by Sam Juliano
Snow continues to complicate life for Northeasterners, with more of the white stuff predicted for mid-week, though those living in the mid-west and the south have had their share as well. It looks like Farmer’s Almanac had this one called right, even if making such a prediction these days isn’t exactly going out on a limb. While braving the cold for some is little more than traveling to work, to a supermarket or to the local multiplex, others have opted to stay warm and watch DVDs, or spend much of their time firming up their year-end best lists or blogging. For those even luckier, they’ve found refuge in cleaning, organizing, reading, painting, football and music, with perhaps even some time for cooking or eating out. In any event it’s a time for indoor activity and cultural enrichment.
Here at Wonders in the Dark in the post-Joel Bocko era, continuing sidebar tinkering by Dee Dee has given the site a decided but glorious “noirish” look, in the promtion of some much-anticipated upcoming festivals and fundraisers. And Allan’s ‘Fish Obscuro’ series continues to flourish with and examination of some Jacques Rivette features, with Jim and Bob Clark continbuting some outstanding work on Howard Hawks and game construction. We are inching closer to Maurizio Roca’s film noir countdown and Bob Clark’s science-fiction countdown.
Gang Green fans are in euphoria after their final play win yesterday over the Indianapolis Colts, though the prospect of a win up in New England seems unlikely. Besides, Joel Bocko has his horns on the Jets, and that’s a bad sign.
Best of the year lists continue to show up at a number of sites, and can be acessed on some of the links that follow below or from the sidebar. Among those post in this capacity, who hadn’t yet been heard from last week are Just Another Film Buff (JAFB) at The Seventh Art, Jon Lanthier at Aspiring Sellout, and John Greco at Twenty Four Frames. (John opted for now to go with a listing of the classic masterpieces he saw for the first time in 2010). The National Society of Film Critics have gone crazy for The Social Network like just about everybody else, but they did something wonderful. They named Giovanna Mezzogiorno the year’s Best Actress for her role as Mussolini’s mistress in Marco Bellochio’s excellent Italian language film Vincere. This is a performance I have been talking about for many months as the year’s absolute best in that category. I was thrilled to hear that announcement.
After a frenzy of year-end activity the first week in January was light on the outdoor movie scene with only one new release managed, though an off-Broadway play was negotiated on Saturday evening. Thanks to Craig Kennedy, I was finally able to see Lucy Walker’s inspiring documentary The Waste Land at home, and have added it to my Ten Best List.
Gulliver’s Travels * (Saturday afternoon) Edgewater Multiplex
Waste Land **** 1/2 (Tuesday afternoon) at home
GULLIVER’S TRAVELS is inspid, insulting and downright juvenile. This is the umteenth adapation of Swift’s masterpiece, and by far the most indept and misguided. Jack Black has been fading fast, and this is the worst project yet that he’s ever been associated with. My two youngest kids asked me to take them to our local multiplex to see it, and I went with much trepidation. Turns out my concern was well founded. Ha!
Lucy Walker’s WASTE LAND shows just how much impoverished people can do with so little. It’s kind of classical with with it’s art-from-refuse underpinning, but there so many uman interest stories, and many examples of how creativity and perseverence can bring forth finished products that would make professionals proud. It’s a story of hope and teamwork, and submerged talent. So many portraits, like the man who finds a book on Machiavelli and reads it, and the woman who makes soup in the refuse, add to a stor of lives changed by their surroundings. I still need to see MARWENCOL, but Ms. Walker’s film is the best documentary of the year.
At Theatre Row on 42nd Street in the ‘Lion Theatre’ Lucille, Broadway Bob and I took in the 62 minute production of Alan Bowne’s Beirut, a two person show about a Brooklyn man who is quarantined in the Lower East Side after being tested positive for a deadly, nameless virus. His girlfriend, who has not been infected, makes the dangerous journey across the lines to save him.” The play is thought to be inspired by the late Bowne’s experiences coping with AIDS. The play includes on stage sex and some smouldering dialogue, and the lead performances by Sammi Ritibi as Torch and Meital Dohan as ‘Blue’ are accomplished, and the minimalist staging gives heft to the apocalyptic setting. Some of the exchanges grow wearisome, but it’s the kind of play that comes to life often enough to be recommended.
End-of-the-year links have provided bloggers with potstanding posts to work through:
Just Another Film Buff (JAFB) is one of those rare internet birds who’s erudite, tasteful, humble, gracious, super-friendly and quick to issue compliments. He’s an utter joy and an inspiration as is his incomparable ‘best of the year’ list at The Seventh Art: http://theseventhart.info/2011/01/01/favorite-films-of-2010/
One of Ed Howard’s most extraordinary posts at Only the Cinema is his impassioned follow-up to his first ’round’ with Jean-Luc Godard’s Film Socialism, which has fascinated some of the most scholarly of the bloggers to contribute some astounding discussion on the comment threads. But as always, Howard is the real star here, taking on one of the cinema’s most-challenging works, but one of it’s most venerated auteurs: http://seul-le-cinema.blogspot.com/2011/01/film-socialisme-take-2.html
John Greco gives the ‘ten best’ treatment a most interesting take with his survey of classic films seen in 2010: http://twentyfourframes.wordpress.com/2011/01/05/24-frames-10-best-classic-films-watched-in-2010-for-the-first-time/
At Aspiring Sellout II Jon Lanthier chimes in with a ten bets list that’s brilliantly chosen and incomparably penned: http://aspiringsellout.com/2011/01/the-blurst-of-times-2010-in-review/
Jason Marshall has joined in with a magnificent post title “The Real World and my Best and Worst of 2010” over at Movies Over Matter that presents the film community with a meticulously-deliberated and chosen line-up: http://moviesovermatter.com/2011/01/09/the-real-world-and-my-best-and-worst-lists-of-2010/
Stephen Russell-Gebbett, as rapturous as ever, has authored a beautifully-written favorable assessment of Aronofsky’s Black Swan at Checking on my Sausages: http://checkingonmysausages.blogspot.com/2011/01/black-swan.html
Tony d’Ambra at Films Noir.net has taken on a celebrated Japanese film classic by venerated director Akira Kurosawa, that has long been seen as driven by its noirish elements. As always the fecund d’Ambra fuels his essay with some extraordinary insights and frank observations: http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/high-and-low-aka-tengoku-to-jigoku-japan-1963-kurosawa%e2%80%99s-heaven-and-hell.html
Judy Geater at Movie Classics has ushered in the New Year most appropriately with the newest essay in her amazing William Wellman series, Small Town Girl (1936) It’s magnificent writing!: http://movieclassics.wordpress.com/2011/01/02/small-town-girl-1936/
Craig Kennedy at Living in Cinema has his ever-popular Watercooler thread up and getting comments. It’s an internet institution: http://livingincinema.com/2011/01/09/watercooler-embracing-the-lull/
Drew McIntosh, after a ‘Best Film of the Year” list for the ages, has again raised the bar for cinematic creativity with his discussion of the slow integration of the three primary colors into Roman Polanski’s The Ninth Gate, with a stunning screen cap display at The Blue Vial: http://thebluevial.blogspot.com/2011/01/index-of-primary-colors-in-polanskis_03.html
Our beloved Dee Dee is back at Darkness Into Light with a post promoting and celebrating the Film Preservation Fundraiser being coordinated by Marilyn Ferdinand, Greg Ferrara and The Self-Styled Siren. It’s thrilling to have Dee Dee posting there again!: http://noirishcity.blogspot.com/2010/11/for-love-of-film-noir-for-love-of-films.html
David Schleicher, in an engaging pre-poll movie list, has posed some most interesting titles for the year’s film fare, as he ushers in 2011 at the always-creative The Schleicher Spin: http://theschleicherspin.com/2011/01/01/and-now-for-2011/
Shubhajit at Cinemascope has authored a terrific capsule on Jiri Menzel’s Larks on a String, examining an underrated work by the great Czech master: http://cliched-monologues.blogspot.com/2011/01/larks-on-string-1969.html
Marilyn Ferdinand follows up her site colleague Roderick Heath with her own creative rendition of what consititutes the ‘best’ of the year at Ferdy-on-Films: http://www.ferdyonfilms.com/?p=7817#comments
Over at Vermillion and One Nights, our friend in Tokyo, “Murderous Ink” continues his incomparable analytical dissection of one of the greatest of all films: Ozu’s There Was A Father. There really has never been anything like this anywhere, not even from the published film scholars!: http://vermillionandonenights.blogspot.com/2011/01/analysis-of-there-was-father-003000.html
