by Sam Juliano
The upcoming week has been diagnosed as a real scorcher with temperatures expected in the 90’s, but the previous seven day span was marginally more tolerable. As always it seems for most that the summer is moving along as a brisk pace, and the month of August lies on the horizon. Many in our fraternity are away or are close to vacation departure. I am myself engaged in the annual summer school program, which is now halfway complete. Friday, August 7th will be the last day.
I have uncharacteristically curtailed theater movie viewings this summer for two reasons: First off, the quality of the releases is disappointing (though summer is traditionally the weakest time of the year cinematic for films) and secondly I have taken on too heavy a burden for the Childhood/Adolescent Films Countdown that has caused a problem with setting aside time to write. Just this coming week for example I have reviews due up for three successive days (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) will with plenty more in the coming weeks. While I was happy to take on some films I love, I simply went overboard and am now paying the price. It is virtually unheard of for Lucille and I to skip a Saturday night out. The original plans as per Friday were to trek up to Joey’s in Hewitt to see one of our favorites musicians again, but my responsibilities interfered. Ah well.
The countdown is moving along quite nicely with solid numbers and decent support. As always the quality of the presentations has been first-rate, and the diversity of the choices as voted on by many impassioned film buffs has made for an enthralling show.
This week we saw:
Mr. Holmes *** (Friday night) Edgewater multiplex
I will withhold the titles of the other three films I watched, as they will be appearing on this week’s Childhood/Adolescent countdown.
I have re-printed last week’s links here, but have revised a good number of them:
At Noirish our great friend the esteemed prolific author John Grant has been graced with another stupendous honor with the inclusion of his “Ghost Story” in a new science-fiction anthology just published! Congratulations John!!! https://noirencyclopedia.wordpress.com/2015/07/17/ot-in-my-hot-little-hands-2/
At Overlook’s Corridor, the cinematic storm trooper Jaimie Grijalba is involved in a remarkable series focusing on Hispanic American films that have won awards. The latest in his impressive string is the 2014 Cuban work “Vestido De Novia”: https://overlookhotelfilm.wordpress.com/2015/07/18/5dop-5-vestido-de-novia-2014/
Over at Twenty Four Frames our ever-resilient friend, the great writer, photographer and animal lover John Greco has a stupendous contribution up on the 1947 film noir “Framed”: https://twentyfourframes.wordpress.com/2015/07/14/framed-1947-richard-wallace-2/
At Mondo 70 Samuel Wilson contends in a fabulous review that Henry Hathaway’s 1934 Shirley Temple/Gary Cooper/Carole Lombard pre-coder “Now and Forever” is essentially valuable for historical rather than aesthetic reasons: http://mondo70.blogspot.com/2015/07/pre-code-parade-now-and-forever-1934.html
At Tuesdays with Laurie, our remarkable friend Laurie Buchanan has published an irresistible wildlife-lover post “A Bird in the Hand”: http://tuesdayswithlaurie.com/2015/07/14/a-bird-in-the-hand/
Over at Attractive Variance Jamie Uhler offers us an authoritative musical capsule piece titled “Six Days of Bass”: https://attractivevariance.wordpress.com/2015/06/16/six-days-of-bass/
At Movie Classics, Judy Geater has posted a fantastic piece on the John Western western “Angel and the Badman” as part of a recent blogathon: https://movieclassics.wordpress.com/2015/07/14/angel-and-the-badman-james-edward-grant-1947/
Our longtime friend the film maker and movie lover extraordinaire Jeffrey Goodman has recently been exploring Ozu at his blogsite The Last Lullaby. His latest superlative capsule review is on “The Straightforward Boy” (1929): http://cahierspositif.blogspot.com/2015/05/a-straightforward-boy-1929.html
Ever exploring new angles the resilient Tony d’Ambra has posted a brilliant piece on “Noir Beat: The Finnish Connection” at FilmsNoir.net: http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/noir-beat-the-finnish-connection.html/
Over at Patricia’s Wisdom, the terrific book reviewer and friend Patricia Hamilton has posted asplendid review on Thomas Shawver’s “Widow’s Room”: http://patriciaswisdom.com/2015/07/widows-son-a-rare-book-mystery-thomas-shawver/
At Scribbles and Ramblings Sachin Gandhi speaks glowingly of the Childhood/Adolescent Countdown and offers up his own superlative list – one that was submitted for tabulation: http://likhna.blogspot.com/2015/07/top-childhood-films.html
