by Sam Juliano
The deadline for science fiction countdown ballots is June 15th. I will be sending out my own list this week, and have been assured by others that they will be following suit. I will be sending out reminders to the e mail chain tomorrow, and also encourage any readers at the site who are interested to forward a Top 50 to me at your convenience.
Another incredible week for the record books included a three-day trip to the nation’s capital. This is the fifth year in a row I made the annual Lincoln school pilgrimage to a bunch of memorials, Arlington National Cemetery, the Pentagon, Ford’s Theater, several Smithsonian museums and other sites, and my 8th grade son Jeremy and teaching colleague and friend Broadway Bob were aboard for the trek. For the most part the weather was overcast and temperatures hovered around 70, making this an especially comfortable venture.
Lucille and I attended two fabulous musical events over the weekend. The Choral Arts Society of New Jersey presented “Songs of the Sea,” which included works by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Beethoven, and Benjamin Britten, and at the Players Guild of Leonia, a program titled “The Memory Lingers On” featured the songbook of American songwriting icon Irving Berlin. Both shows were sublime and spirited and will be separately reviewed.
I also managed some DVD viewings at home of Japanese classics and the Czech film IKARIE, a science fiction film masterwork that will surely make my countdown list in a lofty position.
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Writers/Founders
Wonders in the Dark 
Another week of all over the map activity. I don’t know how you guys do it. And I know how much walking that D.C. trip entails. Too much. I’d love to have joined you for the Choral Art concert and Irving Berlin revue.
An amazing week for sure Frank. I’d love to have had you with us!
Sam, I hope to have my ballot completed by the weekend.
Thanks much Ricky!
Hello Sam and everyone! What a fruitful week! I hope that you have a wonderful one this time. Here are the movies I saw last week:
– Calendar (1993, Atom Egoyan) **** I might’ve rated this way too low about four or five months ago. I’ll leave it at that.
– Documenteur (1981, Agnés Varda) **** Barely over an hour long, this film makes a case for the idea of how the blend of documentary and fiction is the only real cinema that should be made, and that everything else should be dropped and be thrown to the garbage. Real locations, real people, real actions, some direction, some dialogue here and there written, but not much, and there you have it: Cinema.
– The Foundation (2015, Patrick Staff) ***1/2 Strange, hypnotic, weird, disjointed.
– My Big Night (2015, Álex de la Iglesia) **** Riotus, tightly edited, choreographically impressive (in both dance and mise-en-scene) and above everything else: FUN. Obviously not every story in this ensemble cast is as interesting or as fun as the rest, but it surely makes every scene memorable in a strange and cinematic way, where every scene builds something that has a pay-off towards the end. Every character is a satirical construction, and the cake goes to Raphael who interprets his alter ego Alphonso in such a way that makes him both self-deprecating and self-agrandizing at the same time. Wonderful.
– Nude for Satan (1974, Luigi Batzella) **1/2 Sure, when the scenes that aren’t about or surrounding sex are more worthwhile than the supposed selling point of your porn film, you’re doing something interesting and talented, but you still have to sit through endless, repetitive and unsexy sex scenes to achieve the madness that seems to be a blind chase in which the camera tries every zoom, filter and technique available at the time. It becomes a sort of musical composition when the focus ring is used so much, you can almost hear the cranky machines squeaking and making noises while trying to have some fun in this boring porno.
– Films to Keep You Awake: The Baby’s Room (2006, Álex de la Iglesia) ***1/2 You can tell that this was mostly a ‘work for hire’ thing for Álex de la Iglesia, as it’s mostly played straight and with many used beats and even stock sound effects and music, mostly due to what I imagine are limitations of budget (as this was a collection of films done by many genre directors of Spain). But this still shows his style as it approaches the end and decides to make the violence between friends something relevant and visually spectacular. The horror elements aren’t fully explained, and the prologue honestly doesn’t make much sense, but it’s still a compelling watch.
