by Sam Juliano
The warmest December on record in the metropolitan area has resulted in a 70 degree Christmas and short sleeves for most, though the coming weeks are predicted to bring a semblance of what we’d normally expect. We are just a few days away from 2016, and some of us have been spending some of our time this past week playing catch up with the bevy of current releases in the movie theaters. Plenty of NFL action, but depressing if you are a Giants fan, though hopeful is a Jets supporter. Classical music and opera are being offered up in some fabulous interpretations in the coming months, and this writer will be in attendance for many. HD Opera broadcasts are aplenty in theaters beginning in mid-January.
The Caldecdott Medal Contender series continues in force, until around January 10th, the day before the awards are announced by the American Library Association. Twenty-four reviews have posted thus far with a projected ten more to go. I want to thank all the site regulars for attending these posts with vigor, and hereby acknowledge the incredible site statistics that have greeted each and every one. Facebook sharing has further increased the interest and response to the series, which is now in its third year at the site.
Lucille, the kids and I attended a quartet of movies in theaters this past week, with at least that many planned for the present seven-day period.
We saw:
Son of Saul **** 1/2 (Wednesday night) Film Forum
Joy *** (Friday night) Edgewater multiplex
The Hateful Eight **** 1/2 (Saturday night) Paramus multiplex
Youth **** 1/2 (Sunday night) Montclair Bow-Tie Cinemas
SON OF SAUL is an intense and visceral Hungarian Holocaust film that is simultaneously terrifying, relentless, grim and urgent. An electrifying debut for its first time director JOY is mediocre, but there are flashes of brilliance from Jennifer Lawrence, and a fair enough story of betrayal of injustice. Not much of a Craig O. Russell fan though. THE HATEFUL EIGHT was watched in Panavision 70 (first time that process was employed since 1965) in a roadshow version that included entrance music by Ennio Morricone and an intermission. Again, Quentin Tarantino’s dark humor abounded in a film that was as intimate as expansive and dominated by the Wyoming winter storm setting and a bizarre group of characters played by many in the director’s stock company. The various plot twists are largely effective. Paulo Sorrentino’s YOUTH is an elegiac, melancholic parade of indelible images and music, and it showcases amazing chemistry between Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel. There is some cynicism underlying it all, but again Sorrentino’s pays homage to his idol Fellini with a stirring, life-affirming experience.
Links will be updated for the next MMD. There is a holiday break this week:
At Noirish, the renowned writer John Grant has penned an excellent review on the 1942 “Swamp Angel”: https://noirencyclopedia.wordpress.com/2015/12/19/swamp-woman-1941/
At FilmsNoir.net Tony d’Ambra has added an electrifying capsule framing of Manhattan in his latest post on “Manhattan Transfer”: http://filmsnoir.net/film_noir/the-noir-city-manhattan-transfer-1925.html/
At Patricia’s Wisdom our tenaciously talented proprietor Pat Hamilton has written another superb book review, this time on the murder mystery “Fixed in Fear”: http://patriciaswisdom.com/2015/12/fixed-in-fear-a-justice-novel-5-t-e-woods/
Stephen Mullen has penned a terrific pre-Christmas Top 10 musical round-up at The Listening Ear: http://listeningear.blogspot.com/2015/12/friday-2015-random-ten.html
Debbie Reese has posted a brilliant, albeit ‘not recommend’ appraisal of Danielle Daniel’s “Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox” at American Indians in Children’s Literature: https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2015/12/sometimes-i-feel-like-fox-by-danielle.html
At De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books For Children Beverly Slapin has published a fascinating analysis of the book “That’s Not Fair! Emma Tenayuca’s Struggle For Justice”: http://decoloresreviews.blogspot.com/2015/11/thats-not-fair-emma-tenayucas-struggle.html
At Ferdy-on-Films Roderick Heath has penned an impassioned takedown of the new “Star Wars” movie: http://www.ferdyonfilms.com/2015/star-wars-episode-vii-the-force-awakens-2015/26723/
Joel Bocko has published a superlative dual review Lynch’s “Mulholland Drive” and Rivette’s “Celine and Julie Go Boating” at I Lost It At the Movies: http://thedancingimage.blogspot.com/2015/12/mulholland-drive-celine-and-julie-go.html
