guiness kisses Francis’s feet after being overcome with his appearance near the altar) add to this wholly intoxicating experience. I tip my cap to you for following up on your promise to see the film, and am please beyond words at your reaction!
Another great round-up, Sam. I don’t know how you do it, but my proverbial hat is off to you (I don’t wear hats except in the winter).
I’d like to talk about education first, since so many people mention Bill Gates’ film and the dropout problem and parent involvement in your comments section. Most people don’t know that my day job is as the editor of National PTA’s magazine Our Children. The magazine only goes to PTA leaders, though you can subscribe for $15 a year at PTA.org (commercial over). The reason I bring it up is because all I publish is information about parent involvement and how to make it happen. And this December’s issue will be devoted entirely to increasing graduation rates; I’ve got a great roster of writers from places like Johns Hopkins, and yours truly will be writing a piece as well. If you’re interested in education and want to combat the movement to destroy public education, take a look at PTA. We’re all about public schools and making them better, not throwing in the towel and privatizing the whole system.
Thanks for alerting people to my CIFF coverage. It will be pretty busy at Ferdy on Films for the next three weeks with reviews and maybe a surprise or two from the fest. I’ve got a new review up of the Palme d’Or winner, Uncle Boonmee Who Recalls His Past Lives that I’m particularly proud of and one in the works on Waste Land, a truly awe-inspiring documentary about people who pick recyclables out of the largest dump in Brazil participating in an art project. It sounds weird, but it is one of the best films of the year.
I also saw a really hard-to-see film, Douglas Sirk’s Meet Me at the Fair on the big screen; the print was a bit spliced up at the beginning and the end, but the middle was perfect, and the color was great. It’s really a fabulous musical, and Dan Dailey is very charming in it. We were all about fun this weekend, so another viewing of Addams Family Values really fit the bill. I tried to watch The Ambassador’s Daughter, but I’m finding my tolerance for early 60s romcoms is at an end – they are so sexist and cliched. We also took in 30 Days of Night because I got to have me some vampires once in a while; despite characters that would dissolve in a tub of water, the atmosphere and the vampires led by the great Danny Huston really kept my interest to the end.
Marilyn –
Thanks so much for that and for the spectacular presence you’ve sustained here today at this site. I am moved and greatly enriched by your knowledge and eloquence, and with this subject you are unsurpassed.
“Most people don’t know that my day job is as the editor of National PTA’s magazine Our Children.”
Marilyn, I did not know this, but it all makes sense! With a principal wife and two school system employees in this household you can count me in on that subscription! I will pull the trigger in fact tomorrow. Marilyn, I am a staunch supporter of public education of course, and all five of my kids attend public schools, so this publication is very valuable to me.
I was thinking that I saw WASTE LAND, but I am confusing it with an Egyptian film, GARBAGE DREAMS (which I did see). I look forward to that review, as that’s a subject that is dear to me. Your review of UNCLE BOONME is extraordinary, and I’m jealous you’ve seen this! Everyone talks of wanting to see the Fincher film more than any other, but this is the one I want first and foremost!
There are very few Douglas Sirk films I have not seen, but you just named one I haven’t managed! Ha! The fact that it’s a musical makes it even more intriguing. Great to hear you saw a very good print too! This is apparently unavailable.
Ha! I like that description of 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, and can always enjoy The Addams Family!
Again, your comments here and elsewhere on this thread are staggering, and you had a terrific week to boot. Thanks for keeping all of us up to date on your appearances at the CIFF. I’m sure they’ll be other gems.
Thanks very much my very good friend!
Sam – You are far too gracious. Kevin is the real on-the-ground expert, and your family must keep you very informed about education. I do what I can, and now that I know you’ll be reading my magazine, I’m going to work extra-hard to make each issue a keeper.
Remember the Bank of America Cinema I told you about that does revivals on Saturday nights? They’re the ones who programmed Meet Me at the Fair, as well as another impossible-to-find Sirk, The First Legion. The bank building has been sold, and there’s talk that the new owner won’t continue the tradition of the Saturday-night movies, but we’ve been through this before. Mike Phillips has a back-up plan as well in case the worst happens, so I feel reasonably confident that access to these rare gems will continue on. I do hope someone sees fit to restore and issue the two lesser-seen Sirks; they are both very well-made, very humanist, not at all the stylized affairs we are used to with Sirk. I’d even venture to say that I like the better than the arch melodramas he’s known for (though I love those, too). You don’t really know Sirk until you know this side of him.
Talk about “Waiting For Superman”? I’ve been waiting for it, but have heard some negative reports from some teachers online. Apparently the film demonizes the unions, and places underachievement at the feet of educators who lack the skills and motivation to make a difference. I see Mr. Olson is finding some aspects sight unsseen as frustrating. I’ll wait for it to arrive in Montclair.
The Woody Allen film has received indifferent notices for the most part, but I never miss any of his features.
Ha Frank, much of this thread has been devoted to this subject, and what you say here is basically the fabric of the arguments.
Thanks as always!
That was a huge win for the Yanks last night. They stopped the bleeding and assured themselves of a playoff spot.
The football Giants? I won’t even go there.
Joe, I think you need to switch your allegiance to the Jets!
What you say about the Yankees is an understatement.
We have be having a long year with the football Giants, Joe.
I think the Yankees returned to their losing ways tonight against the Toronto Blue Jays. Seems like they are doing all they can to give it away!
Thanks, Joe, my good friend!
Sam, I was trying to pound out my METROPOLIS review in time to make the listing, but didn’t quite make it. In anticipation of seeing the “virtually complete” Lang I’ve been in a silent mood over the past week, a feeling reinforced by my reading of Scott Eyman’s new biography of Cecil B. DeMille. The author had unprecedented access to DeMille’s papers and makes the most of them, portraying just the sort of charismatic and paradoxically sincere hypocrite you’d expect to have made those lurid religious tales. Eyman takes the line that DeMille was practically of the avant-garde in his best 1910s films, but he isn’t an uncritical writer. I definitely disagree with Eyman’s assumption that no one equaled his subject as a director of epics — I prefer Mankiewicz’s CLEOPATRA to DeMille’s, for instance — but he’s good at identifying the key virtues of the director’s best work. I’ll have a few more silent reviews up shortly: Von Sternberg’s UNDERWORLD and Reginald Barker’s remarkable THE ITALIAN from 1914.
On the other hand, I took a chance on Peter Sasdy’s THE DEVIL WITHIN HER on TCM this weekend. If your team was doing a survey of worst horror films, this one would definitely belong. For all I know, it may be the worst British horror film of the 20th century.
Samuel, I see your glorious essay on METROPOLIS is up there at MONDO 70, and I aim to read the whole thing tomorrow and respond. I can well understand why this “event” would have you excited, and I can’t say I blame you for your seemingly reverent lead-in. I just wrote down the De Mille volume, as he’s another director I revere, and I admire your refusal to support some of the author’s contentions. That’s a tough call between De Mille’s and Mankiewitz’s CLEOPATRA, but surely DeMilel is ONE of the greatest “epic” directors. I see you have dug into the Criterion Von Sternberg set, and that will certainly be another excellent review headed soon to MONDO 70. Those prints are gorgeous in that box.
THE ITALIAN is a classic of silent cinema, while THE DEVIL INSIDE HER is precisely how you assess it!
Thanks as always for this great wrap my very good friend!!
Thanks for the nod Sam. I saw two movies at the movies this week, The Town and Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives. I thought The Town was pretty good–not particularly remarkable, but worth seeing. Affleck the actor was definitely the weakest link (although all the other actors, especially Hamm, were excellent), but as a director he seems to really care…it doesn’t all work (there’s an overhead shot as Renner walks away from Hamm that’s embarrassingly showy), but it’s always nice to see an actor-director who cares about visual style.
Uncle Boonmee was incredible though. I saw it at the Lincoln Center and Weerasethakul was there in person–he did a Q&A moderated by Melissa Anderson, really wonderful stuff. And the film itself was just mind-blowing, strange, beautiful, very much a continuation of Syndromes And A Century, with caves replacing hospital basements.
You attended the New York Film Festival Peter??
