CINEMA FIST

TELEVISION PILOT

2012-02-24T01:40:00.004-06:00

Wrote this "treatment" for a TV pilot when I was 18-years-old. I think the title was a take on the old "Take my wife" bit.

And yes, I did create that wonderful sketch at the bottom.

THOSE AREN'T PILLOWS

2011-11-23T12:06:00.003-06:00

THE PINK ELEPHANT

2011-11-23T03:08:00.003-06:00

Just watched TAKEN and I'm glad to see Liam Neeson beating people up again. Before I saw him in SCHINDLER'S LIST and ROB ROY (where I guess he did beat people up) I saw him in DARKMAN, a movie that is near and dear to my heart.

If only more people would share my love for this film. If only....

PATHS OF GLORY

2011-05-08T15:50:00.000-05:00

The state of the action scene has become so derivative and stale. What ever happened to building tension in ways other than shaking the camera and cutting really really fast?

SMOOTH FACED WEIRDOS AKA HOLLYWOOD ONE SHEET POSTER HEADS

2010-12-09T16:33:00.000-06:00

Why doesn't Hollywood want us to think that actors are human?

i(want JOHN'S)PHONE

2010-11-14T02:08:00.000-06:00

I'm a bit addicted to my iPhone. It does everything for me. Wakes me up in the morning. Tells me the weather. Gives my the daily news. Tells me where and when I have to be somewhere. Keeps me occupied with 100's of hours of games, movies and music. Takes photographs and video. Edits photographs and video. Displays photographs and video. Keeps me connected with social media and allows me to check all of my 10 email addresses I've acquired over the years.

Sounds like a wonder gadget when you put it into words like that. Something out of science fiction.

Enter, John's Phone.

A cellphone that doesn't do anything but make phone calls. It stores its numbers in a small door on the back, on a NOTEPAD. It has 10 digit speed dial and a small display on top to see what number you're calling. That's it.

I LOVE the square design of the phone and the simplicity behind it. It looks a bit like a toy, but also something that Dieter Rams could have designed. It certainly follows his aesthetic.

"Weniger, aber besser" (Less, but better)

The idea of keeping a physical notepad on the back for your contacts doesn't seem in line with "The World's Simplest Cell Phone" header on their website, but I get what they're going for, even if it is is a bit of a gimmick.

Obviously, I would never give up a piece of tech like the iPhone for something only a PBR swilling Billyburg hipster would use to be ironic, but that's what happens when you have tech lust.

You see it. You want it.

johnsphone.com

BRINGING OUT THE DEAD (1999)

2010-11-11T14:27:00.000-06:00

I don't understand it. How do people not love BRINGING OUT THE DEAD? It's got all the things that make Scorsese films great. Incredible cinematography, frantic editing, rock/pop music, seedy New York streets.

I'm in amazement each time I hear someone say they don't like this film. Even die hard Scorsese fans look down their nose at it. They must not realize that it's one of his top 5 greatest pictures, on par with TAXI DRIVER, GOODFELLAS, RAGING BULL & AFTER HOURS (another overlooked classic).

Don't even get me started on those jerks who don't like Nicholas Cage. Let me go on record right now. One of the finest of our time.

ONE OF THE FINEST OF OUR TIME. A lot of you will think I'm being ridiculous by writing this, some may think I'm joking, but that's because they don't understand movies. Cage is perfect in this role. A career defining character. The sunken eyed, grief stricken paramedic.

Behold these gorgeous screenshots of Robert Richardson's photography. The only problem with looking at this film in screenshots is that we don't get to see the wonders of Schoomaker's editing.

If you haven't seen this before, watch it ASAP. If you're one of those doofuses that doesn't like it, give it another shot. I'll admit, I didn't like it the first time I saw it either.

Now it's one of my absolute favorite films.

LUJON

2010-11-10T16:57:00.000-06:00

You will most likely know this song from THE BIG LEBOWSKI or SEXY BEAST or the lesser seen, but almost as excellent film TWO LOVERS.

It was originally written for a TV show called Mr. Lucky which I haven't seen.

Either way, listen to it, and feel like you're floating on a cloud. It's one of Henry Mancini's greatest works, and according to this album cover, he's extremely versatile.

CONAN

2010-11-09T11:39:00.000-06:00

After seeing Conan's TBS debut last night, I feel at ease.

For a few months there I thought the show would be taking on a more modern direction. Would he ditch the suit, the classic styled jazz band, the desk? But it seems that the only real change is his beard, an unshaven fuck you to the network run clean cuts we've seen after our local news for years.

See, Conan's show has always been so zany, I think these staples of the "late night talk show," while being cliche, are necessary. It gives us viewers a format we're familiar with, and throws in things like masturbating bears and traveling salesmen.

I can't recall the last time a talk show didn't have the backdrop of a city behind the host, but this ocean view on TBS is a pleasant change. Plus his orange hair is a natural opposite to blue on the color wheel! You know they thought about this. Just look at how often he wears blue shirts.

I was a supporter of Conan as the host of the Tonight Show, but I think now he may feel more at home with this smaller format. He's like the Roger Corman of talk show hosts. I'm not sure who said this, and I'm sure it was said in a more eloquent way, but I think this quote applies:

"The greatest adversary of creativity is no limitations."

I'm just hoping they bring back the Pimp Bot 5000. After all, he DOES live in LA.

IT'S LIKE, MY OPINION MAN

2010-11-08T06:35:00.000-06:00

This weekend the Chicago Podcast Filmspotting held a special event at Cascade Drive-In. We were graced with a warmer than usual day and took in two films. THE LONG GOODBYE & THE BIG LEBOWSKI.

I had never seen THE LONG GOODBYE before and I was surprised at how much I liked it. The film's photography by Vilmos Zsigmond alone is worth a watch. Beautiful Cinemascope with what seemed to be nothing but natural light. Elliott Gould gives a strong performance as Marlowe, down on his luck and confused, always with a cigarette in his mouth and a tie half undone. He's every bit as good as Bogey, Powell & Mitchum's take on the character, in his own way of course. (I must disclose that I've never read any of the books and I've got no idea how Marlowe is "supposed" to be played).

As for THE BIG LEBOWSKI, there's nothing more that needs to be said about that film that hasn't already been said. Great performances. Great Deakin's photography. If you haven't seen it, you should. It's one of the best films of the 90's and a close 2nd to FARGO for my favorite Coen brothers film.

But you know, that's just like my opinion man.

CINEMA MOMENTS: TAXI DRIVER

2010-11-05T05:43:00.000-05:00

1:48-1:50 is the reason this movie ranks among the greatest of all time.
(Forgive the aspect ratio problem)

GENERATION LOSS

2010-06-05T12:44:00.000-05:00

From Cinemassacre :

Have you ever wondered how many times a VHS tape can be copied before the quality gets so bad, you can’t even tell what it is anymore? I actually tried this experiment back in 2002 when I had a little too much extra time on my hands. Using two VHS tapes, I copied the footage back and forth until it deteriorated beyond being watchable. If you’re bored enough, check it out.

via PetaPixel

A BETTER ENDING TO "DUEL"

2010-05-12T17:59:00.000-05:00

UWE BOLL: HOLLYWOOD GENIUS

2010-05-10T02:19:00.000-05:00

An old video that I watch now and again because it makes me laugh very, very hard.