Jamie Uhler offers up a marvelous scholarly piece in his “Songs I Love” series at Attractive Variance with a dissection of the novelty song “War Canoe”: https://attractivevariance.wordpress.com/2015/12/07/songs-i-love-war-canoe/
At Mondo 70 Samuel Wilson has written an excellent review on the documentary “The Best of Enemies”: http://mondo70.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-best-of-enemies-2015.html
At It Rains…….You Get Wet Robert Tower offers up a fabulous “Books to Movies” poll, this is essential for film lovers: http://le0pard13.com/2015/12/02/on-the-lookout-for-books-and-movies-poll-2016/
At Filmacability Dean Treadway has offered up a brilliantly authoritative examination of the year 1966 in the cinema: http://filmicability.blogspot.com/2015/11/1966-year-in-review.html
At Tuesdays with Laurie our great friend Laurie Buchanan has offered up another soulful query in her fabulous post “Into the Deep”: http://tuesdayswithlaurie.com/2015/12/15/into-the-deep/
At Overlook’s Corridor Jaimie Grijalba has concluded another magnificent Horror Madness countdown, concluding in grand fashion with the 1952 Finnish film “Valkoinen Peura”: https://overlookhotelfilm.wordpress.com/2015/10/31/october-overlook-madness-31-valkoinen-peura-1952/
At Movie Classics, Judy Geater has penned a definitive treatment of a relatively obscure 1951 Frank Sinatra starrer, 1951’s “Meet Danny Wilson.”: https://movieclassics.wordpress.com/2015/12/12/meet-danny-wilson-joseph-pevney-1951/
David Schleicher is none-too-impressed with the new Star Wars re-boot, and he says as much superbly at The Scheicher Spin: http://theschleicherspin.com/2015/12/19/the-force-awakens-but-i-think-ill-go-back-to-sleep
Our longtime friend the film maker and movie lover extraordinaire Jeffrey Goodman has posted the thirty-first four film roundup at The Last Lullaby, one that includes a Maurice Pialat film: http://cahierspositif.blogspot.com/2015/11/favorite-four-part-thirty-one.html
J. D. Lafrance has penned a marvelous review on the 1933 classic “King Kong” at Radiator Heaven: http://rheaven.blogspot.com/2015/12/king-kong.html
Shubhajit Lahiri has penned an excellent review of Wim Wenders’ 1975 “Wrong Move” at Cinemascope: http://cliched-monologues.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-wrong-move-1975.htm
Terrill Welch’s incomparably beautiful Creative Potager blogsite leads up with “Mystery of the Ordinary in the Japanese Garden on Mayne Island”:http://creativepotager.com/2015/11/26/mystery-of-the-ordinary-in-the-japanese-garden-on-mayne-island/
Sachin Gandhi has penned a terrific review on the Brazilian “She Comes Back on Thursday” at Scribbles and Ramblings: http://likhna.blogspot.com/2015/10/she-comes-back-on-thursday.html
At Enic-Cine, our good friend Murderous Ink in Tokyo has written yet another fabulous piece of scholarship – the third part of “Ozu, Pickles and Rice Bran”: http://www.enic-cine.net/ozu-pickles-and-rice-bran-part-3/
At The Seventh Art the exceedingly gifted writer Srikanth offers up reviews on two Hindi films under the banner grouping titled “Love in the Time of Gonorrhea”: http://theseventhart.info/2015/08/02/love-in-the-time-of
Sam, you were lucky to see The Hateful Eight in that Panavision format. I think in a few days they will be showing it in the normal wide screen ratio. I’ve heard some great things about the film.
Happy New Year to you, Lucille and the family!
Frank, I think the roadshow version is running for a few more days before the film moves to normal digital screenings. As always there are some anti-Tarantino people out there, but THE HATEFUL EIGHT is irresistible as raucous entertainment. Happy New Year’s to you all my friend!
I agree with Frank. You were lucky to see it in that format. I’ve heard great things about Son of Saul and can’t wait to see it. I’m something between Come and See and The Pianist. Youth is also one I want to see, even though it took me three viewings to detach The Great Beauty from Fellini and appreciate it on its own merit.
Things continue to go well here. Transitioned to a cane this weekend ahead of schedule and should be walking in a couple weeks.
Oh, and you could have given 1/2 a star and I’d still be seeing Youth because of that poster. (Hides)
Same here.
Aaron, that is a very good way to frame SON OF SAUL as a Come and See/The Pianist hybrid. I can see why it took some time to detach THE GREAT BEAUTY for Fellini and in some measure you may have to avail yourself of some of that time for YOUTH as well. Most importantly is your continued recovery! Being ahead of schedule is utterly fantastic. here’s to the best year ever for you and Andrea in 2016 my friend!
