by Sam Juliano
The Childhood Films countdown has reached the end of first phase, after the deadline for Top 60 submissions ended on Sunday night at 11:00 P.M. EST. The grand total of 35 ballots is a record for the site’s genre polls, and spells a Herculean task for Voting Tabulator Extraordinaire Angelo A. D’Arminio Jr. who will be sorting out the votes over the coming days. After the results are sent out to an e mail chain affiliated with the process, writing assignments will be settled upon with about fifteen writers sharing the work load. Mid-June is the target days for launching.
The last of our brood of five, 13 year-old Jeremy received his confirmation on Sunday afternoon at Fairview’s Our Lady of Grace Church. His “sponsor” was his older brother Sammy, and his confirmation name was John. We enjoyed a terrific meal afterwards at a favored eatery in Monclair.
On Saturday night, Lucille, Sammy and Jeremy and I met up with a few friends to hear the rock group Nemyses at the Oak Dale House in Maywood.
I watched some DVD/blu rays (the Italian film, 1860 and the British The Lost Prince. In theaters, Lucille and I had a very light week, seeing only:
The Farewell Party **** (Friday night) Angelica Film Center
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Writers/Founders
Congrats to y’all, and for obvious reasons especially Jeremy, on a great week. I remember how much my own Church of Scotland confirmation meant to me at that age. Of course, I’m a bit different now! 🙂
Aye John, confirmation in the Catholic faith is a milestone, and we were all proud of Jeremy for completing the many years of after-school religious instruction that is a lead-in to this sacrament. I could well understand it meaning a lot to you back in the day for sure. And yes you and I are a lot different now! Thanks so much my friend, and have a great week! 🙂
Congratulations to Jeremy! A priceless occasion.
I am eager to learn the results of the Childhood films voting!
Thanks so much Frank! Yes a wonderful time for us all. We were proud of Jeremy indeed.
The results will be known soon. Thanks as always my friend. Have a terrific week!
Sam –
A hearty congratulations to Jeremy on his confirmation. I love the terrific photograph with his contagious smile! A favorite eatery, friends, and a rock group — ingredients for a great time all around.
Have a terrific week!
Thanks so much Laurie! Yes, Jeremy did affect a winning smile there for sure. We did have a busy and rewarding weekend for sure, and many thanks for acknowledging that. The very best to you and Len always! 🙂
Congratulations to Jeremy, though to be honest, I’m not at all sure what confirmation is. Does he now have the right/responsibility to be part of the service, like a Jewish bar mitzvah?
We saw two new films this weekend, I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS and IN THE NAME OF MY DAUGHTER. The former was an intelligent look at retirees, with Blythe Danner sure to garner Oscar buzz for her performance. The latter, a French film by Andre Techine, doesn’t get my unqualified approval because of the exceptionally cryptic performances of Catherine Deneuve and Guillaume Canet, but their young costar, Adele Haenel, made the film compelling throughout. I also got a chance to see the restored 1938 film MAMELE, a great Yiddish-language film from Poland that shows musical star Molly Picon in all her glory.
Thanks so much Marilyn!! I think the specifications of Catholic confirmation and the Jewish bar mitzvah bare some similarities, but once confirmed a young man is not privy to service privileges, rather this sacrament “prepares the received for a Christian life.” The church contends they are officially “sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit” and the sacrament itself it one that confirms their “maturity” as they lived their lives as devout Christians. The preparation for confirmation entails five years of after-school religious instruction for public school students, every Tuesday for one hour.
I did also see I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS, and reported back enthusiastically on it last week. I agree that Blythe Danner (and Sam Elliot as well) were excellent, and the film, seemingly benign, has stayed with me. I love Techine’s past work (especially his masterful 1994 WILD REEDS), and look forward to seeing IN THE NAME OF MY DAUGHTER. Your strong response here has upped my resolve! And I also need to see the 1938 MEMELE with Molly Picon! I’ve never crossed paths with that film, but am enthused to hear what you say. Have a great week my friend!!! 🙂
Hello Sam and everyone!
Well, congratulations to your youngest in taking part of what I think was part of my growth as the man I am today.
On my end, well I watched some films:
– Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015, Joss Whedon) **** It doesn’t achieve the fun and giddy pleasures that the first Avengers movie has, as this one feels conducted and in a way too connected to what came before and what’s to come. I still feel the sense that this is just a teaser for a big teaser, and every movie just feels like a very very entertaining teaser. But, oh boy, do I wish there were more teasers like these ones, this is just a concisely and consistent fun film. I will write more about this film soon.
– Cuando respiro (2015, Coti Donoso) ***1/2 Ambient documentary made in Chile about contamination in Santiago.
– Drag Me to Hell (2009, Sam Raimi) ***** It was late last night, it was on TV. Is there anything else to do but watch it?
– Mad Max: Fury Road (2015, George Miller) ****1/2 I can’t even start to explain how much of this is a surprise to me. Mainly because I remember seeing the first two Mad Max films and feeling completely underwhelmed if not absolutely angry at the fact that people liked it so much, since I found them uninspired and a constant barrage of nothingness. Now, people could say that this just fits perfectly with the same criticism, but there’s mindless action and mindless action with (oh dear God) “ethics”. I absolutely need to rewatch the first two Mad Max films and finally give the third one a fair shake, but in the meantime this is just FUN, with all capitals, FUN for anyone who sees it, FUN for what it is and what it wants to achieve. It’s certainly one of the best action films I’ve seen in a while and certainly maybe the first film of 2015 that I actually actively want to watch again in theaters, something that hasn’t happened to me in quite some time, and I mean this on my own, not repeat rewatches out of accompanying friends or family. Don’t listen to the haters, don’t listen to anyone, just go if you liked action films at some point in your life, and I must say that nowadays I’m warming up more and more to the genre due to the secret masters that appear here and there. Also, for some reason in the final chase I realized how much I want a new Jackie Chan film, a good one, maybe directed by Miller.