– The Spiral Staircase (1945, Robert Siodmak) ***1/2 Impressive in terms of how much time it can spend following a silent protagonist and how it plays with the shadows and shapes and the figures of the people and how their shadows stretch from one place to the next. Oh, and there’s also a plot. A murder plot. There’s a killer apparently, and it has some weird motivations. And it uses gloves. Oh, and sees people, the shot of the eyes are amazing! What was I saying? Oh, yes, the cinematography is great.
That’s all! Have a great week everyone!
As always Jaimie, many thanks for the fabulous weekly report! On this end we are having yet another reasonably busy seven day period. Of teh films you discuss here, I have actually only seen Robert Siodmak’s THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE, which is a long time favorite of mine. Many consider it the best film ever made set in a raging rainstorm, and I’d be hard pressed to argue. A very interesting noir and horror hybrid, and Ethel Barrymore is a hoot in her hammy role. It certainly is clear early on who is responsible -much like Val Lewton’s THE LEOPARD MAN- but the film boasts shadowy interiors, rain-swept streets and close-ups of human eyes with great effect. Another highlight is the murder sequence in a room above the nickelodeon. Dorothy McGuire is excellent as the girl who can’t speak who is stalked by the killer. Of your other viewings I’d really like to see THE BIG NIGHT.
Once again your comments make me wish I had had a long visit in Washington DC when I was living in New Jersey and NYC. Just going through on the train was not enough. We still think about a trip East, maybe when the roof is done and I can travel again. We watched Michael Moore’s new film and thought it was so good – made me want more Bernie ideas right away. What if Trump were elected? I can hardly wrap my head around it – and he seems to have embolden more of the crazy folks to run for office locally. I just find it hard to go there.
Hope you have a good weekend ahead and sunny skies
Patricia, I’d love to be able to meet up with you if you manage a trip back East. But coast to coast is certainly a daunting proposition these days. I still need to see the new Michael Moore film actually, and appreciate that appreciable feedback. I don’t see Trump getting elected, even if he has dumbfounded the pundits right along. I predicted around Christmas he would win the Republican nomination, but beyond that I have not gone yet. But I certainly do hear you loud and clear my friend. I trust you are having a nice weekend.
Health problems have slowed me down quite a bit these past several months but I’ve just about finished putting together some thoughts on last year’s best films. As for the science fiction countdown, I’ve got a list I’ve been working on. I’m still working out the placements but it should be ready soon.
And, Sam, it’s great to see that you and your family are all doing well and that you’re just as active as ever. I always enjoy hearing about your adventures, film related or otherwise.
I did manage to see a few things in the theater recently.
— Everybody Wants Some (****)
— Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (***)
— Midnight Special (***)
— The Jungle Book (***)
— 10 Cloverfield Lane (***)
Duane, I am so sorry you have had to battle some health issues, and my thoughts are with you for a hitchless recovery. I am thinking of you my friend. As to our activities, this is always a busy time of the year,though it seems the past few weeks have been over the top. I must appreciate your very kind words. I have seen the last three of the five you mention, and liked MIDNIGHT SPECIAL best. As far as THE JUNGLE BOOK I did think it was well done. Thanks again, feel better.
Sam, hope you’re doing great. Sounds like you had another fantastic trip to DC which sounds really, really wonderful.
Still pretty quiet here in terms of viewings. This week I only managed the doc, Best of Enemies, and finally caught with last year’s The Big Short. I thought the doc was pretty interesting, not being entirely aware of the Vidal/Buckley debates, and the McKay film I found somewhat entertaining even if its aspirations probably never really rose about just that.
Thanks a bundle for that Jeffrey! Much appreciated as always my friend! I agree with you on THE BIG SHORT, which I personally found middling. I never saw BEST OF ENEMIES unfortunately, but will investigate. With the onset of summer, movies do usually take a more central position. Have a fabulous Memorial Day weekend!