Sam — Having seen the movie trailer for YOUTH, your 4.5 stars was the tipping point. We’re definitely going to see it!
Laurie, it is a remarkable work, one that I’m sure you will find rapturous. Happy New Year’s to you and Len, both great friends!
Sam, here in Florida its been just plain hot! Even by Florida standards. We have been breaking records most days during the past week with highs in the mid-80’s and more. Crazy!!!
On the movie front I saw the following…
The Big Short (****) Scathingly and blistering attack on big banks, big corporations and the gov’t. How their greed and stupidity caused the Great Recession of 2008 and how we the public are still paying for it.
Concussion (***1/2) Will Smith’s strong performance is the power point in this film that ends on a disappointing note. Definitely worth seeing especially if you have a child who plays football. Don’t think the NFL will be inviting Smith or the filmmakers to this year’s super bowl.
Joy (***) There’s a good story in the tale of Joy Mangano. Unfortunately the film David O. Russell made is not it. I have liked most of Russell’s films, but other than some fine performances by Jennifer Lawrence, who may be the best young actress working in Hollywood today, and Robert De Niro this was a disappointment.
Listen to me Marlon (****1/2) Riveting documentary using hundreds of hours of personal tapes Brando recorded. This is very much an autobiography, Brando on Brando discussing his personal life as well as his art. A must see.
Also re-watched a few films…
Forty Guns (****)
Miracle on 34th Street (*****) on the big screen.
Remember the Night (****)
Have a great week my friend and a happy and healthy new year!!!
So sorry for the later than usual response John! The Caldecott series with still one week to go has been really getting the better of me. Ha! Well it does look like you’ve been busy on the movie front. I really loved LISTEN TO ME MARLON, and do consider it one of the best documentaries of the year! It has a shot at my year-end Ten Best list. As far as both THE BIG SHORT, which I saw on Monday night and JOY, my ratings are EXACTLY the same as yours! JOY only has eh performances indeed. I love all three of your reviewings especially MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET and REMEMBER THE NIGHT. Thanks so much for the great round-up!
Many thanks for the shoutout, Sam! I trust you and yours had a grand Christmas, and will have an equally grand 2016.
We watched a few good movies over the Christmas Eve/Christmas/Boxing Day period, and for once I’ll give them stars:
Detective Kitty O’Day (1944) **** (great tripe)
Adventures of Kitty O’Day (1945) ** (disappointing sequel)
Noll Tolerans (1999) **** (jolly good Scandinoir)
Wild Target (2010) ****1/2 (huge fun, remake of a French movie that I’m now of course passionate to see!)
Probing the Dark Sector with Euclid (2013) **** (grabbed off YouTube, a href=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxQ4ClYMrdg”>fascinating lecture on dark matter by Jason Rhodes of JPL)
Night Train to Lisbon (2013) *****
The last of these, a very literary piece, was widely despised by the critics on release but is possibly my favorite of all the movies I watched in 2015. Oddly enough, the big majority of the reviewers on IMDB likewise rate it very highly, and usually for intelligently argued reasons (rather than the usual IMDB “you can see her tits” reason).
Let’s try this again:
Probing the Dark Sector with Euclid (2013) **** (grabbed off YouTube, a href=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxQ4ClYMrdg”>fascinating lecture on dark matter by Jason Rhodes of JPL)
And again:
Probing the Dark Sector with Euclid (2013) **** (grabbed off YouTube, href=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxQ4ClYMrdg”>a fascinating lecture on dark matter by Jason Rhodes of JPL)
Maddeningly, WordPress is “correcting” my coding. Sorry ’bout this.
John, WP has driven me crazy more than enough times too, but you have finally succeeded here. 🙂
Happy New Year to you and Pam, my friend! Nice to see those star ratings. Looks like NIGHT TRAIN TO LISBON is the most touted of the bunch, but several others are coming highly recommended. I still need to see it, but now with an added measure of urgency, Wild Target and Neil Tolerans seem well worth seeing as well. Thanks for another year of blissful movie and literary immersion my friend!
Hey Sam. We had a fine Christmas and I hope you did as well. Cold weather is finally upon us and we’ve been hit by ice and snow today so I stayed home from work. It’s supposed to be cold for the following week or so. Wow lots of great films you’ve just seen. Hope I can get to them sooner than later. I’m actually quite looking forward to the Tarantino flick. I have a good feeling about this one. Wish I could see it in the format you did, but will have to settle for something not quite as expansive I would think. Son of Saul looks quite impressive as well. Not surprised that Joy is middle of the road.