For the record, I like George Clooney....

ORSON WELLES & DICK CAVETT: TELEVISION AIN'T LIKE THIS ANYMORE

2010-04-30T03:16:00.000-05:00

THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT DON'T CARE ABOUT SPACE...

2010-04-30T02:25:00.000-05:00

...and they are called idiots.

Apollo 11 Saturn V Launch (HD) Camera E-8 from Mark Gray on Vimeo.

From PetaPixel

PHOTOGRAPHING MOVIES, MY LOVE MY NIGHTMARE

2010-04-27T15:10:00.000-05:00

I'm shooting a feature film for my friend Mr. Jon Szwajkowski. It is very low budget. One location. Small crew. Practical lighting. And we're shooting on a DSLR.

Sometimes when I see photographs of real film sets I get jealous of their fancy cameras and say to myself, that's why my movies don't look as good!

But then I see pictures like this one of Stanley Kubrick (possibly the greatest image maker in the history of film).

And I feel like this...

I always hear, it isn't the camera, it's the photographer. I suppose I should just make do with what I have.

FAKE HORROR MOVIE POSTERS: PART I

2010-03-19T18:07:00.010-05:00

My friend Al Perez and I have been going back and forth making fake horror movie posters. I must credit him with starting this activity and apparently he's been doing it for years. His are better than mine, but I believe I'm getting better. Here is the first batch, displayed here in the order in which they were created, for your viewing pleasure. All were made using Pages '09.

THE FACE OF DOOM HAS THREE EYES

For my first attempt, I went for a "DVD cover of a Lucio Fulci movie" look. I think it turned out okay.

THE DEAD EAT THE LIVING

My worst effort. You can't even read the title. What a pile.

FANTASMO

Al has a bad habit of erasing all his posters before saving. This is the first one I got him to send me, and it is brilliant! Looks kind of like a Criterion Collection cover.

DEATH IS A WOMAN... AND SHE'LL EAT YOUR SOUL

Another bad effort on my part. I like the swirly letters for the second half of the title (I achieved this effect by minimizing the Pages window and freezing it mid-minimize. This is a small hack I learned from fellow co-worker Kevin Kiley) but overall this is lacking.

FANTASMO (Alternate)

Al's second attempt at the the FANTASMO poster. This I think tops the first. It does make it feel less like a movie about bondage and more like Mario Bava's DANGER DIABOLIK, but that's a good thing. His best poster to date.

EVIL WEARS A YELLOW JACKET!

My latest try and easily my best. I finally realized I have to download cooler fonts.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE....

or send your own to

cinemafist@gmail.com

KUBRICK & CLARKE ON THE iPAD

2010-02-15T02:46:00.009-06:00

Here is an excerpt from an interview done with Kubrick's assisstant, Tony Frewin, in reference to his never made film NAPOLEON. In it they discuss Kubrick's obsession with new and better technologies...
-------------------------
Q: Was he enthusiastic about new technology in that area?

"Oh absolutely, from the word go. He used to say anything that saved time was worth its weight in gold. The rest of us were sort of luddites, but he wasn’t. In 1980 he bought us all IBM green screens. These were the first PCs that were generally available, little 12″ screens. You didn’t even have a hard drive, you had two floppies. And Stanley said, “This is the future, this is what we’ll be using.” And I told him, “No, I like to type something and take out the piece of paper and see what’s on it,” and he said, “No, listen, you’ve got to get rid of that, this is the future, it’s arrived now.” He wasn’t at all conservative in that way; we had fax machines before anybody else did. People would say, “What the fuck do you want a fax machine for?” But he’d grab anything that saved time and made things look better."

The full inteview HERE
---------------------------------------------
And here is an excerpt from Auther C. Clarke's novel version of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY and a black and white still from the motion picture, directed by Kubrick...
--------------------------------------------

When he tired of official reports and memoranda and minutes, he would plug his foolscap-sized Newspad into the ship's information circuit and scan the latest reports from Earth. One by one he would conjure up the world's major electronic papers ... Switching to the display unit's short-term memory, he would hold the front page while he quickly searched the headlines and noted the items that interested him. ... the postage-stamp-sized rectangle would expand until it neatly filled the screen and he could read it with comfort. When he had finished, he would flash back to the complete page and select a new subject for detailed examination.

Floyd sometimes wondered if the Newspad, and the fantastic technology behind it, was the last word in man's quest for perfect communications. Here he was, far out in space, speeding away from Earth at thousands of miles an hour, yet in a few milliseconds he could see the headlines of any newspaper he pleased. (That very word "newspaper," of course, was an anachronistic hangover into the age of electronics.) The text was updated automatically on every hour; even if one read only the English versions, one could spend an entire lifetime doing nothing but absorbing the ever-changing flow of information from the news satellites.

It was hard to imagine how the system could be improved or made more convenient. But sooner or later, Floyd guessed, it would pass away, to be replaced by something as unimaginable as the Newspad itself would have been to Caxton or Gutenberg.

....and the LINK where I found them.

TOERIFC: WHITE DOG (1982)

2010-02-10T03:45:00.020-06:00

There’s a scene in I SHOT JESSE JAMES (1941), his first picture, where one of the characters literally punches the camera. This famously led filmmaker and critic Jean-Luc Godard to classify Samuel Fuller’s style as “Cinema-Fist.”

I don’t think there could be a more appropriate description.

IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN

WHITE DOG

READ ON WITH CAUTION.

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS....

Subtlety isn’t Samuel Fuller’s strong suit and I mean that as a compliment.

After seeing a handful of his films the one thing I can tell you about the man is that he knows how to make a point. There’s no tiptoeing around when you’re watching one of his pictures. His messages are like bricks to the face.

Filled to the brim with lurid subject matter his movies deal with thieves, psychopaths and pedophiles. Other times they’re about heroic soldiers and cowboys answering their call to duty. The one constant throughout all of his films is a dedication to the truth.

I use the word “truth” specifically because I don’t think Fuller’s films are necessarily realistic. They are often times exaggerated and larger than life, dripping with cinematic style and off the wall characters. But this does not prevent them from showcasing the hard truths of our world. In fact, I think it makes their lessons more poignant, as in a Shakespearean play.

Some might see Fuller speak and think he’s some sort of cigar chomping goon, calling everyone and everything a “bastard” or a “son of a bitch.” While the word “goon” might match his gruff outer shell, it certainly wouldn’t come close to describing his insight and intellect.

A BRIEF HISTORY

Fuller’s father passed away when he was 7 years old and his mother took him and his 7 siblings to live in New York City. When he was 12 he got a job as a copyboy, a few years after that he was working as a crime reporter for the New York Evening Graphic, a tabloid newspaper. Fuller worked through the mid-30’s as a pulp novelist and screenwriter, but enlisted in the United States Army when we became involved in World War II. He took part in the landings of Africa, Sicily and Normandy. Fuller fought on Omaha Beach. Upon returning from the war (decorated with the Bronze Star, Silver Star and Purple Heart) Fuller began his career making B-pictures including classics like FIXED BAYONETS! (1951), THE STEEL HELMET (1951), PICK UP ON SOUTH STREET (1953), SHOCK CORRIDOR (1963) and THE NAKED KISS (1964).