Fantastic!
And to boot you are there for a Weerasethakul Q & A! There is no film I want to see more than this one (well, TREE OF LIFE too) and your ravished verdict has me excited. Marilyn has a great review of it up at her place–
http://www.ferdyonfilms.com/?p=6292
Your exquisite language to describe the film is appreciated, and I am a huge fan of his prior work.
Peter, I completely agree that ‘Affleck the Actor’ is a weak link in a film that entertains well enough, but has little resonance when you leave teh theatre.
Thanks for this marvelous round-up my good friend!
Nice to see the discussion for Waiting For Superman. I think by focusing solely on urban school districts, the entire picture is muddied. Job security is part of the pay-back for the low salaries. I can’t dispute the claim that many slackers regularly infiltrate the teaching ranks, but I think this true in many professions. Charter schools are the biggest threat to public education.
Totally agree, Peter. It’s not very encouraging that a big supporter of charter schools in the U.S. Secretary of Education.
How true Marilyn – that’s scary.
Here in New Jersey we have a governor who’d like nothing better than to deliver a lethal blow to public eduaction. This fiscal year, every school district in the state was cut millions of dollars, and next year much of the same is expected.
Yes, I agree Marilyn. Hardly surprising as Obama also sees benefits in charter schools.
Peter, it’s definitely a compelling issue. Personally, many of the teachers I know are – like Kevin – not at all enamored of the job security and cover teachers’ unions provide, which is interesting; often it’s only outsiders who object to a given profession’s perks. This does not seem to be the case with teachers…
MovieMan, the situation in NJ is unique. Up until Gov. Christie took office the state’s NJEA was widely considered one of the strongest teacher’s unions in the nation., Tenure was rock-solid, and pay increases were clockwork. Now there’s a plan in place to freeze all salaries at the top of the scale. I’d say teachers were mostly pleased with the scale and security until Christie took the oath of office.
Peter & Marilyn, one hears a lot about charter schools nowadays – generally positive. I don’t know too much about them, particularly from any direct experience. I’d be interested to hear more of the “case against” particularly as it relates to public schools. It seems such a tricky issue: on the one hand, as you seem to suggest, it can divert resources from public schools and make them even worse. On the other, it seems cruel to condemn poor kids to public schools which may take years or decades to fix, while rich kids get the option of attending a more well-run private school (obviously, this only applies to some public schools, I went to public school K-12 and got a great education). Is there a way that makes the best of both worlds, building up public education while also allowing at-risk kids individual escape hatches? Or is it bound to be, in real-world/pragmatic terms (and with the experience you have) always a trade-off, with one side or another losing out?
The charter school movement talks a lot about its successes, but the results of a reputable longitudinal study show decidely mixed results: “Charter schools are permitted to select their focus, environment and operations and wide diversity exists across the sector. This study provides an overview that aggregates charter
schools in different ways to examine different facets of their impact on student academic growth. The group portrait shows wide variation in performance. The study reveals that a decent fraction of charter schools, 17 percent, provide superior education opportunities for their students. Nearly half of the charter schools nationwide have results that are no different from the local public school options and over a third, 37 percent, deliver learning results that are significantly worse than their student would have realized had they remained in traditional public schools. These findings underlie the parallel findings of significant state‐by‐state differences in charter school performance and in the national aggregate performance of charter schools.” (http://credo.stanford.edu/reports/MULTIPLE_CHOICE_CREDO.pdf)
The problem with charter schools is not that they exist in competition with public schools – indeed, many are in a public school system – but that they are allowed to run like private schools, setting their own agendas and study concentrations. Privatizing schools would uneven the playing field even more because they would be able to teach what they like or what their private funders want them to teach. This could make schools an ideological battleground or reduce them to something resembling vo-tech training. It’s important to note that states that report gains under charter schools are grading on a curve themselves; in Illinois, the tests have been dumbed down so that scores are artificially inflated.
The public school system could be fixed if its antiquated funding structure were revamped to remove it from the property-tax structure. It seems a very hard sell these days to get older generations to pay for kids they don’t have, and low-income districts will be chronically underfunded. It could also be fixed if we as a nation gave education the priority we seem to give to killing people in foreign lands. It is ludicrous to have legislators falling all over themselves to fund wars literally overnight and force schools to hold fundraisers to soak parents who already can’t afford to fund schools with their tax dollars.
Public schools in urban areas are vital, and can only be adversely affected by the appearance of charters. I’m not so sure I can suggest a viable solution. We seem to be caught between a rock and a hard place.
Thanks, both. Peter – I’m not familiar with the situation in NJ (I’m a NH/MA guy myself, with some friends in NY) so the clarification is appreciated. Marilyn, thanks for the stats and reservations – the divergence between charter schools (not just charters and publics) is a great point. Do you see any place for schools like this within the system, or would you rather the focus shifted entirely to public schools?
The tax structure argument is interesting – there was a big brouhaha about that in NH years ago, when certain towns had their property taxes increased to pay for the education in other towns (if I remember the issue correctly). It was somewhat unfair because many people who lived in towns with high property values did not themselves have a great deal of income or resources. Of course all this was facilitated by NH’s absolute refusal to ever instate an income tax…
As for additional funding, no doubt that’s a good starting point but what specific changes do you think are most necessary to boost public education where it’s most sorely lacking? Or do you feel that communities vary so wildly it’s impossible to come up with broad reforms? Any particular resource (aside from the PTA which you just mentioned), book or site or anything, you’d recommend which addresses these questions in depth? Also, I’ll be interested to know what you thought of Waiting for Superman, though I haven’t seen it yet (my parents just did, I think they liked it). Will you be/have you already reviewed it on your blog?
Re: Addams Family Values, I just saw The Witches this weekend, with Anjelica Huston in another great role. She’s makes a great ghoul, doesn’t she? Though the Dahl adaptation was slight, I enjoyed her vamping and the great Henson puppets & make-up (when she unmasks herself, it’s a real treat, makes one regret the reliance on CGI for such effects today).
There have always been magnet and alternative schools. As Kevin points out above, at-risk students often need a different environment to actually get educated. It’s unfair and imprudent to ask teachers to be social workers for the wider student body. That’s why the regressive nature of our national politics agenda is so scary; if we don’t work on social issues, one generation after another will fall further behind. “Me and mine” simply doesn’t work when you have generational poverty and social problems to contend with.
I think education is a rather faddish field. First there was the new math, then hooked on phonics, then no grades, etc. I’m not sure where all this comes from, but there are fundamentals to education that don’t have to change with the seasons. One thing people are finding is that education has to start very early – parents need to read to their kids even before they can speak and engage them in play and exploration. A developing mind needs to be stimulated. I just spoke to a guy today who said they can tell as early as kindergarten whether a child might be on a track to dropping out of school. I’m having him write an article about it, as I’m fascinated to see what the markers and interventions are. Parents really are very key, but if they’re working all the time, or on drugs, or missing, or can’t read themselves, it’s not going to bode well for their kids. Teachers should be a primary source of the information we all need to be successful, but it really does take a village. The charter school movement is yet another fad for not being willing to commit to all the citizens of this country.
Marilyn, that sounds like a fascinating article; I would love to read it when it’s completed…
I’ll let you know when it’s online. I’m planning to post the whole issue.
And yes, Anjelica is one of cinema’s great lights. She is equally adept at comedy and drama.
I’ll drink to that!
Thanks very much for the kind mention, Sam. I like the sound of the new Woody Allen from your description and will hope it gets to the UK soon. My main excitement this week was a trip to London to see Henry IV Part 1 at Shakespeare’s Globe – I’d had a guided tour of the theatre in the past but had never seen a production there, so it was great to do so at last.