Our excellent friend and site colleague Jaime Grijalba has posted a photo and brief remarks on the 1965 musical The Sound of Music at Exodus 8:2: http://exodus8-2.blogspot.com/2011/01/sound-of-music-1965.html
Terrell Welch, artist extraordinaire, has posted a fascinating look at changing canvasas in a session she recently had with her newest work. It’s another look at art in the making at the Creativepotager’s Blog: http://creativepotager.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/a-week-painting/
Laurie Buchanan has announced the publication of a new book by her good friend Leanne Van Dyck entitled The Sweater Curse. Ever supportive, the effervescent Ms. Buchanan offers the details for the celebration at Speaking From the Heart: http://holessence.wordpress.com/2011/01/08/the-sweater-curse/
If there is anyone more prolific than Samuel Wilson, I’d like to know about it. His latest gem at Mondo 70 is an essay on Phil Karlson’s The Phenix City Story: http://mondo70.blogspot.com/2011/01/phenix-city-story-1955.html
Filmmaker and classic movie lover Jeffrey Goodman has posted a very “unique” Ten Best list that will bring a smile to the face of all who read it. As always the writing and perceptions are first-rate over at The Last Lullaby: http://cahierspositif.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-top-10-or-so-films-for-2010.html
Kevin Olson at Hugo Stiglitz Makes Movies has penned a superlative review in his “Catching Up” series on Polanski’s Ghost Writer: http://kolson-kevinsblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/catching-up-with-2010-capsule-review_05.html
Troy Olson, on the other hand is still heading up at Elusive as Robert Denby with his own thoughtful essay on Black Swan, a film he likes, but doesn’t love: http://troyolson.blogspot.com/2010/12/black-swan.html
Michael Harford, the esteemed ‘Coffee Messiah’ has posted ‘the last of four collaborations’ at his gloriously-mystifying blogsite, which is poised for another year of riches for all those who traverse it’s halls: http://coffeemessiah.blogspot.com/2011/01/last-of-4-collaborations.html
Our very good friend Pat has a brand new piece up at Doodad Kind of Town, a loving tribute to fallen director Blake Edwards: http://doodadkindoftown.wordpress.com/2010/12/16/farewell-blake-edwards/
Roderick Heath takes aim at The King’s Speech at “This Island Rod” and as always he leaves nothing undiscussed: http://thisislandrod.blogspot.com/2011/01/kings-speech-2010.html
At Icebox Movies Adam Zanzie has penned an excellent review of an off-the-radar film, Zero Hour (1957) that is seen as an inspiration for Airplane: http://iceboxmovies.blogspot.com/2011/01/zero-hour-1957.html
Dan Getahun of Getafilm, statesman and critic extraordinaire has posted a fecund round-up of films he’s seen recently, including Black Swan, Enter Through the Gift Shop and Marwencol: http://getafilm.blogspot.com/2010/12/getafilm-gallimaufry-marwencol-black.html
Hokahey at Little Worlds is yet another in our esteemed fraternity who has penned a terrific review of Aronofsky’s Black Swan. It’s one of the most comprehensive and impassioned essays out there!: http://hokahey-littleworlds.blogspot.com/2010/12/black-swan.html
Dave Van Poppel’s long-running post on Meek’s Cutoff, a notable work in realist cinema, should be more than tempting for those who are still trying to put together their best of the year listings. Van Poppel is hoping too to follow this up soon with a new post: http://visionsofnonfiction.blogspot.com/2010/09/meeks-cutoff.html
Jason Bellamy at The Cooler has authored an ever-thoughtful essay on The Fighter, which he has expressed some refreshing “issues” with http://coolercinema.blogspot.com/2011/01/neutral-corner-fighter.html
As always Kaleem Hasan’s Satyamshot covers the Indian cultural and political scene with authority and prolific fervor: http://satyamshot.wordpress.com/
“The Streets of New Haven” is a wonderful remembrance by Ryan Kelly of his days at Yale and Steven Spielber. It’s over at Medfly Quarantine: http://medflyquarantine.blogspot.com/2010/12/streets-of-new-haven.html
Jake Cole takes aim at the critically-trashed Season of the Witch, imparted hi stypical master-class erudition and thorough treatment at Not Just Movies: http://armchairc.blogspot.com/2011/01/season-of-witch.html
At Cinema Styles Greg Ferrara has offered up a magnificent review of a seminal Duke Ellington album, which also features some great responses in the comment section by Ed Howard and others: http://cinemastyles.blogspot.com/2011/01/duke-ellington-afro-eurasian-eclipse.html
J.D. has authored a comprehensive review at Radiator Heaven on the often-neglected The Mosquito Coast: http://rheaven.blogspot.com/2011/01/mosquito-coast.html
At The Movie Projector, R.D. Finch has penned his typically reliable essay, this time on Kurosawa’s Scandal: http://themovieprojector.blogspot.com/2010/12/scandal-1950.html
Welcome to “Sachin,” a Canadien blogger, and a new visitor to WitD, and quite a film lover and scholar. He’s seen about 400 films over the past year, and hi s’Best Films of the Year’ post over at ‘Scribbles and Ramblings’ (now on our side bar) should tell you something about his exquisite taste: http://likhna.blogspot.com/2010/12/best-of-2010-film-list.html
On the other hand, the brilliant writer Andrew Wyatt has authored a convincing”pro” essay on True Grit where he cites an effective satiral underpinning. It’s over at Gateway Cinephiles: http://gatewaycinephiles.com/2011/01/02/possessing-a-sharp-tongue-and-bountiful-sand/
The esteemed Film Doctor has his weekly ‘hypermedia links’ posted up at his ‘Notes on Cinema’ site: http://filmdr.blogspot.com/2011/01/hypermedia-links.html
Anu is involved with a special film project called Metanoia, and he’s asking for some help while providing some links at The Confidential Report: http://theconfidentialreport.wordpress.com/2010/11/29/metanoia-needs-help/
Jeopardy Girl talks about post-Christmas matters including some new Hitchcock DVDs under the tree: http://jeopardygirl.wordpress.com/2010/12/28/quick-gift-update/
Sam thanks as always. How do you do it? Dropping by and visiting us all and compiling these amazing link lists each week? And this is between going to over 300 out-of-home viewings last year! I am impressed to say the least.
As I said in a comment over on Creative Potager Sam, I thought of you this week as we watched Dodes’ka-den (1970) Akira Kurosawa’s first colour film and then last night again when we saw WALKER (1987) directed by Alex Cox. Then I thought of you again as I was reading Walden (1854) by Henry David Thoreau. So if your ears were burning that is why. I hope you don’t mind that you and Wonders in the Dark are so freely associated with our movie and reading adventures.
To say that is a high-level compliment Terrill, would be an understatement. As you are tireless in every sense, you can connection to one who is driven. I’ve been able to do some of this with mirrors I assure you, but I must catch myself a bit more in the future. DODES KA DEN was offered up at the Film Forum weeks back at that Takemitsu Festival, but it’s one of the few I missed. I can see exactly why you’d love that one! And WALKER too of course! You thought of me with “Walden?”
Now that’s the ultimate compliment!
Many thanks my very good friend! Your visits here are treasured.
Sam,
Thanks as always for the link.
So you’re still buried in snow out east, huh? Here in Chicago, we’ve been remarkably lucky this winter, not much in the way of heavy snowfalls, although we’ve got some white stuff blowing in later tonight.
I’ve finally been catching up with 2010 releases, and over the last couple of weeks have managed to catch “White Material,” “A Film Unfinished,” “The King’s Speech,” “Catfish,” and “Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky.” All but that last film were worthwhile; I found “CC & IS” to be visually stunning, but ulitmately kind of dopey and dull. The opening sequence depicting the controversial opening of the Rite of Spring was exciting and beautifully shot and edited, the rest of the film did not live up to its promise. But Chanel’s mansion was to die for – all those goregeous Art Deco interiors, so beautifully shot – I could spend forever just looking at it!)
I did love “The King’s Speech” – superb acting by all. It’s the kind of movie that some critics dismiss out of hand just because it’s Anglophiliac Oscar bait (the NY Times review was particularly snarky), but that’s a shame because it’s also such a delightful, entertaining and beautifully crafted picture. My admiration for Colin Firth, in particular, just grows with every film I see him in. He’s a truly gifted actor.
Pat, that white stuff you say is moving in tonight is the same storm front heading to us tomorrow night. They are predicting 10 inches for the NYC area, and almost certain school closings for Wednesday. This is the third substantial snowfall we will be getting over a two-week period. Anyway, I hope you don’t get more than a few inches, and that temperatures rise in teh days after.