SOME THIRTY YEARS LATER

WHITE DOG (1982), Fuller’s last American production, is arguably his most important work. Taken from an true life experience, Romain Gary wrote this story about his and his wife’s (Jean Seberg) similar encounter with a “white dog.” The production seemed doomed from the start, going through a list of notable directors (Roman Polanski, Tony Scott) that all had to drop out for one reason or another. Finally, with an impending writers strike looming over Paramount’s production schedule, they pushed WHITE DOG along, hiring Samuel Fuller, who was known for being able to get films done quickly and on the cheap. But problems arose when Fuller wouldn’t follow the studio's request to keep the racial content of the film at a minimum. In fact, Fuller’s intention was to intensify the racial aspects of the story and to focus more of the film's narrative on the dog’s psychology. The studio just wanted “JAWS with paws.”

(Take a look at this trailer that was never released. It is a black and white reversal dupe and contains what sounds to me like an 80’s horror film score. Watch it both with and without the commentary. It’s very enlightening and shows just how easily a trailer can be manipulated to sell a film as something it isn’t.)

"White Dog" - Trailers From Hell <-------click to watch trailer......

The film begins with an up and coming Hollywood actress hitting a white German Shepherd with her car. After nobody claims the dog, she decides to keep him and after he saves her from a rapist the dog becomes like family. This scene does play a little odd with her boyfriend’s warnings of living alone in the mountains coming just a few scenes before. Also, after the rapist is captured by police, the dialogue sounds like something out of a comic book. “That’s the same damn rapist I caught last year!” But for me, this is part of the pulpy charm of a Fuller picture.

After a series of unwarranted attacks, some known to Julie (the actress) some not, she brings the dog to an animal trainer named Carruthers. It is here she learns that her beloved German Shepherd isn’t just a plain old attack dog, but a “white dog.” An animal trained to kill people with black skin. A black trainer named Keys approaches Julie and the dog and vows to her, against Carruthers’ wishes, that if he can’t break the dog in 5 weeks, he’ll shoot him. This sets up the thrust of the film, and asks two major questions: Is racism something that is learned? And if so, is it possible that it can be unlearned?

One of my favorite moments in all of Fuller’s films is when Keys comes down to eye level with dog. They stare at each other like characters from a Sergio Leone movie.

The music by Ennio Morricone (Leone’s only musical collaborator) swelling on the soundtrack. The most primal image in the film follows-

-It’s as if Keys is literally looking at racism incarnate. The most pure form. A maniac dog that sees only in black and white.

What follows is a series of physical and mental battles between Keys and the dog, Key's trying his best to make the dog okay with his "black skin." These play out in a large metal dome and remind us of sparring matches from a film like SPARTACUS. Little by little we see the dog begin to wear down, until one stormy night when it escapes the compound and goes on the attack once again, setting up the films most suspenseful moments....

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And boy is this film suspenseful. Not only was Fuller interested in social commentary throughout his years as a director, but he was also a damn fine filmmaker, technically speaking and surrounded himself by the best in the business.

The photography by Bruce Surtees is nothing short of brilliant. The fluid tracking shots. The slow motion photography. The canted angles and composition. Not a shot is wasted in this picture. All of them pushing the narrative forward. Sparse and tough.

The score, as mentioned above, by Ennio Morricone, is one of the best he has ever written. It is both sad and intense. The main theme sends chills down my spine and is rhythmically haunting.
----------

...On the prowl, the dog has a close call with a small child, in one of the great singular shots of terror ever filmed. Never have I seen a static shot like the one above played for so much suspense.

Then, there is of course the murder in the church.

Probably the most mentioned scene in the film and probably the most sad. One wonders how Paramount planned on making this into a simple exploitation feature when you see this moment play out.

The man walking down the sidewalk has no set-up. We don't know if he's got a family. A wife. Friends. We don't know where he works. We barely even see his face, save for a quick tilt up from his shoes. But this sequence turns into the most utterly heartbreaking scene in the picture (most likely because we are spared the visuals of the actual murder).

Keys' speechless reaction is some of the finest acting you could ask for in a picture like this and it really hits home the significance of his plight. (Also done without speaking a word in a great dolly-zoom.)

-----------------------

Fuller states that the most significant scene in the film is the one in which the owner of the dog comes to claim him back. By his side, two little granddaughters, clenched tightly. When Julie asks if he was the man who trained the dog, he replies in a proud manner. "Since he was a pup." She replies back, "You bastard! You sick son of a bitch!" She warns the little girls to stay away from him. And at one point, even compares them directly to the dog. "You got two puppies there!? You going to teach them to be as sick as you are?"

It's pretty blatant what Fuller is doing here. He talks about it here, in an interview with Richard Schickel (CLICK HERE FOR INTERVIEW)

The question is, just because racism is taught does that excuse it? According to the linked interview above, Fuller believes that racist hate is a completely learned phenomenon. Something that isn't inherit in human nature. So, wouldn't this mean that the old man, the person that Fuller visibly despises was taught the same thing since child birth as he's teaching his grandchildren? And wouldn't this mean that the old man himself is somewhat of a white dog? Grown up to hate? And wouldn't this mean that nobody is at fault because it is just a never ending circle?

Where do we draw the line on things of this subject. Or do we ever? Is a Klan member a member for life the second he puts on the hood, or is there a caring individual somewhere deep inside?

---------------------

The finale of the film, again, plays out like a shootout from an old western. We have Julie, Carruthers and Keys in a triangle formation. The dog, supposedly 99% cured of his hate, must take the final step. Roaming loose with Keys just a few yards away.

This again is a cause for controversy. Some say, that the dogs sudden shift at the end and his decision to attack Carruthers is sign of his "insanity." That once you go homicidal, you are homicidal for life.

I personally believe that Carruthers and the man who raised him are quite similar looking and the dog's final attack was its last act of rebellion. Like a kid finally realizing that his dad is a racist and recoiling in disgust.

WHITE DOG was never released wide in American theatres. Paramount decided to shelve the project instead. I will leave you with Fuller's words on the matter. Hopefully this will spark some good discussion.....
"Shelve the film without letting anyone see it? I was dumbfounded. It’s difficult to express the hurt of having a finished film locked away in a vault, never to be screened for an audience. It’s like someone putting your newborn baby in a goddamned maximum-security prison forever ... Moving to France for a while would alleviate some of the pain and doubt that I had to live with because of White Dog."
—White Dog: Sam Fuller Unmuzzled, Samuel Fuller, as quoted by J Hoberman, Criterion Collection^[8]

DEEP INTO HELL: PART ONE (don't hold your breath for part two...)

2009-12-30T00:44:00.015-06:00

Writing a blog isn't always the easiest thing in the world to find time for. There are plenty of other activities that can occupy my life fully, such as work, family so on and on and on....

Not to mention other things I'd rather be doing than writing about movies, like watching them. But in these past few months even my compulsive film viewing has taken a backseat to a more ambitious cause....