Jamie Parker from the film of ‘The History Boys’ was probably the most famous name in the cast, as Prince Hal, and was very good, but of course the play always belongs to Falstaff, and Roger Allam did a superb job of playing the old rogue, getting a rapturous response from the audience. Largely the same cast is also appearing in Henry IV Part II, with the same director, Dominic Dromgoole, but sadly I won’t be able to make it back to London to see it, as there isn’t much of the run left – however, part one was great! (The Globe is also doing ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’, but with a different director and a different actor as Falstaff, which is probably just as well, as doing the two plays must be a huge workload.) Now hoping to see ‘Chimes at Midnight’ and compare Welles’ take on Falstaff…
I haven’t been to the cinema this week, but have seen a couple of films on DVD – Wellman’s 1949 war movie ‘Battleground’, which I found powerful, although I need to see it again to really take it in, and James Mangold’s ‘3:10 to Yuma’ (2007), which I liked a lot, especially Christian Bale’s performance. I haven’t seen the earlier version which I know many critics feel is better, but the climactic chase scene in this was compelling.
“My main excitement this week was a trip to London to see Henry IV Part 1 at Shakespeare’s Globe – I’d had a guided tour of the theatre in the past but had never seen a production there, so it was great to do so at last.”
Judy, you are the best! If only all or most Brits took full advantage of the cultural paradise that’s easily attainable, well if so I really be green with envy! Just visiting there would be something I can only dream of, but actually seeing a production of HENRY IV is really incredible! Yes, I do remember Jamie Parker’s performance in THE HISTORY BOYS fondly, and I can envision him as Prince Hal. But it’s great to hear that Alam was on the mark. Seeing Part 1 is fair enough, though I understand if it were manageable, you’d be back there. Perhaps they are planning a staging of HENRY V soon! I’m eager to hear your opinion on CHIMES ON MIDNIGHT, which I consider one of the greatest Shakespeare films ever made.
Judy, I also consider the original version of 3:10 TO YUMA as superior to the re-make, but I agree with you on Bale, and think the 2007 film is fair enough. The Woody Allen film is entertaining enough, but like most of his recent films, a far cry from the good old days.
I’ve never watched BATTLEGROUND, but look forward to your assessment at MOVIE CLASSICS.
Thanks so much Judy for this thrilling wrap!
Many thank yous once more for honoring me with a link to my site from the current and always awesome audience of Wonders, I deeply appreciate it and this has been always in my mind, specially now as I write my documentary.
Last week was harsh, having a lazy writing partner with a due work for thursday afternoon at 9pm and delivering it at 9.43 pm wasn’t fun at all and gave me a lot of stress. This week was just that, blow after blow and no fun at all (well, that’s besides saturday afternoon). I’ve spent the last two days writing my documentary, as I told you, in which this site plays a part… but I won’t tell you which just yet (I may not be chosen, so I don’t want to get your hopes up). But that’s life, I’m still working on it now and I think it’s getting an unexpected turn.
Regarding what you saw: I’m actually looking forward to all the movies you saw this week. Woody Allen’s latest, Waiting for Superman and Tokyo Twillight specially.
Movie wise, I saw almost nothing:
– From Afar (2006, Alejandro Fernández Almendras) ***1/2 Short film that looks like a documentary and played as a documentary worldwide in festivals, but it’s a fiction with the restrictions of an observation documentary. I felt cheated.
– The Special Relationship (2010, Richard Loncraine) ***1/2 This was actually pretty good, two great performances, I mean, is the usual for Michael Sheen as Tony Blair. The thing is this was really uneventful, even if it did portray interesting parts of these two people, it was played as just happenings and not like the really suspensful moments they were to them.
Reading, well, doopaloo, I’ve read some, but nothing finished, still trying to crank out that review of “Oblivion” by David Foster Wallace, which has been in the works and put on hold since this madness started.
Writing, well, apart from that Modular TV project and this documentary thing, nothing else.
Projects projects, if you don’t know, October is coming and with that it means Halloween and for me that means total overblown MADNESS. I’ll see 31 films in those 31 days and review them instantly on my blog, it’s a tradition since last year and no matter how busy I am I’ll stick to my promise, I’ll put an announcement during this week.
Nothing else to report Sam and everybody, just staying alive on the hopes of a good work. Good day to you all!
RIP
Ditto. Editors are the unsung heroes of filmmaking (and incidentally, in an industry where women are underrepresented, a slew of the great ones are females). Sad to see we’ve lost such a talent.
Jaime, that writing partner is obviously a slacker. I hate to see you stressed out, and how how hard you are working on that documentary. You definitely have piqued my interest with the subject and particulars of this documentary, but I will be a good boy and wait. WitD is actually thrilled to have YOU linked up as a talented and tireless advocate of Chilean culture!
Yes, I am certain you will be ravished by TOKYO TWILIGHT, which is unquestionably one of Ozu’s greatest films. I’d be curious to know how you fall with the Woodman’s latest, nothing remarkable in a career that appears to be fizzling out. Still, I can’t say I was bored. You’ve seen all the dialoque here on WAITING FOR SUPERMAN; I hope you’ll get a chance to see it at some point. I’m sure BURIED will be easier.
I’m sorry to say that I haven’t seen either of the two films you report on here, though based on what you say, FROM AFAR isn’t even worth it. I am familiar with Mr. Loncraine’s work (having seen the the Emmy nominated series THE GATHERING STORM and the 1995 adaptation of RICHARD III with Ian McKellan) but I need to see THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP. Yeah, Sheen as Blair would certainly be a perfect match!
I’d be interested to know if you are planning to have OBLIVION up at EXODUS 8.2.
That Halloween tradition does sound exciting!!! I’ll be following!
Thanks as always my very good friend!
About the Woodman (hahaha, I remembered someone who used to call Urkel the UrkMan, hahaha, anyway…) I’m working on his filmography chronologycally and now I’m stuck, since I can’t seem to find ANOTHER WOMAN in any place whatsoever. I even heard it was good!
Anyway, I do wanna do something when I ‘finish’ with his career, and I’ll tell you when the time comes.
That would be a noble venture Jaime. ANOTHER WOMAN is fair enough, but not essential Woody methinks. If you want a copy I can arrange that easy enough.
TheFountain26@aol.com
That’s your email?
Just got back from work. I’m going to read more carefully Peter and Marilyn’s comments before I add my two cents. Briefly, though, this is how I feel about some of what’s been said:
1. Yes, education needs to start at a much earlier age…primarily in the form of reading to children, not sticking them in front of a virtual babysitter.
2. Marilyn is right: education is a faddish profession, and that’s why so many teachers leave it. There’s apparently some fool-proof plan to educated kids out there, and when they adopt it and see that it doesn’t work (hooked on phonics or any variety of modern computer programs claiming to improve reading skills), and that teaching is still a hard job…they quit. Nearly everyone of my students tells me that at some point the felt belittled and voiceless in their class. Some of that is because some teachers are just bad at their job (more on that later), and some of it is because there’s just not enough time to allow every student to have a voice in an overcrowded public school. These are the type of students who desperately need alternative forms of education, and often vocational or technical schools and alternative schools help them get on track, re-focus, and get their diploma without feeling disillusioned about the whole enterprise.
3. I like charter schools. I think that competition is good for public schools because hopefully it will force them to look at what they’re doing wrong (standardized tests and such) and hopefully they’ll fix it. Also, I know where I work (which is partnered with a community college) that at any point I can be fired if I am unfair or verbally abusive to the students…or if I’m just a lazy teacher (no joke we had a teacher hired at one point who was fired after a week because my boss, the dean of the program, checked in on his class and he was sitting at the front of the room with his headphones on listening to his ipod while the students typed their papers on their laptops. He was asked to leave the next day.) I know that my job is in jeopardy if I’m not pulling my weight. I think charters, to an extent, offer this much needed pressure on public schools. Run it like a business and see if the results from your teachers change. The unions will never allow it, but it would be interesting to see if something could change because of it.
4. I actually subscribe to the “no grades” fad…kind of. I believe that grades are pretty arbitrary, and my students are never graded in the sense that they’re “ranked”. Eliminating the hierarchy that comes with grades (and what results in, mostly, students of poverty feeling even less about themselves because of their grade) is crucial. My students don’t receive homework. I think the idea of them sitting in school for 5+ hours and then being asked to go home (if they even have a home) and do more school is a ridiculous notion. They’re home environments usually aren’t conducive to studying (or normalcy for that matter), so why would I ask them to add more to their already loaded schedule outside of school? I have to assign grades (obviously, as the college we are partnered with requires it), but my students don’t feel stressed about them, and that’s what I like about the “no grade” fad. They should feel good about starting and accomplishing tasks — seeing things through to their finish (which is often the hardest things for at-risk teens) — not about getting some letter grade.