At It Rains….You Get Wet Robert Tower has posted a fantastic book review on Don Winslow’s “The Cartel” http://le0pard13.com/2015/07/17/the-cartel-winslows-chef-doeuvre/
J. D. Lafrance has published a masterful piece on the 1970 American gem “Five Easy Pieces” at Radiator Heaven: http://rheaven.blogspot.com/2015/07/five-easy-pieces.html
Shubhajit Lahiri has penned an excellent review of Woody Allen’s 1992 “Husbands and Wives” at Cinemascope: http://cliched-monologues.blogspot.com/2015/07/husbands-and-wives-1992.htm
Weeping Sam’s latest post at The Listening Ear is a fabulous one entitled “I’m Immortal When I’m With You” and is the latest in his Band of the Month series: http://listeningear.blogspot.com/2015/07/im-immortal-when-im-with-you.html
At Unseen Films the incredible Steve Kopian speaks of the last weekend of the New York Asian Film Festival: http://unseenfilms.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-final-friday-at-nyaff-2015.html
Roderick Heath’s superlatively exhaustive essay on the Von Stroheim silent masterpiece “Foolish Wives” is presently leading the way at Ferdy on Films: http://www.ferdyonfilms.com/2015/foolish-wives-1922/25206/
At Lost in the Movies our longtime friend Joel Bocko is leading up with a banner piece on “Neon Genesis Evangelion: Episode 8: Asuka Strikes”: http://thedancingimage.blogspot.com/2015/07/neon-genesis-evangelion-episode-8-asuka.html
Terrill Welch’s incomparably beautiful Creative Potager blogsite offers up all kinds of nature-inspired sublimity, as can be seen and felt in her latest post: http://creativepotager.com/2015/06/29/a-seascape-as-a-place-to-be-on-saturna-island/
At Filmicability Dean Treadway’s latest post is a superlative examination of the famous film year 1940: http://filmicability.blogspot.com/2015/07/1940-year-in-review.html
At Vermillion and One Nights Murderous Ink has posted a unique and fascinating piece on “Bing Crosby and Art of Recording”: http://vermillionandonenights.blogspot.com/2015/06/bing-crosby-and-art-of-recording.html
David Schleicher has penned a superlative review on Judd Apatow’s “Trainwreck” at The Schleicher Spin: http://theschleicherspin.com/2015/07/18/i-would-rather-watch-a-real-trainwreck/
Aaron West has written an utterly fantastic review of Bernhard Wicki’s masterful 1959 German anti-war film “The Bridge” at Criterion Blues: http://criterionblues.com/2015/07/19/the-bridge-1959-bernhard-wicki/
At The Reluctant Blogger the photographer Jeff Stroud still leads up with his marvelous reflective piece “Suddenly”: https://jeffstroud.wordpress.com/2015/04/04/suddenly/
At The Seventh Art the exceedingly gifted writer Srikanth offers up a fabulous review on 2015’s “Papanasan” by Jeethu Joseph Tamil: http://theseventhart.info/2015/07/04/ellipsis-81/
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Writers/Founders
I’m jealous that you’ve been able to see Mr Holmes, Sam, even though you clearly weren’t overly gruntled by it. I’m so overwhelmed by work commitments at the moment that I can’t even take time off for DVDs. (I do try to synchronize Thursday supper with Phryne Fisher, though . . .)
Many thanks for the shoutout. The excitement, though, is not that I have a story in an anthology — that happens (modest cough) moderately often — but that this is one of the more prestigious Best-of-Year anthologies, collecting the (supposed, in my case) best F&SF stories from 2014. Its editor, Rich Horton, is perhaps my favorite critic in the field, so this is an especial thrill.
John, my apologies to you and everyone else on this thread for a much later than usual response from me. Having three essays in a row this week at the site for the Childhood Countdown has really taken its toll on me in terms of being able to divert. Total and utter insanity.
I am doubly thrilled to hear this utterly fantastic news! Having your story published in an anthology is one thing (and that is stupendous in itself!) but having it in this top-flight compilation is definitely cause for celebration!! You have been on an incredible roll over the last two years and I extend my congratulations to you! HOLMES was fair enough, but mainly because of the lead. I’d be most curious to learn your reaction. Have a great upcoming weekend my friend!
Your school program sounds awesome, Sam. I will see “Mr. Holmes” soon, still very curious to see what Ian McKellen will do in the role. Once again, you’re quite generous for including me in your grand list of linkages. I’m honored, my friend. Many thanks.
p.s., you have Aaron West’s wonderful “Bridge” article, the URL, in there twice. Just sayin’ 😉
Thanks so very much for the kind words Robert! I did like McKellen’s work in HOLMES quite a bit, I must say. Your link well belongs in the lineup my friend! There’s plenty of greatness there too! I have sorted out the mistakes my friend. have a great upcoming weekend!