Your analysis of COCO is dead-on. I liked the film when I saw it, but it hasn’t stayed with me despite that terrific “Rite of Spring” opening. As you note, the screenplay was the big problem. The acting and the visual look of the film were accomplished, but a bad script can doom any film of course. Still, It was ravishing to look at, there can be no question about that.
That New York Times review was in an extreme minority Pat. RT reveals that THE KING’S SPEECH is sporting one of the best composite averages of any film released this year (95%) and 166 favorable to 8 negative. But yes, I have read a few bloggers refer to it as “Oscar bait,” a charge that seems to be synonymous with any period piece with sumptuous production values. I’ll take a film like this any day. As you say Firth, Rush et all are wonderful, and you leave the theatre satisfied. As you know, Firth has given two great performances in successive years. I guess the question is, can be beat out Eisenberg for the Oscar. With that 20% British membership in the Academy, I’d bet that Firth prevails, as well he deserves to.
Stay warm Pat! Thanks very much my very good friend!!
Well, although nothing of major importance to report on this end, I did slide over to SHABUJARIT’s web-site and engaged in an intriquing conversation over Woody Allen’s CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS.
Shabu’s site was welcoming and gracious and I’ll be prerusing over his wonderful essays and capsules in the future. No doubt.
Finally got to see Lisa Choladenko’s THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT the other night on DVD and although I wasn’t head over heels for the entire film I found the central performance by Annette Bening one of the best of the year. It’s hard, knowing what I do on Academy Awards politics, to believe that any other actress this year will be able to beat Ms. Bening for the coveted BEST ACTRESS trophy that has, prior, eluded her 3 times now. Looks like it’s Mrs. Beatty’s year.
If justice exists in this world than either Natalie Portman or Hailee Steinfeld will take home that statue as they were both in better American movies with better performances than Bening. While I’m not a huge fan of The Kids Are All Alright, I found Julianne Moore’s overall acting to be much better (and actually might deserve that useless nod). Her character was subtle and masterful, while Mrs Betty mugged at every opportunity to receive a nomination. Call her the Ms Christian Bale of 2010 in Oscar begging and histrionics…
I forgot Jennifer Lawrence in Winter’s Bone. She might deserve the most recognition for an American female performance in a movie this year.
Lawrence was fantastic. I completely agree Maurizio.
I like this film the most of everyone here (Dennis, Jamie, Maurizio) but this type of film is not going to please verone. Again, the professional critics were smitten with the film to the tune of 184 favorable to 11 negative (94%) which puts it among the five or six most critically-praised films of the year. Well, I am not preaching critics’ opinions, not this year for sure, after I rejected BLACK SWAN and THE FIGHTER among others. These films received very high composite grades. But I broach it here to show it has a base of support among the younger writers. I like Bening, and Julianne Moore has always been one of my favorite American actresses, but I though the Italian Giovanna Mezzogiorno shined the brightet this year. But what are the chances of an Italian is an obscure film winning a nod at this time? It will never happen, even after her deserved win over the weekend from the prestigious National Society of Film Critics. So yeah it’s Portman vs. Bening. I think Portman takes it; she’s winning all over the place, and Oscar voters want to be hip. That’s the game they seem to be playing the last few years.
Thanks very much Dennis. I saw the fantastic responses you entered at Shubhajit’s CINEMASCOPE. He is such a great kid and the best of hosts! (not to mention a first-rate writer!)
Maurizio, I am thinking Seinfeld will get a supporting nod. (and may well win in that case.)
Sam,
Thanks again for the link. I had a pretty active weekend. Saturday night we saw Jerry Seinfeld. He put on a great show along with his opening act Tom Papa. Amazing that at this stage of his career he is still willing to go out and do stand up. On Sunday we went to the BIG CATS RESCUE habitat in Tampa as part of a volunteer appreciation get together put together by the LITTLE CATS RESCUE group we work with. The habitat collects lions, tigers and other big cats that some people seemed to have thought would make good pets! Who are these people? Well, one turned out to be a couple who were getting divorced and could not decide who gets the pet Tiger. The habitat gives these animals a nice friendly haven, good care and a chance to live a safe life. Took plenty of photos and will post some.
On the movie front I watched three features and a bunch of Little Rascal shorts which were on TCM this past week (Laurel and Hardy are coming up next) .
Blondie Johnson (Ray Enright) ***1/2 “Blondie Johnson” gives Joan Blondell one of the rare opportunities to have a leading role and she takes it to the hilt. Sexy, sassy and sumptuous, the lady deserved to have been more than playing second female lead as she did for most of her career. Full review soon at 24 frames.
The Awful Truth – (Leo Carey) ****1/2 Charming performances from Cary Grant and Irene Dunne plus a witty script by Vina Delmar and sharp direction by McCarey make this a winning screwball comedy. The dialogue is sharp and so sophisticated that this could have been a French farce with an added dose of Laurel and Hardy slapstick. Amazingly there was some suggestive dialogue that somehow got passed the censors, for example at one point Dunne’s character tell her music teacher “I wonder if you could convince him that everything was just as I said it was that night at the inn. You know, the night we…” McCarey had a great year in 1937 with this and “Make Way For Tomorrow.”
Every Girl Should Be Married (Don Hartman) ***1/2 I gave this film an extra 1/2 star because anything with Cary Grant is raised in level just because he is in it. Overall the film is a enjoyable, pleasant, light romantic comedy with Betsy Drake determined to get her man. A fun way to spend an hour and a half.
Of the Our Gang shorts, “Thundering Fleas” ( **1/2) , a silent, is interesting for early film roles by Oliver Hardy, Charley Chase and Jimmy Finlayson. “Boxing Gloves” (***) Another silent,t featuring Joe Cobb, Chubby and Stymie with Jackie Cooper making his debut here. Fun stuff if you ignore the limitations of the poor early sound. The two best were “Free Eats” (***1/2) where two “little people” pose as babies in order to steal jewels, money and other items from some rich folks. The rascals help the police in their capture. Cast included Billy Gilbert as the “father” of the two “babies.” Notable for being Spanky McFarland’s debut as a Little Rascal. “Hook and Ladder” (***1/2 ) with Dickie Moore and the gang as volunteer fireman. Spanky comes into his own in this film. A few lesser of the shorts watched were “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” (**1/2), “Shivering Spooks” (**1/2), “Fourth Alarm” ( **) and “Bouncing Babies” (**1/2). I still have more on the DVR to watch before the Laurel & Hardy shorts come on this week.
Another amazing week, and some great stories and incomparable capsule assessments, John!
The Animal Habitat discussion obviously leads the way! A pet tiger? Ooosh! And a couple “arguing” who gets it no less! I wonder what the frequence is of these animals turning against their masters. But I am speaking as a complete neophyte. Still as a lifelong cat lover, I see what you are doing as a great service to the world. I would love to see some pictures posted at WATCHING SHADOWS ON THE WALL. The two cats we have now are ‘resues.’ I salute you and your wife John!
The Seinfeld show had to be fantastic of course!
I have never seen BLONDIE JOHNSON, but appreciate that Joan Blondell shines and that a review will soon appear at your place.
Yes, the year McCarey had in 1937 is one of the greatest by any American director in film history. THE AWFUL TRUTH is a bonafide classic with Carey Grant in top form, and you make some terrific points there about the suggestiveness of the dialogue, and the dialogue so brilliant to recall French farce. This is simply one of the greatest screwball comedies.
That rating for EVERY GIRL SHOULD GET MARRIED is exactly the rating I would give it to. Again you size it all up perfectly. Yet another film that shows whi Carey Grant was peerless at his craft.
THE LITTLE RASCALS (Our Gang) is one of my favorite things in this whole world, and I know about that TCM lineup. I haven’t watched it as I have teh entire set on DVD, but I have always found that this kind of schedule gives you the right discipline and frame of mind to tackle a number of the shorts that you may have been complacent to watch on DVD. I know all the choices you name there. I loved HOOK AND LADDER and FREE EATS best too of that group. Upcoming shorts like THE KID FROM BORNEO, DOGS IS DOGS and PUPS IS PUPS will bring the series to its highest level. Great to hear that Laurel & Hardy is up next!
Many thanks John for this spectacular wrap!
Also:
TCM has a LAUREL AND HARDY night coming up this weekend as well (check the schedule on the TCM website) and many of their best shorts will be running.
Personally, I was thrilled to see among the line-up a wonderful short they did called the chimp…
Stan and Ollie are working for a circus as clean-up hands (they also perform an act dressed as a horse) when the stock-market crashes. In order to pay off his workers the Circus owner gives each worker a portion of the circus that they can use to sell for money. After the straws are pulled Stanny is left with a matchbox containing the “flea circus” and Ollie is left with “Ethel”.