I, like so many others in this world, am writing a feature length screenplay. I know, I know, I know. Take a number. Right? Sure. But for every thousand unproduced screenplays you have a keeper. That one stack of papers that's actually worth a damn. I certainly don't like the odds, but I'll play'em. What's the worst that can happen?

-------------------------------

When I was a kid I watched a lot of movies. The first hundred times I saw JAWS I was convinced I wanted to be a marine biologist. After TEMPLE OF DOOM it was an archaeologist. I wanted to be a detective at some point, and even a fireman. A radio show host. An astronaut. You name it.

I can't pinpoint exactly where or when this happened, but I had a realization:

I don't want to be any of those things. I just want to make movies.

------------------------------

The most difficult part about writing and directing a feature length film in comparison to a short is tone. You must control the tone. How the characters speak, act and think. That's part of tone. It must be true throughout the picture. The pace of the action. The length of the dialogue. That's a huge part of tone.

Jason Reitman in a recent LA Times article describes it like this:

"Tone is the hardest thing to explain to someone. It's like how you know you're in love..."

------------------------------

After seeing JURRASIC PARK at Woodfield Mall with my brother I remember asking him, "How does someone get to make movies for a living?" He told me, "They have schools you can go to." I thought to myself at the time, "That's doesn't seem very practical," and put the idea out of my head.

In the coming years I dreamed about doing something I thought would be a more viable profession. COMIC BOOK DRAWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then I realized I couldn't draw. Okay, I rationalized. I can still write... right?

------------------------------

Getting in the habit of writing everyday is just as hard as working out. It's peachy keen for the first two weeks when you're actually acomplishing something, but like trying to loose weight, once you hit your plateau, interest wanes.

I first got the idea for this screenplay 2-3 years ago. Plot points of the story have been bouncing around in my head since then, but not until September/October 2009 have I tried to put it down on paper. So far, I've done four drafts...

DRAFT ONE: Got 30 pages in and decided to start over...
DRAFT TWO: Got 30 pages in and decided to start over...
DRAFT THREE: Decided to write out each scene seperately, out of order. Got 35 pages in and decided to start over...
DRAFT FOUR (current draft): 83 pages in and thinking about starting over.....

Writing in such a long format allows you to explore different options from time to time within the screenplay. When this happens it opens up new and interesting possiblities as to where the story might go. The problem is, you constantly want to go back and rewrite from the beginning, causing you to enter into an endless cycle.

Like yawning into a mirror....

------------------------------

In high school, when I was introduced to mini DV and the AVID, I began to think about filmmaking again. The tools seemed to be coming down in price and suddenly it wasn't so implausible that a kid from the midwest could write, shoot and edit a feature film.

(This only has gotten more and more true throughout the years. So much so, that I believe one can make a feature with minimal equipment that would rival the picture quality of the major studios in Hollywood.)

Jean Concteau, the famous French filmmaker, was quoted once saying:

"Film will only become an art when its materials are as inexpensive as pencil and paper."

With electronic photography and NLE's, I think we're there.

-----------------------------------

For the past two years I've been working on a short film with my friend and colleague, Elliott Traeger. The credit sequence is being finished this week and then it will be done, leaving my mind time to focus purely on this new script.

It's called HELL FOR THE COMPANY and it is in the vein of BLOOD SIMPLE, KILLER'S KISS and TOO LATE FOR TEARS.

With a little luck, we'll be making this movie by the summer of 2011. Give or take a month or two.

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. I should probably finish a draft first....

------------------------------------------

The trailer to FRAME WORK. Shot with a Canon HV30. Starring Tim McCarthy & Cassandra Kramer and created entirely by Elliott and myself....

FRAME WORK - Official Trailer from FRAME WORK on Vimeo.

...and some pictures from my Moleskin notebook, where I am writing HELL FOR THE COMPANY and my beloved laptop in which I make the words digital.....

A SPOOF PREDICTION

2009-11-07T00:34:00.003-06:00

It is my belief that this shot...

....will be spoofed as much as this shot....

Come on SCARY MOVIE 9. Don't fail me now.

MY ATTEMPT AT THE "HALLOWEEN" JACK-O-LANTERN

2009-10-14T21:45:00.004-05:00

Jack-O-Lantern (10.2009) by Joseph Campanella

THE DEATH OF THE PROFESSIONAL

2009-10-14T02:42:00.012-05:00

Merriam-Webster's online dictionary lists many different entries for its definition of a professional. Certainly the most commonly associated meaning of the word would be:

"...an occupation as a means of livelihood or for gain"

As a person who reads often about the craft of film, I've noticed more and more the lines blurring between professional critics and the dreaded "film bloggers." It doesn't seem long ago when the word "blogger" would bring about an intense shudder of hatred among those certified writers who guarded their place in the film industry like knights around a castle. Even some friends who I regard as forward thinkers laugh off the idea; "You're not a film critic, so why do I care what you have to say," they say.

With the democratization of media things are moving away from the old model and into a new age of conversation. It isn't so much, looking for somebody to tell you what they think anymore, but looking for someone to tell you what they think so you can tell them what you think right back.

This new model doesn't begin and end with criticism. It most certainly stretches out into the realms of content creation. It's become so much easier for a person to make a film, record an album or take a photograph, that the very idea of someone being considered a professional filmmaker, musician or photographer based purely on income is preposterous. When digital distribution finally takes hold in this country I think studios will begin to change the methods in which they pick and choose films.

I also think, finally, the old studio way will die. Hypothetically, one could shoot the film digitally, edit on a home PC. They could cut a trailer and, depending on the quality of the content and recognition of their name, get that trailer shown on various major websites, thus null and voiding TV spots, billboards and the like. Then, with the film being nothing more than a file, book theatres around the country with no need of making various film prints (which could set you back millions of dollars). This is of course until someone figures out how to successfully launch a campaign purely by Internet streams or Video on Demand. It's my guess that the landscape of film production will look vastly different in the next 20 years and I think it's just the kick in the pants that the industry needs.

SCREENSHOTS: "FRAME WORK"

2009-08-28T20:34:00.008-05:00

As some of you know, I have been in the process of making a movie with my friend Elliott Traeger.

The picture is featuring Tim McCarthy and Cassandra Kramer. Here is a brief synopsis.

"A screenwriter dreams of the first and last day of his relationship with a girl named Anna."

INDULGE ME, WILL YOU?

2009-08-27T14:26:00.019-05:00

The more film criticism you read, the more you will find yourself coming across the phrase "self indulgent." The first time I gave any attention to the critique was Tarantino's KILL BILL. I vividly remember reading many reviews claiming the picture was nothing more than a fever dream inside Tarantino's childlike mind. Of course I shrugged off those comments, assuming those who made them were giant wooden sticks in very wet mud. But a few years later I found myself coming across the term once again. This time aimed at a tracking shot in the critically acclaimed film, ATONEMENT (which I have not seen).

The more and more I read, the quicker I came to the realization that I loved self indulgence in the cinema. There is nothing in the world of film that pleases me more than seeing a gifted filmmaker make his or her vision, no matter how esoteric or strange it may be, a reality. Sometimes I grant you, it does not work. Yet, I would rather watch a movie that shoots for the moon over one that plays it safe, even if they over shoot and blow up Mars in the process.