I’m sure I’ll have more to add later.
Kevin, I find this whole discussion fascinating though as a non-teacher I have little to add. I mentioned something in an e-mail to Sam which I might as well broach here: I’d love to see a post devoted to a discussion on Waiting for Superman, with all the education-related writers/readers of Wonders (and maybe some people I know too, if they’re interested) chiming in on the movie. Obviously everyone would have to see it first so it might take a while, but if someone moderated in the form of viewing the movie & drawing up questions to ask everyone, and then if everyone e-mailed their questions to one another and responded to each others’ points, with the conversation then boiled down to post-size (or maybe split up into several entries) I think a fascinating piece could result.
I would love to do that. I have no idea when the film is coming to Salem, OR, though. I’m sure, if all else fails, Portland will have it showing its opening weekend.
I read Joel’s e mail, but thus far have been unable to come up with a satisfactory answer. However, I am absolutely in favor of this proposed forum, and would go along with any proposition. Today’s discussion caught me off guard, though with Marilyn and Kevin taking the bull by the horns, I am hardly surprised at the outcome.
Kevin, the no homework and no grades concept is interesting. We have not reached that stage yet here.
I am very interested in see “Waiting for Superman,” though I fear I might burst a blood vessel. Still, I have an abiding interest in propaganda films, so it could be quite interesting to see how it handles its agenda.
Kevin – With your student load, innovative approaches are required. I certainly don’t think homework is required except, perhaps, reading that could not reasonably be completed in school and provided there is enough study hall time with instructors available for coaching. As for grades, I think some indications of how a student is progressing make sense, even to the student, but the competitive nature of earning grades can certainly beat the joy of learning out a student. As long as there is a clear understanding of what a measure (whatever kind you wish) indicates and that the measure is designed to help a student progress, I don’t see that it has to be harmful. Sadly, by the time you get these students, grades have already done their damage.
Yeah. And I should clarify that the school I work at is an options school, and the students have to test to get in. We only have about 200 total students in the High School program (that’s the program where students ages 16-20 can get their diploma…we also house a GED program and an Early College High School program), therefore we can’t afford a lot of teachers, IA’s, or special education teachers to work with students who are on IEP’s. In fact, only a handful of my students are on IEP’s, so I really don’t ever have to worry about them not getting their work done in class. We scaffold every lesson plan at our school, and we never continue with a lesson until we’re sure the classroom community is on the same page. Students are in class for two hours, so they usually have more than enough time to get stuff done, and the option is always there for them if they want to take it home and work on it. It’s just not a requirement.
Anyway, I just wanted to clarify that I’m not dealing with too many students (maybe 5-10 total) who have reading problems. I’m dealing with kids who have behavioral issues and haven’t realized their potential. These are smart kids who just need to have their skills redirected in a positive direction, and most of them come to us looking to turn their life around…so we have highly motivated students.
We also have a strict, structured behavior management policy that reminds students in a de-personalized way to correct behavior and re-focus on their assignment. If they fail to do that then they could possible be asked to leave the program. Their seat is a privilege, and really about 90% of the students want to be there and take it very seriously…the other 10% find another program that works better with their needs and their schedule. We never “throw” a kid “out”, but we will redirect them to another option if this one doesn’t work for them.
All that to say: we cater to a very specific student — someone who wants to turn their life around, understands the value of education and a degree after seeing what life is like without it, and because of that they’re highly motivated to succeed. Our school is the last chance for a lot of these kids (and for a lot of them it’s the last chance for them to be the first person in their family to earn a high school diploma), and we stress the importance of finishing to them. So, I don’t imagine what teachers are having to go through in a public school. I think I can use a lot of my philosophies and such and think they’re great because I’m working with such a specific demographic of student, and I’m working in a class of no more than 20-25 students. I’m very, very lucky to have the job I have…but I’m still aware of the flaws of the public school system (I’ve worked there, too) and how it fails my students who look to our school as their last chance to achieve something.
Ha Joel! Just checked out this screen cap display! Great stuff! Well, I guess I’ll have to see this one again, I was admittedly never a big fan.
Well, it is almost midnight on Monday night and I’ve konked out.
The thread has been overwhelming but magnificent.
I will respond to Jaime, Samuel, Peter Lenihan, Judy, and the extra submissions from Marilyn and Kevin tomorrow. Of course the same goes for any others submitted.
What a day! Thank you all.
Sam, I read this morning that NYC Mayor Bloomberg is advocating an end to tenure for teachers. It seems the focus of the film being discussed on these pages is winning favor with public officials, leading me to believe it’s only a matter of time.
I wonder if it will apply to teachers who have already received their tenure?
Frederick, I would say it does apply. If tenure rules are revamped, it would affect everyone, including those who may have achieved tenure many years ago. It’s not a pretty picture for educators.
Frederick and David:
I also heard the Bloomberg opinion. I’m not sure how this would impact those already having tenure, but I’ll soon find out!
Thanks as always my friends!
The WOODY ALLEN film is one that I’ll wrestle myself into the theatre for… The guy, simply, amazes me. Since 1969 he has banged out a film a year without fail. His work ethic is unparalelled in the department of productivity and, considering his entire body of work, amazes even more considering the ratio of good films vs. bad films (his good films are far more than his bad). Then, you also take into consideration that period of films between MIGHTY APHRODITE and MATCHPOINT and you think, “yup, that’s it, he’s done, the genius is slipping” and, without warning, BANG!!!!!!, he slams a homer over the fence like MATCHPOINT and a whole new term of conditions is laid out and more terrific work starts popping up. Last years WHATEVER WORKS (starring CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM’s Larry David) was absolutely hysterical and saw Woody Allen proving he has lost none of his ability to pen some wicked one-liners.
I don’t necessarily think this new “twilight” period of his career is as amazing as his work between 1969-1989 but, taking into account the man is 75 years old and shows no sign of slowing in the least, you have to give the guy credit as his attempts almost always seem to yield something interesting.
MYFAVORITES by WOODY ALLEN
EARLY SLAPSTICK (1969-1976): MY FAVORITE: BANANAS-The sequence when Fielding (Allen) is ordered to find food for the starving rebels and wanders into a short-order delicatessen (in the middle of a jungle no less) to order 4000 grilled cheese sandwiches is priceless (“um, which one is on the roll?”)
WOODY THE REAL DIRECTOR (1977-1980): MY FAVORITE: ANNIE HALL-I love MANHATTAN and INTERIORS alot from this era but, regardless of their brilliance, its the one-two punch of ANNIE with its over-the-top experimentation, gorgeous cinematography (by GODFATHER allumnus Gordon Willis no less), wicked but tender screenplay and Diane Keatons very best performance that put this one in the winner’s circle for me. Favorite moment: Alvie (Allen) is disturbed in the middle of sex with another woman (Shelly Duvall) by a phonecall from Annie(Keaton) to help her kill a spider in the bathroom (Shelly Duvall to Woody Allen, both in bed, her smoking, him putting his glasses on: SHELLY: “I’m sorry it took me so long to finish.” WOODY(rubbing his face): “That’s OK honey, I think I’m starting to feel a little life in my jaw now.”)
NEW LEAD LADY, NEW ERA (1981-1991): This is the period that vies with the ANNIE HALL phase as Woody’s most prolific and most critically praised and, virtually there is nary a bomb in the run. From deeply probing meditations on life (HANNAH AND HE SISTERS, CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS and the sorrowly underrated ANOTHER WOMAN) to tip of the hat comic gems that prove his BANANAS period was not a thing of the past (BROADWAY DANNY ROSE), some, and I’m one of them, think this could be Allen’s best stretch of films. This period also saw the bow out of Diane Keaton as his leading lady in favor of Mia Farrow. MY FAVORITE: CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS: No other film by Woody Allen has so resembled his beloved Ingmar Bergman and no other is so intelligent, probing, and emotional. The themes of death, guilt, forced religion and moral comuppance were obviously something the director was struggling with in his own personal life and the working out phase became this film. It’s a blistering, shocking and beautifully realized treatise on questions we all have about this thing we call life. Martin Landau give his very best performance as the deeply conflicted eye-surgeon who is begining to realize God’s eyes aren’t always on us. I have this figured for the best film of 1989, a year that can stand as one of the greatest in film history-that’s saying alot.