As it turns out, Ethel is a 300 pound silverback gorilla that is decked out in a ballerina dress, wearing a derb and smoking a cigar. When the boys find out that the local zoo (where they hoe to sell off Ethel) is closed for the day they decide to get a room at a local flop house where they have to scheme to sneak the big ape in.
Meanwhile, the owner of the flop house has just had a fight with his wife, a floozy named Ethel that likes to stay out all night drinking and dancing with sailors.
As it would go, the landlord hapopens to be passing Stan and Ollies room when he overhears the boys whispering: “if the landlord ever finds out we have Ethel in here he’s gonna kill us”…
I don’t think I need to tell you the result of the whispering and the rest of the story to understand where this hysterical short will end up…
Needless to say, the house itself is in for a bumpy night…
Try to catch it if you wanna split your sides!!!!!!
Thanks as always, Sam. So GULLiVER’S TRAVELS is the pick of the week, eh? 🙂
I saw 127 HOURS this week. It works on so many levels and I thought it was pretty amazing.
Now on to the post I was looking forward to for a long time, YOUR TOP 10!!!
cheers!
Yes, JAFB, GULLIVERS TRAVELS was quite the movie!
LOL!!!!!!
I liked 127 HOURS too, yet I didn’t go with on my lists. Go figure.
Many thanks for your incredible support my friend!
Sam, thanks so much for the wonderful mention.
I was happy for your Jets. I wasn’t able to see the end of the game, but it sounds like it was a great finish. And I was excited to hear your thoughts on Waste Land. It’s one I’m definitely looking forward to seeing.
Believe it or not, as I write, we actually have some snow on the ground here in Shreveport, LA. It probably only happens once every few years, but when it does, it’s always a nice sight to see.
This week, I caught up with: Godard’s PASSION, AMERICAN VIOLET, JOHHNY COOL, BLACK HAWK DOWN, THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD, THE WRESTLER, and I’M GONNA EXPLODE. I was glad to see them all, but probably Casey Affleck’s performance in the Dominik film is the thing that affected me the most. I definitely am intrigued by his abilities and look forward to seeing more of his work.
Here’s to another awesome week, Sam. Thanks for all the incredible work that you do.
Thanks so much for that Jeffrey. I know that the Jets coach is high maintenance, and he’s been shooting his mouth off again this week, but at one game apiece, I’d say Gang Green has a fair shot! Of course the Patriots are widely considered the team to beat at this point for Super Bowl glory, so it will take a Herculean effort. I was saddened to see the Saints bow out against a team I consider inferior still. It appears that people are getting snow this year who haven’t had it in a very long time, if indeed at all. I guess this is all part of the overall weather patterns. As I respond to you here at 6:15 P.M., I know we will be walloped at around 9:00 this evening with a storm heading from the west (the same one that just visited Chicago yesterday) It’s great to look at, but the issues with traveling afterwards are always a nightmare in an area like NYC. Anyway, for you down there it is surely a wonderment of sorts, I agree.
The Godard and Aronofsky are very fine works Jeffrey, but I quite agree with you on THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES, which was one of the best of all revisionist westerns. Affleck, the incredible score by Nic Cave and Warren Ellis and the widescreen work by Roger Deakins continues to reward on re-viewing. I see it as one of the greatest films of the past decade. You again had an incredible week there on the movie scene, and I am indepted to you for your loyalty here my great friend!
The Assassination Of Jesse James is truly a great film. I had it at number three on my decade countdown and it still has that position locked down. One of my ten favorite westerns ever. Since a western poll doesn’t seem to be happening anytime soon I’m going to fire out a top ten……
1. McCabe And Mrs Miller (Altman, 1971)
2. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Huston, 1948)
3. Unforgiven (Eastwood, 1992)
4. Once Upon A Time In The West (Leone, 1968)
5. The Assassination Of Jesse James (Dominik, 2007)
6. Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid (Peckinpah, 1973)
7. Ride The High Country (Peckinpah, 1962)
8. The Good The Bad And The Ugly (Leone, 1966)
9. The Proposition (Hillcoat, 2005)
10. True Grit (Coen, 2010)
Honorable Mentions: Heaven’s Gate, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Red River, Seven Men From Now, Winchester 73, Johnny Guitar, Ride Lonesome, The Man From Laramie, The Ox Bow Incident, and The Gunfighter.
Maurizio, that is a great list of Westerns! I still hope a Western poll is done here, and I’d have to spend some time pondering what my own picks would be, but here’s a tentative Top 10:
1 The Searchers
2 The Man from Laramie
3 High Noon
4 Winchester 73
5 Stagecoach
6 Once Upon A Time in the West
7 The Assassination of Jesse James
8 The Naked Spur
9 McCabe and Mrs. Miller
10 Red River
note: The Boettichers would place high, but I’d have to evaluate this further before a final revision.
I was thinking that “Gulliver’s Travels” wouldn’t be winning any major film awards! I too love that Fleisher animated classic.
That play you saw sounds interesting. That was a man and a woman, right?
Oh yes Fred, but I won’t assert here what award it’s in line for! Ha!
Yes, BEIRUT featured an African American actor and a white blonde actress in the leads.
Many thanks my good friend as always!
Gang Green, yeah!!!
Who’s Belachick?
That’s the spirit Joe! I doubt I’ll be placing any action in Vegas.
Rex Ryan vs. Bill B.
How you really think this will turn out?
Peter, I’m afraid to give an answer. But I think Gang Green is lucky to be in this position. The Pats are teh favorites, but with one win apiece this year, it CAN be done. But it’s all up to Sanchez now isn’t it?
Thanks for the shout-out Sam and for the assessment of GULLIVER’S TRAVELS. From the trailer, this looked like a disaster from the word go. I quite like Jack Black but it’s time for him to scale it back and take a supporting role in something more substantial.
Aye J.D. My kids adore Jack Black, but this film completely alienated them. It was a case where nothing worked, and anyone associated with it will be held accountable. The bad trailers translated into a bad film. I need to get over to you pronto to check out what looks like a terrific essay on the sadly neglected THE MOSQUITO COAST.
Thanks as alwasy my very good friend!
Thanks for the mention again, Sam. Although I’ve been seeing a lot of movies, my pen seems a little dull at the moment. I’m hoping to do a dual review of Marwencol and Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, two films joined at the Barbie doll. We also took in a revelatory film yesterday, My Uncle, the English version of Tati’s wonderful film. Shane, who has most of Tati committed to memory, was surprised and delighted by the alterations in the film that made it a bit more biting. Before seeing My Uncle, we took in a morning concert (live broadcast on WFMT) at Mayne Stage of classical guitarist Adam Levin and violinist William Knuth doing Latin works, and a transcription from Bach. This theatre was closed in some kind of ownership dispute with the live broadcast series only just launched. We’re very glad it came back.
Marilyn: Your pen was in flames for months on end there. At some point you’ll need a break, and what with the activity on those other fronts, I can see Rod stepping up some. I must say that tentative dual review of MARWENCOL and KAREN CARPENTER would benefit a number of bloggers at this time. You will really reach many, as the former film seems to be on a lot of people’s minds. I for one was figuring I’d see it this coming Wednesday, but the storm by you right now is heading east, with a scheduled visit in New York by mid-evening. But you barbie doll connection with the Karen Carpenter Story sounds much like something I’d love to read about for one.
Shane is that big a fan of Tati? Wow. I more I hear about him, the more I like him! I saw that English version of MON ONCLE a few weeks ago during it’s one week run at the Film Forum. I guess it would be hard to rate it above the original French version, but the joys to be hed were comparable I would pose.
The morning concert you took in with guitarist Adam Levin and violinist William Knuth doing works sounds magnificent. I just delayed this response to you get a sampling from the link you provide here and I found that de Falla was covered. I loved those later tracks best, with No. 11 as a particular favorite. Geez, you really has a great day there! Great that the theatre is back.
Thanks very much my very good friend for sharing your wonderful weekend here!
Well, Sam, Shane’s a big fan of yours as well for a great many reasons. I hope we can all get together some time.
Please thank Shane for me Marilyn! I’m sure we will hook up! It is ordained!
Thanks for the mention, Sam! You must definitely see Marwencol. I still need to see Wasteland, but Marwencol is one of the best films I’ve seen all year.
I saw Blue Valentine this weekend, and really enjoyed it – ****. Thanks for the recommendation, Sam. I think it runs in the “realist cinema” vein, so I hope to post on it soon.