Certain cinematic techniques are frowned upon by a majority of the film-wise public. Tracking shots in particular. I've had arguments over the validity of using the long take, many times ending prematurely with the blanket, "that was just too show off," statement. I ask those people how they feel about guitar solos. Or dishes of food made to look (and taste) like works of art. I think they fail to see the comparison. But is it really that big of a stretch? Sure it'd be great if all camera moves could be as tied to the narrative and as visually stunning as TOUCH OF EVIL's. But that's like asking for all paintings to resemble those of da Vinci.

Film in its simplest form is a manifestation of one or more person's vision. They take what's in their head and use technology to make it physical. In essence, films are thoughts made material. An object for all of us to look at and experience. To break it down into an even more concise statement: Films are dreams made real. When the act of making a motion picture is simply making one's inner thoughts a reality, how could you call it anything but self indulgent?

At one time or another Lynch, Kubrick, Tarantino, Scorsese, Coppola, Bunuel, Gilliam, Godard, Truffaut & Fellini were branded with this label. If I were them, I'd wear it proudly.

...THOUGHTS ON TARANTINO, LIFE AND OUR IDOLS

2009-08-24T00:05:00.009-05:00

I'm been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be a filmmaker. How you actually become a filmmaker. I make films. Does that make me a filmmaker? And if so, am I any good?

When I see films by certain directors, I am humbled. Spielberg, Scorsese, the Andersons (P.T. & Wes), the Coen brothers, Coppola and his talented daughter Sofia to name a few.

Most recently I have seen INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, the new world war two picture by Mr. Quentin Tarantino. For a film that celebrates the joy of cinema so much I came out a bit depressed.

This of course has nothing to do with the caliber of the film. The photography by the great Robert Richardson is stunning. The editing, especially in the perfectly paced underground bar sequence, by Sally Menke ranks among the best in any of Tarantino's earlier films, if not better. And of course, the writing by Tarantino himself is top notch.

The reason I left BASTERDS deflated, even more so the next day when I realized just how great it really was, is because I don't think I have a movie that good in me. To most I may not seem like an over achiever, in fact, to some I may seem like an under achiever, yet, if I ever were to throw my hat in the ring as a filmmaker I would hope to be lumped in with the people like Welles and Kubrick (Why not aim for the heavens?) rather than Ratner and Bay.

This got me thinking about those 4 star filmmakers. About their youth and what they would think when they saw a film they admired. How did Scorsese feel about himself the first time he saw THE RED SHOES for example?

During one of my 10 hour youtube sleuth sessions I came across two videos, both featuring Tarantino, where he talks about seeing films by other directors and feeling that jealously that I feel right now. It's nice to know that no matter how great you are, and Tarantino sure is great, there are always people better... unless you're Kubrick. Then you're pretty much untouchable.....

ZOMBIE ZOMBIE: DRIVING THIS ROAD UNTIL DEATH SETS YOU FREE

2009-07-31T20:19:00.002-05:00

While browsing the archives of the prolific DAILY FILM DOSE I came upon a music video that is quite interesting. Half electronica, half John Carpenter. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

...THOUGHTS ON KUBRICK

2009-07-11T20:13:00.002-05:00

If Stanley Kubrick were alive today, he'd shoot all his films digitally.

ROB...JOE...AND OSCAR WINNING EDITOR SCOTT CONRAD?

2009-07-11T02:27:00.010-05:00

I've been in the middle of a computer switch, so I haven't really gotten around to listening to this podcast all the way through until tonight and I just wanted to make sure I didn't sound too much like a giddy school girl while talking to the

Oscar winning editor of ROCKY before recommending you faithful readers to listen.....

It should be noted that Rob Rector, over at NATSUKASHI, is doing some really incredible work. The idea of his site, if you don't already know, is to interview various film bloggers about films they remember from their formative years, but haven't seen since. Then, we go back and watch them.

Rob was kind enough to contact me to yet again to join him on his fine show, and I was more than happy to. The film.... CAT'S EYE.

Recently, for each of these podcasts, Rob has been lucky enough to get people who have actually worked on the movies being discussed. For this Stephan King trilogy of terror he managed to get Scott Conrad, a wonderful editor and extremely nice guy, and I couldn't have been more pleased with the result. Film editing is the most fascinating part of the filmmaking process. It is the only part of the production that does not exist in any other art and to talk about it with a man who not only works in the business, but has used his skills to shape one of the greatest movies of all time was a great pleasure.

Come and listen to an interesting conversation between me, the wonderful Rob Rector and editing extraordinaire Scott Conrad as we talk about the 1985 film CAT'S EYE.

ELECTROCUTING THE ELEPHANT (THOMAS EDISON, 1903)

2009-06-27T17:32:00.003-05:00

Besides fake inventing the film camera, Thomas Edison was big into electricity. In order to prove Westinghouse and Telsa wrong, by showing the public how dangerous AC power was, he decided to electrocute an elephant that was causing a ruckus at Coney Island. It is believed that while Edison's people set the wires up, Topsy felt deep regret towards those she had harmed....

Okay. That last part was fake, but the rest is true. And here's the evidence......

ALMOST THERE

2009-06-16T06:02:00.008-05:00

Blogging hasn't been a huge priority lately. For nearly a year I've been shooting a movie with my buddy E. Traeger. It's going to be about 45 min. long and I don't think I anticipated how long it would take to complete.

It's pretty difficult making movies, just in case you didn't know.

Anyway, below there is a link to a totally rough, unfinished, without sound effects, clip of our short motion picture. The title is FRAME WORK. It's about an inept screenwriter that dreams about the first and last day of a relationship he had with a girl named Anna. The only problem is, he can't wake up.

Here's a link to a little SPLASH PAGE I drew up for the the movie. Right now it's just apart of my personal website, but I should probably be starting a stand alone for the picture, right? Yeah. I know. We should probably focus on the editing and sound design first....

This clip will mean nothing to all of you, because it is out of context and unfinished. Hopefully, though, it is intriguing?

PLEASE WATCH THIS IN HQ MODE EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT HD QUALITY

IT'S KILLING TIME, SORRY.

2009-05-28T00:13:00.009-05:00

THIS IS A CONTRIBUTION

TO THIS

MONTH'S

LAMBLOGATHON

HOSTED ON THE LAMB

BY THE ALWAYS WONDERFUL

ME....

It's early on in Sam Fuller's THE BIG RED ONE when Mark Hamill says to Lee Marvin....

"I just can't murder."

Marvin's response...

"WE DON'T MURDER. WE KILL."

I always took this to mean that they weren't hunting people down maliciously. They just did what they had to. For the good of everybody. It was their duty to protect the things they loved.

Well ladies and gentleman. I'm here to tell you we have a duty as film lovers. I think it's time we killed film.

Yeah. I know. It's ridiculous. I love the medium too. But let's face it. It's already dying. We should just put it out of it's misery and just finish it off.