MIRAMAX AND OTHER PRODUCTION HOUSES (1992-1999): This is the phase we start to see the Wood-man slip. This is when Mia Farrow breaks her silence and the slings and arrows of their relationship become front page news, It’s understandable that the work will suffer, and it’s here that he makes some less than great movies (It’s here his two worst films-DECONSTRUCTING HARRY, SMALL TIME CROOKS-show there faces). However, this is Woody Allen, and although I really despise this phase, a few diamonds in the rough were produced. MY FAVORITE: If there was any doubt that the master could still rev up a biting screenplay, rapid-machine-gun-fire one-liners, impeccable period recreation, and a cast that most directors would salivate for, then BULLETS is the one. This biting satire on the artist and what he’ll do to make it in the big time houses some of Woody’s best dialoque and most inspired plotting. Think BROADWAY DANNY ROSE infused with THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO infused with HANNAH AND HER SISTERS. Although I cannot single out a favorite moment in the film as there are so many, I will say that any moment featuring Dianne Wiest as the arrogant booze hound Broadway wash up is a keeper (she won a richly deserved Oscar for her amazing turn here).
Dennis, I will say that some will contest your trashing of DECONSTRUCTING HARRY and your uncompromised praise of BULLETS, while not always agreeing with your forceful conclusions. Regardless this is a stunning submission here, a comment of passion and authority. Your love for the Woodman is legendary in these parts.
Thanks os much my very good friend!
My love for this director started in 1976 when channel 7 (ABC) would run a movie on Friday nights during the summer hiatus. The film TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN caught me off guard that night and its been a love affair with the kind of comedy and sensitivity that only Allen can muster up (my favorite gag is in the beginning when Virgil-Allen, in love with playing the cello, joins a marching band and cant find enough time in the march to position his chair so he can sit down and play). Since that night, I anticipate and relish each and every release of a new film (he has the most prolific track record in the industry releasing a film a year since 1969) and am ususally thrilled when the Oscars nominate him (he’s been nominated for best screenplay record times).
He is one of my absolute favorites and, for a guy that never studied film or its creation, is one of the most creative and ingenius directors. He’s 75 now, and i shutter to think that he has come to the final stage of both his life and career.
Oh God Dennis I’m with you 100% on DH – loathed that movie. Like a Woody film made by an Allen detractor to highlight all his most obnoxious traits and none of his virtues! But it certainly had its admirers, go figure…
JOEL-I think the film, while housing some really funny moments, IS PURE TRASH. The monotony of the the narrative, the whining of each and every character, the flat presentation of the imagery and all this going on while he’s sitting there really thinking this is all working at the moment.
I know, through interviews I have seen him in, he says he rarely likes any of his own films and most NEVER turn out the way he really wants to. I’m glad he said that. There really is no excuse for something as pretentious and annoying as DECONSTRUCTING HARRY. SMALL TIME CROOKS is just a lame attempt to capture the feel of his earlier slapstick work and, frankly, the heist idea just doesn’t work. The perios between 1990 and 1999 doesn’t yield too many good pictures from Allen, and the ones that do should be savored. I’m more admired of films like ANOTHER WOMAN, HUSBANDS AND WIVES and the supreme BULLETS OVER BROADWAY. Yes, those films do revert back to style and content that made him and his earlier phases most sucessful but, hey, what works works.
To put Woody Allen at the bottom of a short list of the best directors to emmerge from the U.S. between 1969 and preasent is tantamount to foolishness. I dare say that none of the directors from this country, producing films in that stretch of time can even dream to coming close to his track record. He’s just that good. DH is a misfire for sure, its god-awful, but small potatoes in the grand scheme.
His favorite film was THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO by the way….
Allo! Allo! Sam Juliano…
Sam Juliano said,”After a quiet week, I rallied for a very busy weekend in the movie theatres, after spending some time at home with my classic television sets of One Step Beyond and Thriller.
Wow!
“I resisted the temptation to see Gaspar Noe’s controversial Enter the Void at the IFC Film Center with a special appearance by the nihilist director and the lead star, in favor of a double feature of Buried and Woody Allen’s latest. I wasn’t in a mood to be depressed…”
Unfortunately, I’am not familiar with Gasper Noe yet, with ” yet” being the operative word.
Checking out the films that you watched at the theater: It appears as if there is no weakest link in the lot…
Waiting For Superman, Buried, You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger, and Tokyo Twilight
Thanks, for sharing…as usual!
Sam Juliano, beside being a looming “specter” here at WitD…I have been fairly busy too!
Unfortunately, I’am still computer sharing and I’am still utilizing the Internet cafe, but Fletch’s 30 Days of Crazy Countdown is coming to an end…which I thought was fun, and a very interesting blogathon. (Please keep in mind this was the second blogathon that I participated in and the payoff will hopefully, be revealed Friday.)
Books That I Will Soon Be Opening:
Steampunk:Style Of Jewelry
Books On My Online Bookshelf
Three By Author Gail Carriger, Oh! Yes, she deal with Vampire(s) in her books and her books are Victorian, Tea, and Steampunkish.
#1.Soulless
#2.Blameless
#3. Changeless
(Move over “Twilight” a new kid is on the block!)
Films That I Watched or plan to watch this week…
#1.The Spiritualist
#2.Sherlock Holmes (2009) Steampunk-influenced
#3.British Cinema Volume II: Renown Picture (Six Films) Boxset…
#4.British Cinema Volume I: Renown Picture Boxset
#4.Mayerling, Gervaise, and Le Jour se Lève…I’am watching all of these films for the first time…
Unfortunately, I still have some health issue to deal with in the upcoming week, but I guess that I can call it a…“wrap” and “day.”
DeeDee 😉 🙂
Dee Dee, Gasper Noe directed a film that you would never want to see, and I wouldn’t blame you. Some movie goers (and critics have walked out on it) as it’s drench in drugs and violence to levels (purportedly) beyond anything yet seen. As I say, I am in no rush, especially with so much else out there to investigate in film, threatre and music. And it’s very long too!
I knew of Fletch’s blogothon from sidebar postings, but unfortunately never got over there. But I do know well how busy you’ve been and how restricted your PC time is. All you do is help and assisy others, and even at that you have to experience some obstacles. Unbelievable.
You have some great films lined up there (especially GERVAISE, LE JOUR SE LEVE and MAYERLING) and I’m sure you’ll be pleased and enriched! Wonderful, all.
STAMPUNK and the book trio are new to your current intentions too, though we have discussed the former.
Once again I appreciate this terrific re-cap and for all the things you do for your fellow bloggers! You stand alone, my dear friend.
I’m going to see ENTER THE VOID this weekend, i’ll let you know!
In case anyone is interested and wants to discuss, here’s the basic idea I sent Sam. I think obviously Sam, Marilyn, Kevin, Peter, and anybody else on these boards who has teaching and/or education-field experience would be a great contributor to the conversation:
Btw, I have a suggestion I think would be a fantastic post on Wonders in the Dark: a forum on the film Waiting for Superman and how well you think it addresses the issues surrounding education. Sort of like:
Thoughts on Waiting for Superman
Intro
SAM:
KEVIN:
MARILYN:
etc etc
OR, though it would be a little more difficult to arrange, a dialogue/roundtable conversation type thing. But not as a message board, or a thread on a message board but as an organized post, so that it gets the attention and delivery it deserves.
Probably somebody should moderate, watch the film & draw up a set of questions to ask everyone in turn and then maybe e-mail follow-ups so people can address each other’s points, and then organize it in to something a little more concise and readable and publish it.
Hope this goes forward – I’d love to read it!