– Mirageman (2007, Ernesto Diaz Espinoza) ***1/2 A bit thin, but at the same time quite exciting and different from many of the other offerings of Chilean cinema. While not exactly the best, this surely felt at the time like a breath of fresh air, like something we hadn’t had the chance to see before, the film we never knew we wanted but we always truly deeply felt it.
– Wolf Totem (2015, Jean-Jacques Annaud) **1/2 There are certain scenes here that will be remembered, for sure, by the end of the year, and will be mentioned in whatever roundup I end up doing, but these scenes are mostly surrounded not by inept filmmaking as much as its bland and boring one. There are sparks of moments that make the director appear and surely his attachment towards the beauty of the scenery that surrounds him is almost a staple of Annaund at this point, but here it remains soul-less, as if he was tightly overlooked by a powerful entity that advised him against anything that would make the revisionist points of history that this film wants to take. The film starts and ends, and it’s two hours long that I don’t want to ever experience again, and that’s a shame because I wanted a good Asian film for my list at the end of the year. An epic, here turned into a lame attempt at profundity.
That’s all, have a great week Sam!
Thanks for the very nice words about Jeremy my friend! What you stress as “fun” in describing MAD MAX I consider as a major annoyance during that tortuous viewing. Watching it was one of the biggest waste of time I can remember in a very long time. But I know there are many in addition to yourself who disagree. Fair enough. I’m no fan of THE AVENGERS, but I do think DRAG ME TO HELL is an exceptional horror film. I have not seen WOLF TOTEM nor MIRAGEMAN, but very much appreciate the thorough examination. As always I am grateful to have your spectacular report!
Congrats again to Jeremy as he begins his journey to manhood. On Sunday, Dorothy and I took in, on the last day, the Monet to Matisse exhibit at the St. Petersburg Fine Arts Museum. Glad we were able to catch it before it was gone. Also just finished reading a review copy of Jacqueline T. Lynch’s new biography on Ann Blyth which will be out on June 18th. I interviewed Jacqueline recently and the end results will be published on my blog around mid-month.
On the movie front….
Sinatra: All or Nothing at All (*****) Excellent in depth HBO documentary, warts and all. The film covers all aspects of Sinatra’s life from his early days in Hoboken to his rise and downfall, and to his comeback to the top of the heap. Along the way we meet mobsters, presidents, lovers and family.
Blackmail (**1/2) Not the Hitchcock film, but a minor chain gang flick with Edward G. Robinson as the innocent victim who is returned to prisoner nine years after escaping. Gene Lockhart steals the film as the slimy blackmailer who turns him in. Worth watching as long as you don’t expect much.
Firecreek (***1/2) Underrated western that should be better known. More of a character study than the typical action packed western. The film is like a pot of water on a stove, slowly coming to a boil, leading to the final shootout. Both Henry Fonda and James Stewart were a little too old for their roles, but these guys are both pros and carry it off. Fonda is exceptionally good in the bad guy role.
The Victors (****1/2) This film has had a long history. Released in 1963, it was quickly pulled and edited, then released back to the public. Since then, the film has been hard to find, and when it has, there have been multiple edited versions. It’s a film I have been wanting to see for many years. Recently, a local cable station showed it on Memorial Day giving me the chance. Which version, I have no idea, but it did not disappoint. It’s amazing this film was made in 1963. It’s choppy at times, which may due to the severe tampering that was done by the studio. Still, this film is one of the most powerful and emotional anti-war films you will ever see.
Rembrandt (****) Superb performance from Charles Laughton highlights this biographical film on The life of the great Dutch master. Stage actress Gertrude Lawrence makes a rare screen appearance as Rembrandt’s housekeeper and lover. Though it’s obvious the film was shot on a sound stage, its atmospheric giving you a fine sense of the time and period.
Also re-watched Fort Apache (*****) and The Last Gangster (**1/2)
Have a great week!!!
Thanks for the very kind words about Jeremy my friend! John that art exhibit you and Dorothy took in does sound absolutely fantastic! I wish I was a fly on the wall looking down! I am also very interested in Mr. Lynch’s new biography of Ann Blyth!!! Great to hear the interview will soon be published! I am eager to see the Sinatra documentary. REMBRANDT is a masterpiece. Agreed on FIRE CREEK, and would love very much to see THE VICTORS. What a glowing report on it! That particular BLACKMAIL is one I have not seen. FORT APACHE is a great western of course. Thanks so much my friend!!!
Congratulations, Sam, such a fine family! And congratulations to Jeremy on this milestone occasion.
I managed to see one film in theaters this week:
Far from the Madding Crowd (****) – A bit short of greatness but still beautifully done.
I think I’ll give in and see Mad Max this week.
Thanks so much for the beautiful words Duane! I have to agree with you on the new version of FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD, Really gorgeous to look at and a solid adaptation, but well short of masterpiece status. I’m definitely interested in hearing what you say about MAD MAX! 🙂
Sam, congratulations to Jeremy! Wow the last of your brood. That’s fantastic.
Been way too quiet here on the viewing front. Nothing in the last two weeks. But will get back to Ozu very, very soon.
Thanks so much, Sam! Hope you are having a great week!
thanks so much for the exceedingly kind words Jeffrey!! Yes another milestone has been achieved in our family. You do have so many great Ozus ahead of you my friend! Thanks as always for your amazing support and friendship, as always above and beyond. Have a terrific week!