Dave: There is screening of MARWENCOL at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Westchester, New York, the art house where Jonathan Demme runs his special film series. I’ve been there a number of times (a great place in every sense, and in a lovely rustic town) but the showing (Wednesday, January 12th-two days from now) may not work because of the big snow storm moving in here tomorrow. If I were to attempt that trip on winding highways in the sticks (about 20 miles from where I live) during weather like that, I’d surely be referred to a mental institution for observation, especially after that Brooklyn fiasco in late December during the first storm. But our friend Dan Getahun at GETAFILM (a great fan of documentaries like you) just wrote a review of the film on his most recent post.
http://getafilm.blogspot.com/2010/12/getafilm-gallimaufry-marwencol-black.html
Actually he has another one up to top it (a doc) titled “The Dark Dide Of Chocolate.” Dan is one of the nicest guys in the blogosphere.
Anyway Dan, I do very much hope you get something up there on BLUE VALENTINE! It’s up your alley, and great to see the high marks!
Many thanks my great friend!
Hey Dave, I see you haven’t seen WASTE LAND.
Can you drop an e mail to me at TheFountain26@aol.com?
Thanks.
Hello Sam and Wonders lurkers and posters from all around the world. Thanks once again for your plug, your spotlight this week was also surprisingly great and full of really excelent entries, great selection!
So, you had a short (movie-wise) week, with a dissapointment, a thing I already saw in the future. Jack Black playing Jack Black is one of my favorite guilty pleasures, but this really looks way too bad, so I’m not seeing it, nuh-uh. I saw you posted your top 10 of the year, full of 2009 films, but I won’t hold it against you (Ha!). I will comment on that as soon as I finish this.
Vacations tend to feel boring when you don’t work or occupy your mind on something. This week I went all five days (Mon-Fri) to the drama club I act in, performing three times in two different plays. Monday I shot and acted in a silly short that didn’t get edited by thursday so it was shelved for a while (I dance in it). The rest of the days were great, specially Friday, where I acted at 8:30 am (zzzZzzz), in front of a group of soccer moms that were seeing the school and were proud of seeing the play as it ‘mirrored what my child will live’.
I’m probably not making any sense, so I’ll jump ahead and talk about the Film Festival I’ve been attending. It’s not actually a Film Festival with prizes, but more like screenings of films that are yet to be premiered in Chile. I was able to see two good films and today I have “The Godfather”, wednesday “Casablanca” and friday “Biutiful” (now you see why I wait until february?).
So, my week movie wise:
– Early Summer (1951, Yasujiro Ozu) ****1/2 More on this, tuesday.
– Black Swan (2010, Darren Aronofsky) ***** This was one of the films in the fest, and it was totally worth it in every possible sense of the word, seeing it on the big screen is an experience. Why a perfect score? Because no other movie of 2010 made me feel the way I felt. This is, for sure, a horror movie with a ton of makeup, and that’s one of the reasons I loved it, the travestism of the genres sometimes annoy me and sometimes they amaze me, this one blew me away.
– Ed Wood (1994, Tim Burton) ***** I already had seen this, but this time I saw it at the movies, a Burton retrospective. I’m pretty sure I saw a DVD, even if I swore to myself not paying to see a DVD on a big screen, but this time I didn’t pay as I was invited (by (another) girl nonetheless).
– Knick Knack (1989, John Lasseter) ***1/2 Animated Pixar short. Technically impressive, but then reading how it was ‘toned down’ for new audiences, put me down.
– Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010, Edgar Wright) ****1/2 Someone said this is the future of movies, I really hope it isn’t, and I don’t mean I didn’t like it, but seeing a film like this is a one of its kind, if I see a copycat I’ll just be angry. (Best Part: Vegan Police).
– Somewhere (2010, Sofia Coppola) **** The second movie I saw of the fest. Deliberately slow and full of silence, this one managed to be way more appealing than ‘Marie Antoinette’ (which I haven’t seen fully). This a truly haunting tale of fame and emptyness.
– True Grit (2010, Joel and Ethan Coen) **** Not sure if I expected something Coenesque, but still, this was a western, a genre I’m not a fan of (neither I hate it). The LEADING performance of the girl is good, as well as Bridges and Damon.
My brother is gathering information on music discs of 2010 he would like to listen, so he can have his definitive assumption on music of last year (our mutual hate towards so called ‘Indie’ music and so called ‘new rock’, and other depressive bands like Radio(shit)head leave us with a thinner margin of exploration (two debuts until now).
People, have a good time, peace!
And thanks as always Jaimie for your dramatic entrance and consistantly fascinating submissions on this thread. While you in Chile are experiencing teh summer, we up north have snow and cold to deal with on a rather grand scale. Right now as I type this we are in the height of a powerful storm that may leave as much as a foot here. I’ve been enjoying the view out the front window of our suburban home intermittantly, but as I am tiring I will make this my final response for the night. (though there have been other great comments here by Samuel Wilson, Maurizio, Shubhajit, Judy, Jake and others that I will address tomorrow during the day. We have already been given the day off) It’s great to see you acting in those plays Jaimie, and yes you are making perfect sense to me. The drama club is an important outlet to set the stage so to speak and should never be taken for granted. But I don’t want to be preachy here! So “Biutiful” will be seen next week then? I’d be most intereste din hearing what you think.
You have quite a lineup there of films seen.
When you say THIS about BLACK SWAN, you really make the ultimate statement of what would draw someone to a good film in the first place:
“Why a perfect score? Because no other movie of 2010 made me feel the way I felt.”
It always comes down to an emotional connection, and I salute you for being up front about it. The film didn’t affect me the same way, but that’s the singular beauty of film and art in general. I agree with you on ED WOOD and that’s pretty dead-on with that Lasseter short too. I haven’t been over to EXODUS: 8:2 yet today, but I’ll be looking in on your review of Ozu’s EARLY SUMMER with very special attention!!! The 4.5 rating is of course a great sign.
I didn’t connect at all with SCOTT PILGRIM Jaimie, but hey, it does have it’s fans, some like yourself among those I greatly respect. I just couldn’t take that film, and I dread the Coppola film with my past track record and am most encouraged by what you say here:
“This a truly haunting tale of fame and emptyness.”
Nice.
I hear what you are saying about TRUE GRIT, which I liked preety much myself. I agree Ms. Seinfeld is wonderful, and the film looks stunning, but I did find it rather un-Coenesque. Your **** rating is certainly fair enough.
Speaking of scores, I woul dprobably say the one for THE SOCIAL NETWORK is tops. I’m wondering if that one worked well for you.
This is a tremendous submission by a great guy! Many thanks my friend!
This is everything I watched this week Sam……..
Carlos ****1/2
Vincere ***1/2
Lourdes ****
Animal Kingdom ****1/2
Waste Land ****
Rabbit Hole ****
Gulliver’s Travels *****
Haha just kidding on that last one!!!! Your a great father Sam. If my imaginary kids wanted me to take them to go see Gulliver’s Travel, I would probably punish them without supper and force them to watch Heaven’s Gate five times straight. I never understood the affection people have for Jack Black and Ben Stiller. I always laugh when Joan Rivers, in her doc, is complementing about 12 straight comics and then gets asked about Stiller. Her answer is hilarious.
hahahahahahahahaha Maurizio!
I am usually flexible my friend, but this trip was made with a heavy heart. Still, watching movies with the kids is way more important than how the movie turns out, though I let Lucille take them to see the Fockers, while I stayed back! Ha! Rivers is a bright lady. She knows what those do are about!!!
It is so great to see CARLOS with that four and a half, and then the fours for RABBIT HOLE, WASTELAND and LOURDES! You’ve done a bang up job seeing a lot of great stuf in the last two weeks.
Many thanks for this report here my excellent friend!
Sam, thanks for the usual plug and for the care package I received last Thursday. I’d be right on it, but the library had a pile of new acquisitions in the foreign film section and I couldn’t resist the temptations. It’s funny: some of these have been available on Netflix, I believe, but when you see them and can grab them you find youself doing it. So: beside the Karlson and Kurt Neumann’s above-average sci-fi Kronos I treated myself to Isabel Coixet’s Map of the Streets of Tokyo, a colorfully pretentious Spanish-Japanese erotic thriller; Richard Viktorov’s To the Stars by Hard Ways, a piece of prime Soviet sci-fi schlock situated aesthetically somewhere between Solaris and Starcrash; Claude Chabrol’s Merci pour le Chocolate, which at least made me a bigger fan of Franz Lizst; and from the dread Yasujiro Ozu, An Autumn Afternoon, a joltingly stylized exercise in pathos that’s certainly fine for what it is but left me wondering just as Tokyo Story did why this guy is God for so many critics. Actually, I understand quite well what people see in him, including many genuine virtues, but I’ll have more to say on that subject later.