My daughter (oldest) went to see Mr Holmes and truly thought it was great. Her partner thought it was just okay. Everyone has seen inside out now and it tops the list for this year. We are trying to sell our three story house right now, which means keeping everything looking hood and disappearing when lookers come to see. No purchasers yet but lots of sitting in car with dog out of sight.
Nearly done with reading books through August so am sneaking in a few reads on my personal list.
Foot is not back working (no driving yet) so surgeon applied for 6 more sessions of Physical Therapy. If no improvement then I will be disabled. At least I can read no problems there!
Enjoying the series. Thank you again for the shout out
Patricia, I am very happy to hear that your oldest daughter loved MR. HOLMES! It appears many others are also rating it highly. I am more in accord with her partner, but I do intend on seeing it again. INSIDE OUT is certainly impressing loads of people. I liked it myself to the tune of 4.5. Great to hear you are getting in some reading, as you recuperate! I too am attending physical therapy, of which I still have 8 more sessions to go. In any case yes you can read in the current situation. I’m sure your foot will come around. I wish you a great weekend my friend! Many thanks!
Summer is here with a vengeance – hot and humid and gross, and it is very tempting to lean back and watch TV all weekend… the Tour de France and Gold Cup soccer are very convenient for that, especially with the Red Sox losing on the west coast… I did get out to see a couple films – Mr Holmes and Tangerine. Tangerine lived up to the hype. Mr. Holmes is very entertaining, but a bit squishy – going for sentimentality without good cause. McKellan is fantastic, and so is the kid – they make it more than worth seeing.
Well Stephen, we had a few days here in the NYC area that were bearable, but still not the kind of weather we want to enjoy outdoors! I didn’t watch the soccer and Tour de France unfortunately, but I have been monitoring the Yankees, who continue to surprise in a very big way. If you told me at the beginning of the year they’s be in first in late July by 5 games I’d tell you to report to a mental ward. Whether they will actually hold on to is anybody’s guess, as they are playing better than their roster says they should. I do agree with you absolutely on HOLMES on both counts (and yes McKellen is terrific), and I really want to see TANGERINE. I am thinking this coming weekend. Have a great weekend my friend!
The scorching temperatures are not so pleasant Sam. Great indoor movie watching weather though! We’ll be leaving for Wildwood on Friday for one week. I have been enjoying the countdown immensely.
Enjoy the Wildwood trip Peter! I have been there many time over the years, and for a stretch went every summer. Your daily commentary for the countdown has been much appreciated my friend!
Sam, I was certain you’d have seen Trainwreck this past week. Slims pickings in theaters these days. I have to agree with you there.
Frank, e may see it this coming weekend. Many thanks my friend!
Only 3 stars for Mr Holmes, Sam? I must say I loved it and thought Ian McKellen and the young boy were both excellent.
I’ve just seen the Orson Welles documentary ‘Magician’ at the cinema, which was fascinating but could have been even better with a few more clips and fewer talking heads – still, great stuff anyway.
Many thanks for the mention – much appreciated. It sounds as if you are having a frantic time with all that writing, but I’ll look forward to reading your pieces – and must also aim to catch up with the countdown this week!
Judy, HOLMES didn’t hit me like it did others, but I’d certainly give it another shot. I did think McKellen was extraordinary! Great to hear the Welles documentary turned out to a worthwhile experience even with those drawbacks. Yes this has been a challenging week with the trio of consecutive reviews, But I have gotten by it. 🙂 Many thanks my friend. Have a great upcoming weekend!
Sam, It seems most the country is experiencing what we here in FLA. experience for most of the year. Most days for the past four months have been 90 or more. The few exceptions are due to rain and cloud cover and then they shoot back up. The humidity has reached 80% or more on some days. And we have at least another three months of this to go. Anyway, enough whining.
I am tempted to go see Trainwreck but we instead went to see Double Indemnity (*****) at our local AMC. Wonderful to see it on the big screen. It’s simply has one of the sharpest written screenplays ever. The dialogue spits out like a hot over the top flame.
Also watched the following…
Red Light (****) Red Light is a terrific noir and it’s surprising that it’s not better known. It certainly deserves to be. The film reeks of dark shadowy nights, wet streets and high contrast lighting, all adding to a desperate moody ambiance.
The Woman on Pier 13 (***) Post WW II propaganda fuels this tale that Communist are everywhere, invading our American way of life. They’re hiding in plain sight: our schools, workplaces, in our bathrooms, under our beds and even in our pajamas! If you can put the commie paranoia aside this is a decent, if unexceptional, film highlighted by the always interesting Robert Ryan who left us with an amazing list of troubled anti-heroes.