Perhaps we could do something like what Ed Howard and Jason Bellamy do with “The Conversations” at The House Next Door, though with this many people, that might be hard. In fact, if we could find a good day, I would suggest we try doing another installment of The Oldest Established Really Important Film Club, which I helped found but which is dormant. Take a look here to see the format; click on any of the links on the left rail: http://toerifc.blogspot.com/
Marilyn, yes that’s more or less what I had in mind – though I’d definitely recommend preparing it ahead of time, putting it in post form rather than a comments thread (discussions here have a tendency to wander, which is fun but would be distracting in this case), and limiting it to people with experience in the education field – the rest of us can chime in afterwards! I look forward to whatever may unfold; take it away, guys…
I am DEFINITELY interested in this proposal, though I’m not versed enough in blogothons and the like to initiate, at least not until I sort this out. It’s obviously a very great subject to discuss.
Marilyn, Sam, Kevin.
here is an article I quite like on Charter schools, and their negative effects.
http://www.isreview.org/issues/62/feat-charterschools.shtml
It is a great piece Jamie!
Wow, a long article (20 pages in Word doc) but interesting. I read about a quarter and bookmarked the rest for later perusal. I’ll be interested in Kevin’s response since I understand from above he’s generally pro-charter.
The article mentions a book, “Keeping the Promise? The Debate Over Charter Schools” which sounds like a great resources, offering many different perspectives on the issue. Anyone read it/would recommend it – or any other books on the subject for that matter?
JAIME GRIJALBA-Don’t get your hopes up too high on ANOTHER WOMAN from SAM. I’ve scoured the entire dungeon in his basement and I have yet to locate the third WOODY ALLEN box set that houses the film. I think Sam used it to prop up his desk when the legs started giving way from the consistant pounding he does on the keyboard of his computer (Sam’s a two-finger typer).
As for the film itself: DON’T LISTEN TO SAM. ANOTHER WOMAN is a deeply emotional film that has resonated with me since I saw it in 1989/90????? Emulating Bergman again, the story figures on a former college professor of literature and poetry (played by the glowing Gena Rowlands). She has written several books on the subject and now, approaching 50, she is in a position (she’s married to a very proper surgeon, played aloofly cold by the great Ian Holm) to start another. As it would go, the professor looks for an apartment to set up her office as the noise from local construction has made it impossible for her to concentrate on her book at home. In the new office, she begins to realize the ventilation system of the building is connecting her flat to the one next door, that of a prominent psychiatrist, and the confessions and rants of his patients become audible to the college professor as she writes. The patients woes and dreams come into her everyday ands, like Bergman, spark off memeories and longings in the professor hwrself. It’s after this set up that Allen brings us into the world of the professor. She is having trouble with her no-account brother (Harris Yulin) and his wife (SIX FEET UNDER’s Frances Conroy) who are consistantly asking to borrow money from her even though she knows her brother secretly hates her. She tends to her aging father (Oscar-winner John Houseman-in his last screen performance) and the memories of his determination to make it in the field of history has caused her bitterness in thinking she was unloved. It’s here that an old friend of the professor’s (played by Gene Hackman) comes back into her life by weay of a book he as written in which the love of the main characters life is based on her. This, plus the confessions she’s hearing from the office next door, take the professor on a journey of reexamining points in her life that she had just brushed off and, slowly, begins to realize they were never small.
ANOTHER WOMAN is about missed chances. Chances for happiness, love and the right person to spend eternity with. In the hands of another director this subject and its execution on screen would seem pretentious and trite, almost full of itself. In Allen’s hands, it becomes a meditation on the human condition and impending depression and the director also uses this narrative as a chance to do some of his best experimentaions with montage, flashback and surrealism. The poem’s of Rilke, particularly THE LEOPARD, are brought to life in a dream and the visuals in all of the films other-worldy moments are delicately and emotionally realized in a tapestry of warm color and and seasonal backdrops. Never to let any aspect of the film slip from his tight grip, Allen is wise to use classical music in the most romantic and dramatic sequences of longing and regret. The use of Satie’s GYMNOPEDIE, brings a moment of romantic bliss under a tunnel in Central Park to almost unbearable beauty.
The cast is uniformly perfect right down to the smallest part. SANDY DENNIS shows her face for the first and onlt time in an Allen film and her moments of confession tilt the linear structure of the film in a way that the viewer never sees coming. Gene Hackman is perfectly cast as the long lost lover that may have been the professors life love, and his moment of dismissal at a buffet table during a party is at once tender and rock hard the next. Allen fils the rest of the roles in the film with a vertible who’s who of great film and stage actors and he gets the best from them in what would seem to another directors work as throw away (David Ogden Stiers, Phillip Bosco, Mia Farrow, Blythe Danner etc.).
The icing on the cake is the casting of the radient GENA ROWLANDS in the lead and title role. Rowlands is one of those rare beauties whose looks get better with age and, considering the character is turning 50 and questioning her potentcy in attracting a true love, her casting brings a perfect visual accompanyment to a film of warm visual beauty. Now, this isn’t to say that Rowlands only provides visual eye-candy to the role. No, no, no, Rowlands, no less the wife of John Cassavettes, brings her ususal dramatic fire to the role. However, where her turns in her husbands films (most notably WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE) are all about big, explosive dramatic moments, here she impresses in one of her most sedate and delicately detailed turns. I feel for this woman and I despise her contradictions at the same time. As played by Rowlands, this is a full bodied character whose truth and regrets are the kinds we all have when we look back over the years and say “if I knew then what I know now.”
Personally, I think ANOTHER WOMAN is one of Woody Allen’s best from his third and most troublesome period. I’d rank this with ALICE, HUSBANDS AND WIVES and the superb BULLETS OVER BROADWAY as the very best from a period that was threaded with less than acceptable from on of America’s most acclaimed and beloved directors, a true American master. ANOTHER WOMAN, if you like Woody’s serious stuff, will blow you away…
Happy hunting in locating it. If SAM or I come across it in our dig we will, of course, get it to you ASAP.
Wow, thanks for this, I did think I heard good things about this and I think I’ll like it, since my favorite of his movies (of those I’ve seen until now) is INTERIORS.
Thanks, this sure was an inspired post.
Any time JAIME…
I’m one of the few here that holds ANOTHER WOMAN up as one of Woody Allen’s best. I remember when I first saw it that I was so moved by the dramatics and the longing of the main character that the film stayed with me for days. Satie’s GYMNOPEDIE is a piece if classical music that I was familiar with prior to the viewing and, I dare say, that I have never been able to listen to it again since that afternoon where I don’t think of the sequence in the Central Tunnel .
Many find Allen’s forays into drama annoying, that he’s too influenced by Bergman to really make it work for him. I disagree. I think his work in drama has yielded some of his very best work and ANOTHER WOMAN stands tall with INTERIORS in that sense. Of course, I always thought Woody Allen’s best film is not a comedy, per say, but a drama laced with slight touches of high comedy. CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS fuses the best of Woody Allen’s talents in one neat package and the results are devastatingly brilliant. His probing examination of religious beliefs vs guilt and moral silence hit home as the jokes act like a buffer to soften the dramatic blows.
As SAM will tell you, I am a fanatic on the subject of this director. His sucesses definately outweigh his failures and for the most part I happen to love most of his work. In the case of films like LOVE AND DEATH, BANANAS, ANNIE HALL, MANHATTAN, INTERIORS, BROADWAY DANNY ROSE, RADIO DAYS, CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS, ANOTHER WOMAN, BULLETS OVER BROADWAY, HUSBANDS AND WIVES, MATCHPOINT and the recent WHATEVER WORKS, I’m overwhelmed by them.
I fell Woody Allen is up there with Scorsese, Coppola, Malick and Spielberg as the greatest auteur that started out in the generation that began in the late 60’s, early 70’s.
I’m not alone on this opinion and I’m thrilled you are taking such an interest in his work. I also suggest you look up Woody Allen on YOUTUBE and look at some of his guest hosting on Johnny Carson’s TONIGHT SHOW, interviews he’s done with Dick Cavett and some of his stand-up routines. By looking at those, you get a full appreciation for the talent and understand that it really was evident from word go. Personally, and on the comedy subject, I think Woody Allen was one of the most original and creative stand-up comics in American history, a born story teller, and the MASTER of the one-liner…
Enjoy! If you have any other questions feel free to ask or contact me on my email at: Kubrickkrazy1@yahoo.com
🙂
Wow Dennis, your insights do make me want to go on in my project, thanks. I also love to death LOVE AND DEATH, it’s my favorite Allen comedy, again, until now, even if it’s ‘goofy’ or anything people may say, I think it’s better than ANNIE HALL, for example.