I went to see STAR TREK the other day (really enjoyed it, but that's beside the point). It was a digital projection. It wasn't stated on the schedule to be a digital projection. This, normally, would really upset me. Like the time I paid $10 to see 1931's DRACULA projected from DVD.

I, as a self proclaimed cinefile, always prefer to see a movie projected from the medium it was made on. I knew that the new STAR TREK film was shot on film so my proverbial panties got in a bit of bunch. But then I thought to myself quietly, as the production company logos started playing.

-All movies go through what's called a Digital Intermediate nowadays anyway. This means, the film is scanned into a computer, post-produced, then scanned back out to film. Isn't this pointless? The resolution is only going to as high as the original scan of the film, which in most cases is 2K, or roughly that of high definition. So, other than the flicker that supposedly puts us in a state of reverie rather than the hypnosis of video, I can't make an argument-

Then, the film started. And you know what. It looked pretty damn good. I'd seen movies projected digitally before, but most of them originated on a digital medium. This looked just as good, if not better.

Look, I'm not trying to start any fist fights here, okay? I still would pay $50 to see 2001 projected on 70mm. I get it. Film is beautiful. Film is great. But movies are lame nowadays and it's because lame people are in charge of movie studios.

Excuse me while I get on my digital soap box.

People with money are generally lame. Therefore, they greenlight lame projects. Think about all those creative people you know. Do they have cash? Enough cash to bankroll a feature film, shot on 35mm? Absolutely not.

Some people might have enough to shoot the actual film. Some might have even a little more to make a work print copy and even a final master print. That' s fine and wonderful. I'd love to see that persons movie. But how about enough to make 6,000 prints available for distribution? Wouldn't it be cheaper as a single file? Beamed from a satellite in outer space? Or a little hard drive that could be sent via UPS? Think about how many different kinds of movies can be shown in towns they never would play in, simply because it'd be cheaper.

Hell. They could be showing Gaspar Noe's new film in a small southern town right now! I'm sure they'd be thrilled..... (Seriously though, there is a kid in that town (or an adult perhaps) that's dying to see it. Why not make it happen?)

I understand it's drastic, but if we want to see new and interesting ideas come to light, it has to be on this young medium.

It's the only way people. As Nancy Sinatra would say, "Sorry 'bout that!"

COME....

2009-05-17T22:18:00.001-05:00

...JOIN US

THE MODERN STATE OF THE HORROR FILM IS TRULY FRIGHTENING

2009-05-12T05:58:00.003-05:00

I just rewatched a film called FRIGHT NIGHT and have realized fully that new horror films are just plain awful.

They aren't scary, they aren't corny, they aren't even fun. They all look like music videos or commericals. They feature nothing but 90210ish looking actors. And the villains and effects are cliche and boring.

We need more films like this.....

THE YEAR 2001: COUNTING DOWN THE ZEROS - IN THE BEDROOM (TODD FIELD)

2009-04-30T23:18:00.009-05:00

This is a contribution to COUNTING DOWN THE ZEROS. A large task taken on by a gentleman named IBETOLIS of FILM FOR THE SOUL fame....

I didn't see IN THE BEDROOM when it first came out. In fact, I didn't see it until just a few months ago. I feel the need to tell you this for one main reason. If you have not seen this movie, or better yet, have not seen this movie and know absolutely zero about it, stopt reading this immediately. If you have Netflix you can watch it instantly. If you live near a video store, go rent it. Don't watch the trailer. Don't read the synopsis. Just go get the movie and watch it. This is the kind of film in which spoilers could ruin the whole experience. So if you haven't seen the film don't read this post. SPOILERS AHEAD....

The film starts with two lovers frolicking through the grass. Natalie (Marisa Tomei), a younger older woman, recently divorced with a kid and Frank (Nick Stahl), a young man, much younger than Natalie, who's about to head off to college. This setup could be the conflict of another film, but for the most part Frank's father and mother are okay with Natalie. Well, maybe not okay with it. But at least tolerant. This, along with the tension between Natalie and her ex-husband Richard (William Mapother) takes up most of the film's first act.

The reason this picture stands out to me is its pacing. It could have easily been turned into a Lifetime like thriller, but no. We spend time with the love affair in the beginning. We are allowed to think this isn't a movie about murder and revenge, but about young love. wouldn't think a film like this would rely so heavily on plot twists, and it doesn't, to an extent. The twists in this film are not there to surprise and shock you. They may do this, but it's not their single function. In most other movies, when there is a jarring change to the story or a character's arc, it's their simply to change the story or a character's arc. With the two major plot points in this film, namely the murder of Frank, there is a different feel. One of realism and sadness. When Frank is shot by Richard, I was truly taken aback. My hand came over my mouth. I couldn't believe it. (I know there is a lot of argument over this subject. Some people seem to think that it was totally obvious. I would disagree completely)

The largest chunk of this film is the aftermath of the murder and the toll it takes on Matt (Tom Wilkinson) and Ruth (Sissy Spacek), Frank's parents. After Frank dies, the two barely talk. They move about their house like zombies. Matt, ignoring the situation all together. Ruth let's it consume her entire life. To make matter's worse, Frank's killer got off on a technicality. He wanders about town like nothing happened. In one particular scene, Ruth notices him in a convenience store. He says hello to her like a friendly neighbor. I'm not Ruth, but at that moment, I'd like to think her stomach fell to the floor.

There is an unspoken tension between the Ruth and Matt that culminates in a yelling match in the kitchen. Both blame the other for the raising of their son and his subsequent death. Ruth blames Matt for letting the boy do anything he chooses, cheering him on with his love affair with an older woman, living vicariously through him. Matt blames Ruth for never letting the boy live his own life. During the fight a girl scout comes to their door. Matt buys some candy, walks back to his wife and they share a moment of mourning. This is the first time since Frank's death that they actually acknowledge their pain. Once again, this fight could have been the climax of another film, but no. IN THE BEDROOM still has more to offer and that's Matt and Ruth's quest for revenge.

The scenes building up to these final scenes are intense. We follow Matt as he looks to find someway to reverse the courts decision. Find someone that could counter Richard's story. But there isn't anybody. A guilty man has walked and there is nothing Frank's parents could legally do about it. In one of my favorite scenes, the lawyer tries to explain to Matt the reason for the courts decision. His voice is drowned out on the soundtrack and we get inserts of the lawyers, mouth, watch, etc... After Matt heard him say there was nothing they could do, he tuned him out. There courts had failed him.

We don't necessarily know Matt is going to murder Richard. Even when the gun is pulled in the empty parking lot. There are moments when you think Matt may actually be telling him the truth (that he's just making him leave town because his wife can't stand the sight of him) but as this one long, dark and devious plot unfolds, we understand that this is the end for Richard.

IN THE BEDROOM is one of the best examples of genre bending I can think of. It's a drama, romance and revenge film, packed into a beautifully photographed two hours. I haven't seen a movie that switches between modes so effortlessly. And that's what makes this a great film. It isn't just a romance. It isn't just sadness. It isn't just blood thirsty revenge. It's all of those and much more. That's life.

LAMBLOG-A-THON: FILMIC TV: BLOGATHON APRIL 21-24th

2009-04-21T02:59:00.003-05:00

HEAD ON OVER!!!