Funny Face (***1/2) Just posted today an essay of this film mostly from the POV of the influence of photographer Richard Avedon who was a consultant on the film. Astaire’s character was also based on Avedon. The Gershwin tunes are perfection.
Hello Sam and everyone!
Well, over here I am working on many projects. Thanks for featuring the one at my blog, I had a blast doing it! Thanks again! These are the movies I saw last week:
– The Duke of Burgundy (2014, Peter Strickland) ****1/2 I think there is a truth and a beauty in this film that I can’t seem to find on other recent films, and that’s what brings it up so high, as much as a pastiche you want it to catalog as, you can’t deny that pull that has from the inside, something about our relationship with others, with those we love, those that both make us whole and at the same time limit us in our own impulses, as we are creatures of habit, and I’ve never felt so much that same pressure, from both sides, of having to comply to something that we may or may not be willing to deal with ourselves, but we do because we are in this state that we boringly and so commonly call love, yet it’s such a simple word that could be used for so many things that it doesn’t have any weight or sense anymore.
I’ve also felt with this movie the weight that these routines and acts have on the people that do them, not only because of how they could become repetitive (even though they are rituals, they are begging for change, and the breaking of the voice towards the end as this ritual is once again repeated is telling of this), yet there’s always a safe word, the safe word that is the proper and deep feeling, the sensation that the love we feel and give around is real, and that what we could do without it is very little.
We can hurt others when we feel betrayed, or we can hurt those who directly hurt us, which I think has never been more precisely made explicit than in this movie without any real hurting violence, and that is maybe the sanest thing that we can do, as bad as it sounds, but to hurt back and later forgive, because hurting those you love isn’t pretty and isn’t something that can be easily forgotten.
We must hurt to love again, I guess.
– Eisenstein in Guanajuato (2015, Peter Greenaway) **** I have to review this in Spanish for a media, so I’m just going to write down some thoughts:
· This dazzles in its first 15 minutes with its editing, outlandish acting, wonderful cinematography, and then it settles down with all these great elements and just makes some adjustments along the way. This is fine, but I kinda expected more?
· It’s maybe a bit literal in its central scene, but it’s also one of my favorite scenes of the year, as the rape of Europe becomes literal.
· Jesus, this movie has a terrific script, not in the way that it wants to present itself as a script with structure, but the actual words.
· There are a couple of things visually that I’ve never seen done before, so bravo.
– Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman (1958, Kenneth G. Crane. Ishiro Honda) *1/2 This is the worst case of cultural theft that I’ve ever seen put on film, where the Japanese actors are silenced by music or the voice over of Carradine. Still, Carradine’s voice makes it somewhat tolerable? I guess?
– Hellraiser (1987, Clive Barker) **** This time I noticed certain elements of editing that make this film’s editing quite… bad at times. But then along comes my realization that I’m maybe seeing this as someone who maybe has spent too much time editing and can’t realize that maybe another non-audiovisual grammar is put into effect here, but an actual writing grammar, which works in certain spots (as it doesn’t announce flashbacks in a clichéd way) and sometimes it doesn’t (working around shots that are badly framed or thought out makes this editing sore a bit).
– Diary of a Chambermaid (2015, Benoit Jacquot) ***1/2 Since I have to write a review of this film for somewhere else, I’ll just write some quick notes:
· This is the first version that I see of this story, and as a Buñuel fan I am a disappointment to everyone.
· Seydoux acts like a quick-quipping foul-mouthed maid that always has the necessary word and the insult, she is like the French Melissa McCarthy!
· Is the story this… anti-climatic?
– Kurama Tengu (1928, Teppei Yamaguchi) **** Like the Indiana Jones of early silent Japanese films, a big hero that is known in many parts and fights for the liberation and independence of Japan as a cultural object, has a lady by his side (that in this particular movie at times brings more important things than Kurama Tengu ever does), and a small kid that helps him and takes care of him due to his wit. It’s also almost insular in the way that it works compared to the other Kurama Tengu films, as they are intended as never-ending sequels that go forward in time and in action but don’t resolve conflicts from the past… like Indiana Jones or James Bond.
– When Marnie Was There (2014, Hiromasa Yonebayashi) **** Wonderful goodbye present from Ghibli to all of us. It’s not only quieter and more emotionally binding than more of the earlier classics of the studio, but also an approach to heavier and touchier subjects, something that Ghibli only now has managed to approach due to the changing times, in less-liked films but still wonderful and recommended for everyone. It still makes me sad to think that this might be their last movie, and even though its grounded in reality, it’s wonderful in the way that it explores the power of the mind and how it can work better than any fantasy that you can read or see around you. For creative people, I guess.