Sad to see the passing of the great Haskell Wexler. Surely one of the great talents in all of cinematography. Medium Cool is also one of my very favorite films.
Speaking of cinematography and impressive films, have you seen Hard to Be a God by Aleksei German? Just saw it yesterday. Astounding work and makes everything else look rather status quo in comparison. Surely it’s a work of great power and is a mirror held up to society. I’m seeing some place it on top 10 lists for 2015 as it was released in the US this year. If that’s the case, it surely deserves recognition on year end lists, however it’s technically a 2013 release.
Here’s wishing you a happy new year Sam to you and your family!
Jon, let’s see what you make of THE HATEFUL EIGHT. I loved it, but I know some others who largely did not. Then I know some who were over the moon on it. I did indeed hear the sad news of Hakell Wexler’s passing. He certainly made his mark. Ah, now ain’t that bad luck as far as HARD TO BE A GOD is concerned? I hated it, and said as much on a past MMD after I had seen it earlier this year at the Anthology Film Archives in Manhattan. I love the genre, but I saw this an endless dance in the mud, repetitious, tedious, torturous, you get the picture. But there are fans in the critical ranks for sure, and I would think at some point I’ve give it another go.
Great to hear you had a fab Christmas! Happy New Year’s to you and the family Jon! Hope to be comparing notes soon.
We’re on the same page with ‘The Hateful Eight’, Sammy. Got a chance to catch the road show edition (70mm, prologue & intermission) with the American Cinematheque L.A. Looking forward to seeing ‘Youth’, as well (and that may well be my favorite poster of the year). Once again, many thanks for the linkage and kind words, my friend. Here’s wishing you an upcoming Happy New Year, my friend. 🙂
Robert, thanks so much for the fabulous comment. Great to hear we are thinking in the same terms on THE HATEFUL EIGHT, which was quite the entertaining epic, enhanced by that amazing presentation! A Happy New Year to you and yours, and here’s to a great 2016!
It was great to gather family to see JOY and go to the theater as part of our celebration. It was just right for our mixed crew and overall everyone liked it and promoted a good discussion over lunch. I want to see YOUTH…I do not know if it coming here and discovered Woman in a Van is not coming here – maybe the film society will get a showing in later?
Actually with so much rain we are getting lots of snow and so cross-country skiing was high on the list of our group and they had to hunt to find open roads as the passes were closed due to an avalanche, power lines down and a truck car fatal accident.
Ah how can it be a new year!
Caldicott reviews still great and I can hardly wait to hear the winners. Thank you for such good reviews.
Don’t think Hateful 8 will be on my list
Happy New Year to all.
Patricia–Happy to hear you liked JOY so much. I’m pretty certain you will love LADY IN A VAN and YOUTH. They are the kind of films that will be offered in the art houses, so not sure if you’ll get then sad to say. But you may. Amazing that you are getting so much rain and snow, when we are getting neither in what must be one of the mildest winters on record for us. The things that happened by you are quite disturbing. Yes, very hard to believe it is a New Year! Your support for the Caldecott series has been incredible, and I can never thank you enough for that! The winners will be announced on Monday, January 11th, next week. As always there will be the gold winner and how many silvers (honors) they see fit. Happy New Year my friend and many thanks! I can never thank you enough in fact.
Hello Sam and everyone!
Hoping that you had a wonderful Christmas and that you did enjoy all the films you saw, I personally can’t wait for the Tarantino, as it opens next week here. I sadly won’t ever be able to catch it on 70mm but whatever I guess.
Here are the movies I saw last week:
– Carol (2015, Todd Haynes) **** I need to watch this movie again, on a big screen, with good sound and image, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to do that for the longest time in my life. So, take this rating as supplemental.
– Cosmos (2015, Andrzej Zulawski) **** I absolutely adored the energy and pace that this movie had, how it followed the mindset of its protagonist from the start. I don’t stand with those that say that this one has lightweight or no plot, as this one has a clear structure, and it does follow the novel in which its based quite closely. The fact that the films throws around a party-like sentiment when it goes to the countryside and strives for a hang-out feel that still seems completely different from the rest of the movie, is when the plot seems to not matter that much, as much as the beautiful and weird imagery that the director can manage to conjure in the screen. This might be a mess to some, and maybe a bit too self-referential regarding the act of creation, but to me it was just what I needed.