Well Samuel, I give you all the credit in the world for being honest and not hiding behind yay-saying just for teh sake of it. I will look forward to your review on AN AUTUMN AFTERNOON, and compare notes. Yes I do love Ozu deeply, but I welcome a sizing down, especially with your gifted ability to express some pointed reservations based on sound perceptions. I am a big fan of humanist cinema, so Ozu, S. Ray, De Sica, Mizoguchi, and others are among my favorites, but with the recent festival I was able to take in 18 of his films on a big screen.
I have seen the Chabrol and Coixet, but not the others. I can certainly see why Liszt rose in your estimation too! I’ll be watching for the reviews!
Many thanks my excellent friend!
Sam, I’m not exactly out to take Ozu down any number of pegs, but someone needs to take issue with people like David Thomson who assert some sort of objective superiority of Ozu over Kurosawa, for instance, either on the inscrutable ground that Ozu is “more Japanese” or because they privilege what you rightly call the “humanist” sensibility. Nor do I intend to attack the humanist sensibility itself; I only question the assumption some critics make that such films are automatically superior to those with different intentions. Another case of what I mean is the way Kubrick and the Coen Bros. are so often attacked for being “cold” or “contemptuous” because empathy — the presumed objective of humanist cinema — isn’t their usual goal.
As it is, the brazen stylization of Autumn Afternoon makes Ozu more interesting to me. I didn’t notice it in Tokyo Story, so is it more obvious in color or is it the hallmark of “late” work? Answering that to my satisfaction probably means watching more Ozu, and I look forward to that somewhat more now. He’s just never going to make my favorites list, and someday I’ll need to explain why.
BTW, I see in my new New Yorker that there’s a Lino Ventura festival afoot down your way at the French Institute Alliance Francaise, including Claude Sautet’s Classe Tous Risques on the 18th. If you haven’t seen that one before you probably should. Recommendations like these are the closest I can come for now to repaying your generosity.
Samuel, the issues you raise in your first paragraph are superlative! Your careful wording, and your valid claim of elitism on Thomson’s part (by elitism I mean the belief that only the perceivers have a “heart”) go right to the crux of why some automatically assume a specific style or thematic interest is to be seen as ‘more important’ than the concerns covered by other artists. Even though Ozu remains one of my favorite filmmakers of all, I find that kind of thinking bankrupt in more ways than one. I’ve seen the allegations of frigidity aimed at Kubrick and the Coens, and they are unfair, as that sensibility is really unimportant to their own world view and art. Perhaps, Samuel I must confess unconsciously to thinking teh same way about Ozu, as I myself find his subject more ‘vitally important’ to the human condition. The difference though, is that I would never go as far as to prop him at the expense of other filmmakers who have a varient interest. Remember, Thomson (as well-versed and prolific as he is in seeing everything out there) has an air about him, and he has also rapped Ford pretty hard. Before he made his artistic peace with Hitchcock (now he even has penned a book about PSYCHO) he had some issues with him too. And a number of others. As far as Japanese cinema is concerned, any ordering of Ozu, Mizoguchi, Kurosawa, Yoshida and Naruse is most acceptable. To argue definitively that one towers over the others, (or is even nominally superior) is a point that can’t be well-defended, without defaulting to taste, or who is moving one lately. Sorry to tell you Samuel, but the ‘brazen stylization’ you see (saw) in AN AUTUMN AFTERNOON doesn’t really trace back to TOKYO STORY and earlier work, and is mostly crafted by the color palette. His style is simple, and his filmmaking for the most part, unvaried. It all comes down to the importance and quiet drama in his depiction of life in Japan and the universal themes he so movingly examines: old age, loneliness, marriage, generational conflict, coming-of-age, and so on. His “syle” is his non-style, if you will. But you have posed a fair and respectful counter-argument, that is just as valid as any other I’ve read.
Oh you don’y have to re-pay me for anything my friend, but thanks for the heads-up on that Sautet Festival. I will investigate it right now!
Thanks for the terrific comment here Samuel!
Hi Sam. Thanks a lot for the appreciation & the mention. I hope you’re having a good 2011. Well, as for me, it started well, but now I’ve had to return to my college as winter vacations are over, and classes begin from tomorrow.
The number of films that I watched since my comment in your last Monday Morning Diary wasn’t as high as the previous two weeks, owing to various pending work before I left for college.
Anyway, here’s what I saw since then:
Larks on a String (which you already know)
The Set-Up (a fine, & often gut-wrenching, boxing-noir by Robert Wise)
Carlos (the 5 1/2 epic that has found mention in your yearly Top 10 which required 2 sittings for me to finish)
Well, as expected, my movie viewing is going to get reduced once again. But I do hope to watch good films as and when time permits, and post their reviews at my blog.
Many thanks Shubhajit! I guess it’s that time again, and you must put your nose to the grindstone! You have managed to see quite a bit over the time you spent during the break, and you have miraculously kept CINEMASCOPE going on a regular basis. You’ve posted a great variety too, and continue to add to this peerless archive. I completely agree with you on CARLOS, THE SET-UP and LARK ON A STRING.
I have my fingers crossed that you’ll stil get some time for the movies, but of course not at the expense of your studies. I have seen you do quite well balancing your passions and priorities. Kudos to you my friend, and thanks you!
Sam, Maurizio, Dennis et al
Poor Benning. Tripped up twice by Hilary Swank in the what’s-his-name race. Mrs. B. should have matching golden bookends for “American Beauty” and “Being Juila,” and maybe a third for supporting in “The Grifters.” In the end no one really remembers these things, though. Red-carpet ephemera. Sukowa would get my vote for actress, though admittedly I haven’t seen Natalie P. or Giovanni M. in the new Bellocchio. (“China Is Near,” “Fist in His Pocket,” haven’t seen those since the Late Crustacean Era.)
I really got nothing today. Just kind of knocked sideways by the immensity of contemporary experience ca. 2011.
Tried to see the new von Trotta for a second time — the non-showy beauty of the photography, Sukowa’s face, the scene with the pregnant young nun who commits suicide, the deep irony of the ultimate sin after being merely ‘sullied’ by sex — but “Vision” had already departed the local cineplex. No pyrotechnics, no staccato cutting a la music video, just a little blood in a religious context, nothing graphic, no exorcisms, alas. Definitely not enough sensory overload to thrill the majority of moviegoers wired for electroshock.
The nuns don’t even have the decency to fly, play guitar, whoop it up in a gospel choir or otherwise free us from reality. Just a compelling story, compellingly told. Who wants to see that?
From divinity to decadence. Caught most of “The Shanghai Gesture,” von Sternberg’s rotting bouquet of exotica, lurid, hypnotic, ludicrous. I probably shouldn’t enjoy it, but whenever it’s on TCM I’m there. With the great Walter Huston, Gene Tierney, drop-dead gorgeous, and Ona Munson, who burns through it all like a taper of evil. No Dietrich and not up to the camp excesses of “Blonde Venus,” but a five-star guilty pleasure anyway.
Is liking “Vision” and “Shanghai Gesture” a sign of (non-religious) schizophrenia? Oh no, speaking of religious schizophrenia, I’m now flashing on O’Toole draped on the drawing-room cross in “The Ruling Class,” a brilliant, insane train-wreck, but that’s another day.
Sam and Maurizio, your 10 bests are on my must-see list. And with all this Nicole Kidmania going around, I’m thinking I’d like to watch her disrobe again in “Eyes Wide Shut.” You know, to escape reality
“The Late Crustacean Era’
LOL Mark!!!! Sukowa is a great choice I must say! I believe when you see Mezzogiorno, you will rally behind her. I have honestly been singing her praises since March, and was thrilled and delighted she was named by the NSOFC. Portman is getting support too, and she’s very strong in a film I liked less than my colleagues. Bening is an odd bird. She can be infuriating, but she’s got some talent too. I know as far as the Oscars go, Swank did derail her twice. In any case, she was solid in THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, a performance given for the talented Lisa Cholodenko, who previously got great turns from other women in HIGH ART. Bening has Warren Beatty at her side, so one can expect a strong lobby. And with the NYFC award, she’s now artistically validated.
You really have me drooling to see that Von Trotta film, Mark! How oh how did I miss that when it was here at the Film Forum? I usually am on top of these things, ya know, but I messed up with that one. Thanks for the further visual embellishments here, though.