I think this is inheritance from my father, who says that it’s his favorite Allen flick. He told me that he used to go to midnight theater showings of Woody Allen movies and just a friend would accompany him, only he liked those movies in that time! (hence the meaning of the midnight showing).
I think he did saw many movies, but I think those are the ones who liked the most. Maybe some Bergman, or something else, but he hasn’t told me yet.
JAIME-Yes, yes, yes…. It’s a heritage that we, who love film so much, usually have in our lives. SAM will tell you his love for film came from visits to the theatre with his father, NANU (his nick-name, a lovely man whose silence masks a deeply heartfelt man, wonderful guy all around), who took him to see, literally, ANYTHING. Myself, I was introduced to film by my two grandmothers. My mother’s mother was a strict business woman, widowed, who nary had time to plan anything with us after she was done with work for the day. Her old stand-by was a dinner at the local diner (I remember me and my brother shoveling up meatloaf and mashed potatoes as she sat across from us, supping tea, smoking a chain of cigarettes, and always tending to the big bee-hive hairdo) and a movie at the theatre next door. My father’s mother, on the other hand (the woman that raised me) was a loving and selfless woman of Italian descent who believed in the arts and consistantly encouraged me to draw and read and all this while playing classical music on the record player 24/7. Movies, with her, were like a special event we got to have every week. She was enamoured by the way the films could summon up emotions and feelings, that and I also think the free dish giveaway had something to do with it (she had the complete set plus silverware). Anything and everything was seen and she didn’t keep me away from any subject. It was through her, that I learned movie houses were as sacred as churches and the theatre became my church/house of worship.
It’s this kind of religion and heritage of sorts, that I try to impart on my nephews and I know both Sam and I try to impart that same respect to his kids.
AS FOR WOODY ALLEN and LOVE AND DEATH: Yes, I love the film and it’s most definately my favorite of his slapstick films (after BANANAS, that is). It’s the slapstick film that hints at the more serious tone Allen will evolve into with his next film, ANNIE HALL, and it shows an artist deeply involved with precise visual representations of place and time. it’s his most elaborate slapstick and it’s the film that ushered Diane Keaton into his fold as a comedienne of huge talent. FAVORITE MOMENT: Boris (Allen) and the troops stumble upon the dead remains of his compatriots after a devastating battle: SOLDIER: “Oh, my God, Boris, they’re all dead!” BORIS: “Yeah, that army cooking will get you every time” SOLDIER (pointing at dead man): “LOOK, Boris, that was
Kroshenko, from my home town. He was the villiage idiot.” BORIS: “Yeah, and what you do, place?”
Cracks me the fuck up every time…
I like your story about early film fandom, interesting how everyone becomes attracted to the form.
Off topic, but since you mention chain smoking, I’d love to go back in time (presumably in a DeLorean) and watch an film in Black and White and be allowed to smoke in the theater. I missed that time period, but it looks pretty sweet in the old movies. Maybe have a beer too.
Well, JAMIE, and this is showing my age a bit. I remember theatres as recently as the mid-80’s that allowed you to smoke. Most of the time, the last ten rows were roped out to allow smokers their delight or the balcony section (yes, there were such things) was another spot you could blaze up. For me, it was the balcony at the Tenafly movie house. They had a balcony as big as half of the main floor, about 50 rows. I would sneak up there at 16 years old and bring an ashtray to slip into the cup holder (I respected theatres enough not to dirty them up-I’m also a neat freak-my house is so clean you can eat walnut maple ice cream from the toilet), along with my trust ZIPPO and a couple of cans of Budweiser wrapped in silver foil like the way my mother used to wrap my soda cans for school lunch. I remember being up there two to three times a week, every week the entire time I was in high school. It was my haven and my true church. I’d never bring anyone else with me, unless it was my best friend at the time, Micheal Maiden (smoker too). At that time i was enamoured with Sci-Fi, Historical Dramas and animation. I remember, back in 1985, AMADEUS won the Oscar, and the Tenafly ran the film for three months. I saw the film every week for three months till they yanked it.
My brand at the time was Camel unfiltered. I switched to Chesterfields unfiltered because they were cheaper ($1.50 a pack at the time). Then, I went off to College in Philadelphia and cigarettes were cheaper. I switched to PALL MALLS (pronounced PELL MELLS by true smoking officionados) which I smoked for about 6 years straight (I was a pack and a half guy a day). However, I developed a wheez in my chest in 1991. Scared, i went to see Dr. Lauricella (he usually examined me with a cigarette in his mouth-LOL) and he told me that my lungs were clear but that the unfiltered cigarettes were causing me to develope a thicker saliva back up in my throat that was causing the wheez. Never one to claim defeat, I switched to Marlboro filtered. I’ve been smoking since I was 16 and I’m 43 years old now. I cannot run a marathon as I get winded a little after about a half hour of full on running. Funny thing is though… Aside from that limitation, I get a chest X-Ray every six months and, miraculously, Dr. Lauricella says my lungs are clean as a whistle. Seems some have great powers of recupperation and I guess I fall into that category. I may be 43, but I have good genes from both my mom and dad (they just moved into their 70’s and look like their in their 50’s) and I don’t look my age at all (or so I’m told. I don’t see it but, hey, who am I to argue). I don’t advocate smoking… I find it a dirty disgusting and annoying (not to mention expensive) addiction. But, considering i never fell under the spell of drugs or booze (I used to dabble in both-drugs a little more heavy than booze-I was an experimenter-Ecstasy combined with Khetomine combined with weed combined with a tablet of Vallium was my favorite-“Ah what lovely gorgeousness and gorgeosity”-Malcolm McDowell A CLOCKWORK ORANGE), I figured the habits and addictions of choice would be the ones that wouldn’t accidentally kill me as quick as the other two. So, smoking and coffee became the crutches I still hobble around on. I really love smoking after a good dinner and I have been known to smoke a cigar from time to time (a friend of mine from work sets us up for a cigar/steak night out at a place called the SMOKE CHOP HOUSE in Englewood (a private party for men who relish a good cigar-complete with a 5 course dinner and go-go girls (couldn’t care less), Lap dances (couldn’t care less) and poker (that caught me!!). For the most part though, it still Marlboro (still about a pack and a half a day) and I thank god for the good health fortunes I have had.
I make no bones that I am an addict. It really sucks. but, considering my hyper personality, I gues its better than drugs or serial killing (LOL)…
I still long for the days where this damn regulation to keep smoking out of bars and clubs was not in effect.
Coffee? You don’t say 🙂
Dennis I love your stories about smoking here… and unfiltered Pall Malls? Well, I have that exact pack in my fridge (now there is an act only done by a smoker: putting cigarettes in a fridge!) right now.
I’ve been thinking about unfiltereds a lot lately, I think they are a strange way for me to ‘connect’ to America. To me they seem like Levi’s, Hot Rods, James Dean, and Rock Music. I don’t know. Either way I’ve been listening to the Jam’s ‘Saturdays Kids’ a lot lately and there’s a great line(s): ‘…Their mums and dads smoke Capstan non filters,
Wallpaper lives ’cause they all die of cancer,
What goes on – what goes wrong.” etc
Capstan’s are quintessential English smokes, but the American equivalent would be Pall Malls (or maybe Lucky’s)… as always leave it to an incredibly English band, song, and message to shine a light on my culture worlds away…
oh and if you’re curious here’s the (truly fantastic) song in question: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKcNSrB_kqg
Dennis, for me it was a serendipitous coincidence of things. On the video front, I was impressed by my older cousin’s video collection (which, in retrospect, was not all that impressive lol) and wanted to start one of my own. On the theatrical front, a trio of films, leading to one another through trailers, drew me in and kicked off the real moviegoing period of my life? The holy trinity? Er, Home Alone, Kindergarten Cop, Edward Scissorhands. Hey, I was 7, what can I say…(Edward at least holds up.) And on the book front, I was becoming obsessed with the cardboard-bound monster movie books carried in my school library – which not included pictures and the stories of the movies, but behind-the-scene anecdotes too. Add to this that I already had a penchant for writing & performing plays for my poor suffering relatives (the masterpiece was the “The Werewolf, the Ghost and the Skeleton” which my sister quit right before curtain call – funny, even then my productions had a tendency to go haywire…) and that my father practically had a camcorder glued in his hand during this era and it was all bound to happen… I agree, these origin stories are fun, if naval-gazing! We’ve all got ’em.