TOERIFC: COME AND JOIN THE DISCUSSION

2009-04-20T05:15:00.003-05:00

HATE THIS FACE................

TOP TEN FILM CHARACTERS MEME

2009-04-08T13:39:00.015-05:00

Rick from COOSA CREEK CINEMA knows me too well. While in real life I kick and scream when people try and get me to list my ten favorite anything, as a blogger, I can't help but get involved in a list like this.

In a Meme started by FILMSQUISH here are my....

TOP TEN FILM CHARACTERS

I made a rule saying I couldn't pick any character from a film that become famous through another medium first. Example: Hannibal Lecter, Batman....

(Disclaimer:List subject to change)

NUMBER TEN: PHYLLIS DIETRICHSON

FROM

DOUBLE INDEMNITY

There are many femme fatales that could arguably called

the most deadly. Anna Savage from DETOUR.

Jane Greer in OUT OF THE PAST.

But I have to go with Stanwyck on this one.

That anklet makes me crazy!

NUMBER NINE: KURT RUSSELL

FROM

Any John Carpenter Film

Hell yeah....

NUMBER EIGHT: BLONDIE

FROM

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

Like Kurt Russell above I could have picked Eastwood

in a number of films, but this one is by far

my favorite. The funny thing is, Blondie

is kind of jerk in this film. That's okay though.

When you got that Clint smirk you can get away with murder.

NUMBER SEVEN: SPECIAL AGENT DALE COOPER

FROM

All of TWIN PEAKS

This is kind of cheating. While Kyle MacLachlan did portray

this character in the film FIRE WALK WITH ME, the

Dale Cooper I love is from the TV show.

His brilliance as an FBI agent, boyish charm and

love of pie and black coffee make for a man that

everybody wants to be friends with. I also love that

this is the only portrayal of a big time FBI man that

loves and appreciates the small town law.

NUMBER SIX: NOSFERATU

FROM

NOSFERATU: A SYMPHONY OF HORROR

Officially the creepiest horror character ever.

I've seen hundreds of scary films, and while

there are some that are much more intense

than NOSFERATU, none have a weirder

looking villain. One of the most famous

(and rightly so) images in film history.

NUMBER FIVE: DARTH VADER

FROM

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

The design of his costume is brilliant.

The voice choice for the character was spot on.

Plus, he's the only person in film history that

can be identified just for breathing. The ultimate villain,

with a character arc that threw everyone for a loop.

NUMBER FOUR: HAL 9000

FROM

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY

The only non human on the list.

The super computer from

the greatest film of all time is indeed

one of the great screen characters.

He never looses his cool, he's always one

step ahead and he's got a smooth smooth voice.

NUMBER THREE: INDIANA JONES & HAN SOLO

FROM

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK & TEMPLE OF DOOM

AND

A NEW HOPE & EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

Harrison Ford used to be beyond cool. Within a few short years

he was both a thorn in the Empire's side and and an

official beater of Nazi/Thuggee ass.

I feel like I can get by with mentioning two characters

here for the price of one, simply because to me they are one in the same.

NUMBER TWO: CABIRIA

FROM

NIGHTS OF CABIRIA

The first time I saw Fellini's NIGHTS OF CABIRIA

I fell in love. Usually when I watch a

film by a master filmmaker I notice the

skills of the actual filmmaking. Camera moves, edits, sound.

But with this film it was different. The first thing I noticed here was

Giulietta Masina's wonderful acting. A sad but heartwarming tale of a

woman who wants more from life. The ultimate prostitute

with a heart of gold character.

NUMBER ONE: TUCO

FROM

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

I don't know if it's his odd sign of the cross or his

constant use of the word bastard, but Tuco

(played wonderfully by Eli Wallach) from Sergio Leone's

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

is my favorite character to watch onscreen.

Like Boudu from Renoir's film,

Tuco moves about the opens spaces of the

film like a wild dog. And I love every minute of it.

THE YEAR 2000: COUNTING DOWN THE ZEROS- AMERICAN PSYCHO (MARY HARRON)

2009-04-04T13:12:00.017-05:00

This post is part of COUNTING DOWN THE ZEROS, a FILMS FOR THE SOUL production. My thanks go out to IBETOLIS for allowing me to participate....

(spoilers)

AMERICAN PSYCHO came out in the year 2000, but I didn't see it until 2006. I don't really know why I held off all those years. I've always loved horror films. More than most people I know even. But there was something about this movie that kept me from seeing it. Maybe it was the heavy metal rock music in the trailer?

Somewhere down the line, I realized how great of an actor Bale was and I was told by my brother that AMERICAN PSYCHO was worth a look. Seeing it on the shelf at Target for $10 solidified the deal.

The movie follows a rich and charming businessman named Patrick Bateman (Bale) during the 1980's. Throughout the film Bateman has a variety of adventures including, but not limited to, a threesome with two hookers recorded onto VHS and ending with some knife and hanger play...hacking a fellow business partner to death with an axe... throwing a chainsaw down a flight of stairs to impale a naked woman... and finally, trying to stuff a cat into an ATM machine. When an old woman asks him what he's doing, he shoots her at point blank range.

Over the course of the past 5 years I've become more and more disgusted with the way violence has been portrayed in movies (For examples of the movies that disgusted me see WOLF CREEK or THE STRANGERS. Both exploitative pieces of garbage) But while watching this film, regardless of the graphic violent imagery I was surprised at how much humor there was. The film is genuinely funny and if you can get past all the parts of massacre you'll realize that you're watching a satire.

The portrayal of young American businessmen is both laughable and horrifying. We grin when the men compare business cards, but I wouldn't doubt that some if not most of those upper class yuppies feel the same sense of jealously Bateman displays when he likes a co-workers card a bit more than his own. Okay, okay. Maybe most businessmen wouldn't chop their co-worker to death to the tunes of Huey Lewis over a business card, but they probably wouldn't be happy about it. This I know for sure.

As the film progresses a detective looks into the murder of Bateman's coworker Paul Allen, (Jared Leto) the victim of the business card axing, and Bateman moves from one murder to the next with the restraint of a child in a candy store. A man who has urges, just as he does for designer brands and face creams, and finds no reason to suppress them.

AMERICAN PSYCHO isn't really about plot though. The detective line of events never really comes to bloom and Bateman really isn't in search of anything in particular. There is no goal. In fact, in the closing monologue of the film we are told that our main character has gained nothing from his experiences. He tells us he is simply, "Not there."

This may have you asking...Why would I spend an hour and a half with a serial killing narcissist when nothing changes from beginning to end? Well, I haven't read the book by Ellis but I have seen all of Mary Harron's films. From what I gather, Harron took a novel by a male that many consider to be a piece of meandering misogynist trash, and made a film that takes a sly stab at masculinity and yuppie vanity.

Take for example the scene in which the men are comparing their business cards (I have written about this scene more than once in this post and I do so because it is my favorite part in the film). Not only do they one-up each other, each waiting to pull out his card with a smug look of superiority. But Harron puts the cliched sound of a "knife-shing" as Bateman opens his card case. It begins the scene and establishes that the men are comparing swords with one another. (I think she even references the sound in the commentary track. Not 100% on that.) Read into that however you like.... (I also love the comedy played up in the scene. The cards all look the same!)