I quite agree with you on ‘The Shanghai Gesture’ though I am kinder to THE RULING CLASS. O’Toole is great, but I am always smitten with the delicious irreverence of the whole thing (“Jesus Christ!…………..O’Toole responds “Yes?”) and I think Medak has a feel for the material. But more than a few critics, like you, have summarized it as a “train wreck” too. I’d love to discuss this film with you further Mark…..soon I hope…………Thanks very much my friend for the typically terrific if sobering wrap. I am heading out the door now to see this Romanian film at the Film Forum, which I’m sure you are interested in:
http://www.filmforum.org/films/whistle.html
Thank you so much for posting news about my newly released book–The Sweater Curse. Please attend my blog launch/party Where: http://sweatercursed.blogspot.com
When: Thursday, January 10th
All the best,
Leanne Dyck (no “van”–we have a truck. : ) )
Author of (thriller) The Sweater Curse
Available from Decadent Publishing (www.decadentpublishing.com)
Author blog: http://sweatercursed.blogspot.com
Author website: http://www.oknitting.com
I am deeply honored Leanne for appearing here, and wish you a great run with your newest novel!
I’m happy to say I’ve been over to the party! Great people there!
Hi Sam, thanks so much for the mention 🙂
Also up here in Western Canada, snow has certainly made life difficult to go out and see films in a cinema recently so I have had to make do with older film DVDs in the meantime.
Yes indeed Sachin, the snow has made lives miserable all over, and the winter has only just begun as the Carpenters say! I’m sure you have some great classic films to tide you over this dire period. Many thank my friend for stopping in, and all your comments are deeply appreciated!
Thanks very much for the mention, Sam. I missed out on seeing ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ because I was at work when my son and husband went to it – sounds as if I had a narrow escape! I already suspected it wouldn’t be up my street, but your comments confirm that. (I’m still slightly tempted to see it because we spotted the film crew on a visit to Greenwich, but not sure I can sit through it just for the sake of spotting one or two locations!)
I’ve hardly seen anything for the third week running, due to still being very busy – but I did see Joe Wright’s mini-series ‘Charles II’ (2003), starring Rufus Sewell, which I enjoyed very much though I’m not sure how historically accurate it was. (For anyone who saw this on American TV and was disappointed by it, apparently a full hour was cut from the four-hour running time – luckily the region 2 DVD, which I’ve just watched, is the full version shown on the BBC).
I also watched ‘Chinatown Nights’, a William Wellman film from 1929 which he started making as a silent and completed as a talkie – an odd mixture in many ways, and I saw a terrible copy of it, but there are some good scenes in there all the same and some stunning cinematography by Henry Gerrard who also worked on ‘Beggars of Life’.
Jusy: I was ravishing by Gerrard’s camerwork in “Beggars of Life,” so that’s one aspect to gleefully anticipate, even with your guarded favorable response. It’s truly amazing how many films Welman made during this period, but he’s rightly seen as one of the most productive directors.
I’ve heard much about “Charles II,” and I’m sure I’ll be available myself soon of the Region 2 DVD set. Of course, since “Atonement” my regard for the director has improved greatly.
Well Judy, that’s a fair enough reason to check it out, but it will be a hard pill to take when you enter the theatre. But heck, I’m only one opinion here, and you still make have a btter take on it all.
Many thanks my very good friend!
It’s been a long time since I’ve written a pan for a movie that really had nothing going for it (I at least tried with 127 Hours until thinking about it more made me angry). I’ve gotten far more accustomed to trying to dissect films I love than my old smart-ass self. Thanks for the plug, Sam.
Very interesting Jake! That film has done very well with the bloggers, and you are heading up the other side of the coin. I like it well enough, but by-passed it for any end-of-the-year consideration. I suspect it won’t have repeat staying power.
Many thanks my friend!
Hey, Sam, remember about a month back when you said you were going to cut down on the number of links you post each week? 🙂
Your constant generosity and enthusiasm for fellow bloggers is unprecedented.
BTW – I received the package in the mail today! Thanks again.
David, that is one of those beautiful compliments I’ve ever received from anyone, and I thank you very much for it! Yeah, those links are addictive, but they have effectively wiped out my Sundays. Ah, Sunday used to be a nice day to relax and unwind! Ha!
I am very happy the parcel arrived! I look forward to hearing your reactions.
Thanks again David!
Sounds like another great week. I am lucky we don’t get snow here because if we did I don’t know that I would make it out to the movies as often as I do. But maybe it would be better for my checking account.
I am also pleased with Mezzogiorno’s honor, someone I placed in my second spot . I can’t argue much with people who prefer her. She was brilliant.
My own week has been somber to say the least. I only made it out to one new release, “Somewhere.” You already read about my mixed feeling about that over on my site. I also made it out to a screening of Cecil B. DeMille’s 1925 film “The Golden Bed”, a goofy but fun Victorian melodrama.
The big event was a two day screening of “Shoah” out in Santa Monica, which I had never seen before. If nine and a half hours seems long, the scary thing is I’m sure they could have gone another nine and a half hours without covering the same ground again. It’s really a remarkable and bold film.
Your checking account would indeed be better off Jason! Ha! As I respond to you right now late on Tuesday night, we are in the throws of this imposing snowstorm, which will reach it’s height in the next few hours. The clean-up tomorrow will be daunting, though school has already been called off.
Yes, I am pleased that we agree on Mezzogiorno, who delivered one of those rare performances in VINCERE, one that grabs you instantly. When I saw it earlier in the year, I said to myself, ‘now there’s one that can’t be topped.’ Many months later that validation from the high brow NSOFC is most gratifying.
I still haven’t seen SOMEWHERE, though I will need to rectify that soon, regardles sof my past issues with Ms. Coppola. I applaud you on the wonderful big-screen de Mille!!
But most of all on your surviving the marathon SHOAH, as did it’s own witnesses. I have ssen the entire thing as well, and can say unreservedly it’s the greatest, most gripping and most resonant of all Holocaust films. It’s a human testament, and will stand as a beacon of truth as long as humanity endures.
Many thanks my great friend!
Much thanks for the shout out and kind words, Sam. Our entire city was basically shut down today due to the white stuff, so I had the pleasure of indulging in my new flat panel/blu-ray set up. I haven’t had the chance to pick up any blu discs yet, but I squeezed in today the Criterion DVD’s of Sirk’s Written on the Wind, as well as Von Sternberg’s Underworld and The Last Command, and man did they all look positively stunning. And all are of course stunning masterpieces.
I wish your trip to the theater had been more memorable, but I guess we all have to take one for the team at some point, hah!
Drew: That is really incredible, considering where you live. Dixie will rise up again, of this I am certain! Ha! The last time the image of snow in Georgia came into my consciousness was my most recent viewing of DRIVING MISS DAISY, but I was thinking that was the rarest of occurences.
What a fantastic way to christen your brand new blu-ray player and flat panel television than with Von Sternberg and Sirk. I concur that the films you mention here are masterpieces of the cinema (WOTW remains my favorite Sirk) and a perfect way to usher in the capabilities of this technology–one a ravishing color film, the other a vintage example of the beauty of silent era cinematography. It’s winning combo, that’s for sure! Best wishes with your new acquisitions Drew!
Yep, GULLIVER was a dud, but I was at least expecting it. The off-Broadway show though was decent.
Many thanks my very good friend!
Mucho respect, Sam, for linking my The King’s Speech pan when it’s so far from your own reaction.
Thanks for that Rod. At the end of the day a great review is just that, and I always much prefer to have both sides represented. Your quality makes that position a wise and fruitful one.
Thanks Sam for the mention and the compliment.
Like Rod above (!), I was glad you saw worth in the piece despite having a completely different reaction to the film.
That was a terrifc piece Stephen, and belongs in the upper etchelon of the BLACK SWAN “literature.” It made me look at the film in a different light, regardless of how I may have ultimately judged it. One can hardly ask (or hope) for more!
Go Patriots!
I wil inform Rex Ryan of your sentiments immediately Joel!
Sam — My week in movies is pretty much covered by my thoughts on LES ANGES DU PECHE, which I’ve just posted at my site (and I am also about to read the review you wrote on it here, as well).
Other than that, spent Monday in anticipation of the Ducks winning a National Championship, and Tuesday deal with the aftereffects of their loss 😉
Also, I’m not sure what all this Patriots and Jets talk is all about. We all know when all is said and done the (ugh) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS~! will be the best team in the land. (even as a long-time fan of the team I can’t believe those words when I write them)
Troy: I have already read your tremendous review, and commented under it. I can already see that Bresson will float your boat, if this film has inspired you to write this insightfully. The “Big Three” are DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST, A MAN ESCAPED and AU HASARD BALTHAZAR (the first two are up next for you) and PICKPOCKET, MOUCHETTE and L’ARGENT are all on the masterpiece level as well. I will be greatly enriched and grateful to read what you pen on these films, and salute you for the fantastic launch.