Re: beer & cigarettes in movies, I’ve actually been to a few places that let you drink in the theater. Seems that’s become more common that lighting up nowadays, which is kind of funny. Definitely not as “cinematic”-looking though onscreen.
JOEL-I used to work for a liquidation firm many years ago… We would buy out video stores that fell victim to chains like BLOCKBUSTER, and sell everything in a sale right down to the rugs. I was in Dallas, Texas for three weeks and was amazed that the movie complexes their not only allowed you to smoke but also served alchohol. Each seat in the one complex I was in (It was for THE OTHERS with Nicole Kidman-one of my recent favorites BTW) were recliners with a fold out arm table. In these places you did not have to get up from your seat as they were employed with waiters and waitresses equipped with flash lights who would take your order (you could also order food-hamburger, nachos, hot dog, pizza) and refill you when you went empty. Personally i was both amazed and annoyed by the whole experience as I was being distracted during the film. However, from the look of most of the viewers in the audience, i think they were more interested in watching cows fuck than an art-house house horror flick. Still, it just goes to show that nothing is unthought of these days.
I’d really like to get eveyone’s opinion on an idea i have been having about having a different blogger submit a post talking about when they first got into film. This would include the circumstances, the person that accompanied them (if it all), the first film they ever saw, and the one that changed their lives and mad them obsessed with the art form. I wrote an article (my first) for WITD about two years ago and i remember the response was quite positive. Thought it might be a fun project and a deeper way of defining who we each are here…
Thoughts????
Dennis, that sounds like a great idea to me. When did you write an article for Wonders? I’ve been after Sam forever to get you to set something down…
(after quick internet search)
https://wondersinthedark.wordpress.com/2009/02/20/once-upon-a-time/
Holy crap – that was you? I remember reading that & loving it, but I didn’t know you from Adam at the time.
On a total sidenote, isn’t it funny how the comments here come in waves? I came back this evening and saw that all day only 2 comments had been lodged. Then at some point I left one and about a half-dozen followed (most of them unrelated). The silence for a few hours. Then another explosion (again, many of them unconnected, on different threads). Go figure.
the problem is I don’t remember the first movie I saw on theaters… and I didn’t get into film as deep as now until I was 15-16. So, film was just a distraction until a very good friend showed me the way (as I showed him into the false symbology based on the Da Vinci Code craze), and we spent an afternoon going through the pages of “1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die” in a new public library on the day of its foundation.
Jaime: That’s typical. Most get seriously into film around the age you started. I am wondering how many theatres are in Santiago or were at the time you started attending.
Joel: That two comment stretch earlier today was really an exception as of late. Yes, comments do come in waves, but as of late the site has really been on fire in this sense. It really keeps you hopping, but it’s a lot of fun!
Yes, I always encourage Dennis to write, but outside of that great opening essay, he’s been content to post excellent comments.
Sorry to hear the news of the passing of BONNIE AND CLYDE director Arthur Penn today at age 88……
And of course, Gloria Stuart passed away a few days ago at age 100……
Well, movie theaters in Chile, specially Santiago, are various, many, but no reruns whatsoever (not on film after all, unless it’s some weird ocassion on a restoration of an old chilean movie on one theater, in which mostly no one is interested in), and only four art house which are very obvious in their choices, but never really interesting enough.
Anyway, why I don’t remember much is because I don’t think I went to the movies that much. Many of my childhood classics (Jumanji, which I know find awful, and Jurassic Park, which still is one of my favorite movies of all time) I saw them on VHS or local TV (Tremors in this last case, what a damn fine movie and definitively would make my top 100 horror movies).
When we went to the movies it was a big deal (my earliest movie going experience is seeing SPACE JAM at night in a theater far from home and we needed to sleep in the day, so we wouldn’t fall asleep during the movie… I did not sleep a thing at midday and I did not fall sleep in the theater, I found it great and I now think it’s a load of crap).
Maybe it is because we were (and maybe still are) a bit of poor, not being able to go every week to the movies, but maybe once every three months or something like that. I’ve been pushing to see more films on the big screen recently, but I’m alone at this and since I don’t have anyone to accompany me, I just don’t go, which really sucks.
I went once alone to the theater and ended up being the only one seeing the movie. It was SHORTS (2009) and I liked it…. yeah, I liked shorts, it was like pulp fiction for kids.
Jaime, that Space Jam story is great – and evocative. Almost like preparing for a meteor show or something (I know with Spielberg, the two were always connected bcs his dad took him to his first movie – Greatest Show on Earth – and also took him out of bed in the middle of the night, without telling him where he was going, to see a meteor shower. I don’t think he & his father were very close so these memories take on even more of a glow for him probably).
I don’t got to the movies much now today, too expensive and too disappointing, but I cherish the memories from my childhood when I was lucky enough to be spoiled with several theaters in the area (2 out of 3 have since closed down forever, with no replacements).
Ver interesting idea there Joel!
Yes, if this & the Waiting for Superman idea actually get done, I’ll be a happy camper (particularly if, after getting the ball rolling, I can sit back and let someone else do the hard work haha…)
I’ve already got some ideas for the tape piece; it occurs to me that my book piece, despite all the images was word-centric, while the movie one focused on images of posters, the VHS one could, appropriately enough, include several video pieces. I could shoot a short piece, looking at some of my old tapes and recollecting their origin (if I can find a way to do so without having to hear my own voice on the soundtrack, which is not a pleasant experience for me…). And I could post a clip show I made at the tail end of the VHS era, in which I strung together clips from my favorite films in my collection at the time, spanning from The Gold Rush to Schindler’s List. It’s really long – like 1/2 an hour, but if anyone’s like me they’ll find themselves unable to stop watching till it’s over and wanting to rush out & watch them again.
R.I.P. to both – I met Penn years ago, briefly, and shook his hand. I thought I should have something smart to say but I didn’t so I just admitted, “I just wanted to say I shook your hand.” He seemed amused. (A few years later, I did much the same thing with Tony the jockey/cabbie from the 7up series at the NY Film Festival. He seemed less amused than perplexed. But my friends, with whom I’d just delved into the whole Up series for the first time by sheer coincidence – I hadn’t even know 49 up was about to premiere – were very gratified…)
And now Tony Curtis at age 85.
Damn! These days are so full of death! I hate that!
Is it Thursday already Sam? How did I not make it by until 140 comments past posting time? The weather has been fantastic this week over here on Mayne Island. Not much for movie watching as we have been outside and then visiting with friends. I did do a photo essay of one of our long walks though so it is like a mini movie in stills.
We watched “Unbreakable” (2000) starring Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson. Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. I liked it just because of the concept of bringing a comic book into what might “really happen” in “real life” if we could find a super hero. Kind of like stories about “real” fairies. They spark my sense of play and fun. My partner didn’t like it at all. He felt it didn’t make any sense and was a frustrating watch. So there you go… a wide range of opinion at la casa de inspiracion on this one.
Looking forward to You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger… even though Allen hasn’t exactly made a great movie since Match Point. I enjoyed last year’s Whatever Works–but think it would have been so much better (and funnier) if Allen has made the film in the 1970’s w/Zero Mostel, as originally planned. The cast for this new movie (Hopkins, Brolin, Watts, Banderas) has me intrigued, although of course only a filmmaker as respected as Allen would have the power to assemble such a cast.
When “When You Wish Upon A Star” plays in the movie, is it the original Cliff Edwards/Jimimny Cricket version? I hope so because I just hate every single one of the cover versions!