– Die Hard (1988, John McTiernan) ***** I know how lazy I sound when I watch this movie today and when I hail it as a masterpiece, but hell, I think we can all rest easy by saying this is the best American action movie ever made.
– Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore (1999, Mark Leckey) ***1/2 The Evolution of Dance.
– In the Heart of the Sea (2015, Ron Howard) ***1/2 Completely uninteresting to me. Which is weird coming from someone who considers ‘Master and Commander’ as one of the best films of the past decade, but I am truly nonplussed by anything that happens here, mostly because I was never engaged in the characters. Peter Weir has a flair, a distinct way in which he makes you immediately fall in love with anyone on screen, and so I was feeling the struggles and the fight in every second of that glorious movie. On the other hand, this is just a well made picture, technically proficient and at times interesting in the way that its shot, edited and cinematography, but not a thing that happens here is engaging in the most simple level besides the “oh shit, are they gonna survive or not” way, mainly because it also shies away visually from the more gruesome parts of the story.
– Message of Greetings: Prix suisse / My Thanks / Dead or Alive (2015, Jean-Luc Godard) ***1/2 I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.
– Rocky II (1979, Sylvester Stallone) ***1/2 Like seeing a co-worker that you found nice and that did something really good for you at your work place, but then he went on to what he said was a better job and you just find it in the street one day doing what is evidently an inferior job, not a bad one, just not the one that you thought that he was going to be doing, the reason why he left your job in the first place. And it’s just awkward, and you stare at him silently, and he blankly stares back at you and then smiles and you speak a little about what he’s doing and then you understand that he’s happy no matter what he’s doing, and you just wish that you got what he’s doing and why he’s doing it and how he is so happy.
– Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015, J.J. Abrams) **** Will obviously rewatch down the road, but in the meantime this is maybe the best that we could expect from everyone involved in this. I don’t see this becoming as emotionally turning and involving as the original trilogy is, or even as episode III turned out to be to me, but it can come close specially as it approaches it ending scenes. What it isn’t is boring or devoid of any kind of value, as I think this truly manages to create something new on top of the history and lore and myth that is created. Kylo Ren is maybe the most interesting character in this entire film and one that was teased enough for it to continue being one of the most impressive elements of what will be this new trilogy. On the other hand, I just can’t be kind enough about how much Harrison Ford in Han Solo mode we finally got, and that’s a lot, much more than I could ever expect.
That’s all, have a great New year’s eve, have a great time!
Happy New Year Jaimie!!
Sorry for the late response, but I have been overwhelmed by the picture book series that will run for one more week. The Tarantino was nice in 70mm, but most of it was filmed indoors, so it is not essential to see it that way. Looking forward to your response! I do rate CAROL at 5 stars (one of the best pictures of the year for me) and hope you get to that second viewing. I also rate the STAR WARS movie at 4/5. Not a truly great movie at all, but quite nicely done all things considered. Wasn’t a big ROCKY II fan. Didn’t even know about that Godard film to be honest. Yes DIE HARD is as great as you say it is, and like you as to Ron Howard, thanks but no thanks.
Happy New Yer my ever resilient friend!
Happy Holidays, Sam! I am eager to see a number of the films you saw this week but have yet to make it to the theater. I will though, very soon.
This week I did manage to see AMY, the documentary. I was a fan of SENNA, the director’s previous work, and thought he did an admirable job this time as well. I felt for Winehouse and definitely gained a new appreciation for her remarkable voice and lyrical talents.
Jeffrey, I am presently seeing and planning another bunch for this coming week. Last night I saw the extraordinary 45 YEARS with Tom Courtenay and Charlotte Rambling. I liked AMY quite a bit and am very happy to read your glowing and thoughtful appraisal. Yes she was an amazing talent, gone way too soon. My oldest daughter is a huge fan. Happy New Year to you and the family my remarkable friend!
Sam, it is amazing what you are doing with films and books at the same time. Just placed comments under your latest review. Quite a series you’ve accomplished. I want to wish you and your family a very Happy New Year in 2016.
Thanks so much Tim. I appreciate all the comments you have left on the Caldecott series, and thank you so much for the kind words. Happy New Year to you and yours my friend!
I am really looking forward to Youth and The Hateful Eight. And also, The Revenant.
Happy New Year to you, the family, and all those at Wonders in the Dark!
And a Happy New Year to you and Sue, Peter! Look forward to comparing notes with you on THE HATEFUL EIGHT and YOUTH. Will be seeing THE REVENANT on Saturday night. Thanks so much for all the comments today my friend.