I am deeply sorry about that 22-19 Ducks loss to Auburn. The Ducks had an incredible year and deserved to win the championship. Perhaps your Seahawks can indeed rise to the occasion. The Bears and the Packers are formidable, but it may be destiny for your team! Best of Luck to them!
Thanks for the great comment and review my very good friend!
Howdy Sam, that ‘Wasteland’ looks fabulous…that’s an excellent screen capture.
As you’ve noticed…I’ve been really busy doing the Outer Limits thing….what’s been a real surprise for me is that watching one episode per day really doesn’t overwhelm the schedule and it allows me to telescope the series fast. I’m usually against stripping a show across five day when it comes to programming. As I think one per week allows a pleasure to be stretched over a longer time. But this has been a great stimulus to dusting off the show and watching, beguiled.
So far I’ve seen…
The Galaxy Being** (watched 2 times)
The Borderland** (watched 2 times)
The Human Factor* (watched 4 times!!!)
A Feasibility Study* (1)
The Man with the Power* (1)
The Hundred Days of the Dragon* (1)
Controlled Experiment*** (1)
Architects of Fear**** (1, but I’ve seen this numerous times)
Tourist Attraction
Specimen: Unknown
The other thing I’ve been reading is ‘LBJ: The Mastermind Behind JFK’s Assassination’ by Nelson. It has a wealth of information and quotes, but the writing and composition is woeful. I seen four mistakes in grammar, but worse is the tendency to say ‘as I will show in chapter five’, or ‘we will see later on’….25 times in the first chapter of 75 pages. It’s annoying and kills the flow of the writing. I think he is trying way too hard to present the book as a court judgement for the prosecution. It doesn’t work in print. He should have just told the story in a straight linear fashion and let the horrifying truth speak for itself.
Last year, I read ‘Brothers’ about the Kennedy’s struggle with the National Security Apparatus, it’s lunatic military (one of whom was the inspiration for the mad General in ‘Dr Strangelove’) and the C I A. Also
‘JFK and the Unspeakable’ and stunning book that covers some of the same ground as ‘Brothers’ but is more about how JFK turned after the Cuban Missile Crisis and was heading towards peace with the Soviets and normalising relation with Cuba, but had the C I A planning with Cuban exiles to terminate him. Not only does he piece together one incident after another, but he also has them messing with two or three witness testimony. They are the finest of the finest, but this latest one is an utter failure and he makes factual errors or assumptions that don’t make sense. And I brought it hot off the presses. My review of it on Amazon will decimate it. I really wish he had more talent. Maybe it will improve and I’ll probably write and e-mail to him.
Thanks Bobby! I can’t wait to hear what you think of it Bobby! I suspect it will work for you, but we’ll see.
I have seen first hand your spectacular contributions to the daily OUTER LIMITS blogothon, and as you know, I’ve been able to place a modest comment up most days. Your passion has been incredible, and you more often than not are the first one to post! Your understanding of the show and your amazing enthusiasm is second to none. As a lifelong fan, I have been marveling at all this, and I think both Scoleri and Enfantino are very pleased with the traffic and comments! I know tomorrow’s post will be on ‘The Sixth Finger,’ a show I have always considered one of OL’s masterpieces. I know I’ll have much to say, and also know you will be at your very best! Ha!
The only episode so far where I differ with you substantiially is A FEASIBILITY STUDY. There are hokey elements, and the ending is rather lame, but it’s brooding, claustrophobic camerawork and the unique idea for the screenplay (the several blocks of earth that are moved into an alien environment for scrutiny) is OL at it’s most perversely bizarre, but it’s underpinning of menace works wonderfully. But I did read your issues there and understand where you are coming from. It does stretch credibility. I am shocked you give THE HUMAN FACTOR only *, but have still seen it four times!?! And yes, ARCHITECTS is absolutely one of the show’s greatest hours ever. Culp is utterly magnificent.
Thanks very much for the report here on the JFK assasination book and “Brothers.” This was one area I was at one time obsessed with (I read Manchester’s “A Death of a President” twice) I have never completely bought in the LBJ complicity, but sad that grammar and amateur errors have compromised Nelson’s volume. Have you already placed your review on amazon? I will look there! Many thanks for all this my active and excellent friend!
Sam – great feedback. ‘The Human Factor’ was one that bored me slightly when I was 14 and it was so surrounded by classics that it got dwarfed. Watching it again but now with an appreciation of the craft…the magnificent Hall’s photography, an ardent romantic musical score and directorial camera placement….plus the intimate atmosphere in the base, kinda cosy – I just had it on play next to my TV/DVD monitor.
I’m heartened that you were one of those that questioned the Government’s official story.
Manchester’s book I have, I just picked up a 2nd hand copy a couple of months ago. It’s good as a picture of the time with some insights, but it was written around 1964/5
and LBJ had a lot to do with what went into it.
As for LBJ, I think I understand why it’s hard for people to believ that THAT man could do such a thing, as he did bring in the social liberal legislation that benefited so many.
But of all US President’s, he was the most ill. Nixon followed and had neuroses… but LBJ was a full blown mental case with savage manic-depressive episodes, and even worse…
Narcissistic personality disorder – making him dangerously unstable (his wife, 2 daughters, dog and ranch shared his initials). It’s the type of disorder that allows a person to murder. He had 17 recorded by one associate, and 7 before JFK. No one else could have covered it up in the Warren report, other than him.
Time reveals all:
So far, these are the people that have come out and said he did it.
Madeline Brown – His mistress
Billy Sol Estes – His long term business partner
E. Howard Hunt – CIA case officer, on his death bed.
Jack Ruby (though after he read a local biography about LBJ)
Barr Macellan – His Lawyer
Ithink you will find this link, fascinating!
http://www.mackwhite.com/lbj.html
And this is a documentary that was made and shown, but only once, before Gerald Ford, Lady Bird and Jack Valenti threatened the ‘History Channel’ and had it pulled from any repeats and banned on US airwaves, for good.
Here’s a link:
Let me know what you think, I’d be mighty interested.
Hi! Sam Juliano, Allan and WitD readers…
Sam, let me first begin by taking a look at what you watched…and experienced at the theater. It appears as if Gulliver’s Travel is the weak link and the documentary Waste Land is the strongest Of both films and the latter one is the one to seek out to watch first and foremost.
Sam Juliano said,”My two youngest kids asked me to take them to our local multiplex to see it, and I went with much trepidation. Turns out my concern was well founded. Ha!…”
Sam Juliano, I wonder did your two younger children like the film Gulliver’s Travel?
Sam Juliano said, “At Theatre Row on 42nd Street in the ‘Lion Theatre’ Lucille, Broadway Bob and I took in the 62 minute production of Alan Bowne’s Beirut, a two person show about a Brooklyn man who is quarantined in the Lower East Side after being tested positive for a deadly, nameless virus…”
Sam, this sounds as if it’s a very interesting play (focusing on a very interesting subject matter)…I hope that you, Mrs. Lucille Juliano, and Broadway Bob, enjoyed the play too.
Sam Juliano,
Thanks, for acknowledging me…as usual every week.
DeeDee 😉 🙂
Dee Dee, I could never possibly “acknowledge” you enough for all you have done for this site, though you have always been one of it’s most tireless purveyors right from the very beginning. Your latest project with the Eddie Muller-moderated Film Noir Festival at the Castro is yet another example of bringing to the film world (especially noir fans) a vital event, that hopefully will attract fans who are able to negotiate the geography.
Yes, as I speculated ahead-of-time, GULLIVER’S TRAVELS was a bust, a fact that was emphasized by the reactions of my two youngest kids (who were bored). They love Jack Black, but this was a terrible waste of his “talents.” WASTELAND is pure wonderment, and I anticipate you’ll be seeing it in the near future.
Yes, the play “Beirut” was reasonably solid, and I’d recommend it with reservations. Lucille and I will attending another play tonight, Ibsen’s “The Master Builder” at the Wings Theatre on Christopher Street. I am not sure of what to expect from this particular production, but the play itself is one of the all-time greats, but one of the theatre’s most revered playrights, a man known as the ‘father of the modern theatre’ and the author of “A Doll’s House” and “Hedda Gabler.”
Needless to say Dee Dee, keep in mind I always love to hear about what your own week was like. It’s something I do love reading. Many thanks for all that you do for everyone, and for your feel-good temperament, my wonderful friend!