– Warning Shadows (1923, Arthur Robinson) **** One of the first straight-up self-reflective feature-length works about the impact of cinema and its craft and art. A nightmare came true through the shadows of the silver screen, a foreboding tale about the possible relation between cinema and madness.
– Spanglish (2004, James L. Brooks) ***1/2 “I’ve been sober for two weeks. No one has noticed”.
YEAH, BECAUSE IN THIS MOVIE NO ONE CARES ABOUT THE ONLY INTERESTING CHARACTER IN IT.
– Stand by Me (1986, Rob Reiner) **** Well, this was impressive for what it achieves in terms of child acting and how emotional it can amount to get, as the stories and the backgrounds of these characters become deeper with every second that the film spends with them, and in a sense the movie is just that: getting to know people like these, but I failed to have an emotional connection with what was going on, yet still I was thoroughly entertained and invested in what they were doing. Maybe, because I didn’t have friends like these, I really can’t have more connection than this one I have with the main character as some sort of chronicler that will note down every inch of his life and turn it into fiction.
That’s all, have a great week Sam!
Jaimie, this is an absolutely stunning report, even by your exceedingly high standards! You saw so many movies and were able to provide in-depth capsules at that! I still need to see THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, and hope to soon! I am a huge fan of Peter Greenaway and am very excited by your favorable response! You make some fascinating points there! I like HELLRAISER, but I’d agree it has some issues. I like previous work by Benoit Jaquot (mainly his opera) so am disappointed to hear CHAMBERMAID isn’t so great. WARNING SHADOWS is a near-masterpiece, SPANGLISH is poor, and STAND BY ME is as you note a solid four stars. Looks like I really must go out of my way to see WHEN MARCIE WAS THERE and definitely intrigued by the Yamaguchi, which I have not seen. Yes HALF HUMAN would make a good many “worst” lists! Have a great week my friend! Just a fabulous presentation here!
Sam — I saw the preview for MR. HOLMES and I’m chomping at the bit to see it. I can well imagine that Ian McKellen does a resounding job as an aged, retired Sherlock Holmes. And the idea of an unsolved case definitely piques my curiosity.
Laurie, I’d be most interested in knowing what you think of MR. HOMES. To be sure I love the character, and love a number of the films that focus on him. McKellen is a stupendous actor without a doubt. Have a great weekend my friend! Many thanks as always.
Hi, Sam
I’ve been pretty occupied with so many things and I wasn’t able to respond many of the online social interactions in past weeks.There’s a freelance work, which brings bread on the table, spending time on research for an article I’m supposed to write for the private magazine, and preparing for the screening event (“George Washington Slept Here (1942)”). You see, preparing Japanese subtitle for that Jack Benny movie was hell of a work. In any case, I can breathe some air, since all the chore is now over.
I am browsing through “Childhood/Adolescent Films Countdown” here at this site, and these articles are fascinating. I probabaly spend time reading more.
Thanks for the mention. I am planning more writing at my blog as well.
MI
MI—-
I know you have been busy, but with far more important matters for sure! I salute you on the miraculous translation of the Jack Benny film, which I read about at VERMILLION. And I’d love to read about that “George Washington Slept Here” screening event. Thanks so much for the very kind words about the running countdown! Looking forward to see your blog hopping again my friend! Thanks again!
Sam I hope this finds you with at least some relief from the hot temperatures and with a little break from your countdown responsibilities. You certainly deserve some down time!
I caught with just a couple of things this week. I finally saw the early Farrelly brothers’ film KINGPIN as a friend of mine kept telling me I needed to see it and I also was able to see Kiarostami’s LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE. The first I appreciated for what it was, although it’s not the type of thing I normally seek out. The Kiarostami on the other hand I really loved, not surprising as I consider him one of our very greatest working at the moment. I thought the Kiarostami was an incredible contrast to his eighties and nineties work in Iran. It reminded a little of Dreyer’s later work as well as Rossellini’s films with Bergman.
Hope you’re having a great week!
Thank you so much Jeffrey!!! Well, we’ve admittedly been baking her over the past weeks, but the last few days have been tolerable in comparison. Thanks so much the exceeding kind words my friend! I am not myself much for the Farrelly brothers, but like you I see them as harmless fun, and good at what they specialize in. Kiarostami’s LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE is masterful stuff I agree completely that is a sharp contrast from his Iranian work. Most interesting points bringing in Dreyer and Rossellini for comparison!! Hope and trust all is well, and as always am blown away by your incredible support and friendship!! Have a great week! 🙂