The ending of the film has always been a point of confusion for me. Did he actually commit these atrocities, or did these bloody fantasies exist only in his head? I prefer the former. It makes for a much more interesting conclusion. None of the people in Bateman's social circle even notice the disappearance of one of their own. When Bateman confesses to the murders, his lawyer thinks it is a prank. And after all this, Bateman himself questions his own actions. I think this ambiguity falls in line with the rest of the picture a bit more than the "it was all a dream" scenario and the fact that Harron lets it resonate on this note is a big plus in my book.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go return some videotapes. Not AMERICAN PSYCHO though. I like it too much.

...THOUGHTS ON FILMMAKING

2009-04-03T03:11:00.003-05:00

"If you are not conflicted or distraught with life, to some degree, you are not creative."

I AM TWITTER

2009-03-19T13:08:00.002-05:00

I will be keeping a journal like list of the movies I watch on this website called Twitter. Maybe you've heard of it?

If you are obsessed with my life and need to know the films that I am watching every single day, you should probably subscribe to my account.

P.S. I have about a 90+ list of movies that I was planning on writing about but instead will be "tweeting" them.

JOIN THE DISCUSSION OVER AT THE CREEK!

2009-03-16T06:16:00.001-05:00

If you've seen BOUDU SAVED FROM DROWNING, please feel free and join the discussion!

IN MY ABSENCE, PLEASE "DIAL 'E' FOR EVIL"

2009-03-14T22:49:00.006-05:00

I have once again neglected my blogging duties. But for a good reason. I've been making movies instead of writing about them! That's got to count for something.

Anyway. While I don't have anything to share with you all from a elongated short/feature I've been working on with my compadre Elliott, I do have a short video I made at work during an overnight shift.

The whole thing was shot with a Canon ZR800 ($150 DV camera)......Transfered to BETA SP tapes......

And edited on two BETA SP tape decks (No NLE systems for me!)..........

I shot and edited the whole thing in about 9 hours. All was done tape to tape. All dolly shots were achived using a chair and some rope for me to pull. Now, to warn you, this ain't CITIZEN KANE.... but it's close.

THE VISIONARY ZACH SYNDER

2009-03-05T18:28:00.001-06:00

DAWN OF THE DEAD

300

WATCHMEN

...Two shot stealing graphic novel adaptations and an inferior remake.

Aren't visionaries supposed to have their own visions?

TOMMY 9000

2009-02-27T00:41:00.001-06:00

PARENTS GUIDE FOR "WATCHMEN" BY IMDB

2009-02-24T06:30:00.003-06:00

* A couple is seen having sex in a bed room, the only part of nudity shown is a man's buttocks.

* A prostitute and a man are moving around under bed sheets and making many noises.

* A man brutally rapes a woman and she begins to like it half way through

* A silhouette of a man ejaculating on a woman's chest in slow motion

* A couple is seen behind a building making out.

* A blue man appears fully naked several times. His penis is shown. Never erect though.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409459/parentalguide

p.s. 300 sucked. DAWN OF THE DEAD remake is a 2/4 star movie. WATCHMEN comic book is great. What are the odds that Syder is going to make this movie worth watching?

DON'T YOU JUST LOVE... HUMOR!?

2009-02-18T21:01:00.001-06:00

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS TRAILER

2009-02-12T00:22:00.000-06:00

This just looks awesome. Enjoy.

GREATEST... MISUNDERSTANDING IN CINEMA HISTORY

2009-02-06T20:08:00.003-06:00

There's a scene early on in NORTH BY NORTHWEST when Cary Grant is mistaken for a man named George Caplan. It happens when this Caplan guy receives a phone call in a resteraunt. The waiter calls out his name, as two men looking to find this Caplan look on anxiously, seeing who will take the call.

Unknowingly, Roger Thornhill (the handsome and charming Cary Grant) raises his arm in the air to get one of the waiters attention. The two men see this, assume he is responding to the phone call and hurry him into a car setting this crazy chase picture in action.

I couldn't find the video in this scene, so just enjoy this incredible title sequence by Sal Bass, and one of best scores to any of Hitchcock's pictures by the great Bernard Herrmann.

A WHOLE NEW BALLGAME

2009-02-06T01:15:00.006-06:00

Take a moment and check out the technical specifications for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE...
Does anyone else find it incredibly cool that this motion picture was shot using not only traditional 35mm film, but also a DSLR and the SI-2K (an HD camera available for around $30,000?

Or how about the fact that Steven Soderbergh used the much talked about RED
ONE camera to shoot his 4+ hour epic about Che Guevara. Did I mention that the RED ONE cost a mere $17,000? (And yes, I know, with the EVF, lenses, recording module and battery the RED ONE costs nearly $60,000 but in Hollywood it's peanuts.)

It seems like every month a new camera company is coming up with a new camera that is drawing the gap between Hollywood funded filmmakers and us poor independents. Not to mention lowering production costs allowing filmmakers like Soderbergh make movies that would otherwise not get funding.

I can't imagine what the landscape of the motion picture is going to look like in 5-10 years, but I'm sure excited to see what's in store.

......

Also, on a more self indulgent note, I can't stop looking at this....

...Oh yes. It will be mine. One day, it will be mine.

IL BUONO, IL BRUTTO, IL CATTIVO

2009-02-05T12:17:00.003-06:00

I'D BE WILLING TO TRAVEL TO JUPITER, OR BEYOND THE INFINITE, TO VISIT THIS FILM SET

2009-01-28T15:40:00.004-06:00

MOTION PICTURE TRAILERS: PART V

2009-01-28T02:11:00.003-06:00

A film like CLOCKWORK ORANGE could only have a trailer like this. Like the mind of an ADHD child hopped up on Pixie Sticks and Jolt soda this little piece of cinema infamy doesn't hold a shot for more than a split second (and when it does hold a shot for 2 whole seconds it jump cuts the main character from the frame nearly 10 times).

Like I've said many times before, going to the theatre now is a harsh reminder of how formula driven most things are today. If it's a horror film, expect that extra jolt after the title is revealed at the end. If it's a comedy expect the setup of a joke, the title reveal, then the punchline.

For example, I just got home from the movies and I saw the trailer for a comedy called ADVENTURELAND. The ending of the trailer goes something like this...

Husband and wife looking at a large box of corndogs.

WIFE: These don't smell right.

HUSBAND: Fry these up!

blah blah blah ADVENTURELAND

Husband and wife looking at sick main character.

HUSBAND: What's wrong with you?

MAIN CHARACTER: I ate a corndog.

HUSBAND: Never eat the corndogs.

Release date. Audience laughter. Me becoming increasingly discontent with the world.

For once wouldn't you just love to walk into a movie theatre and see a trailer blow your face off like this?

AMAZON WOMEN ON THE MOON (1987)

2009-01-18T08:00:00.006-06:00

Don't know what to say about this movie other than I liked the part with Andrew Dice Clay. Did I just really say that I liked a part with Andrew Dice Clay?

If you like movies such as KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE or UHF you'll probably enjoy this. If not, then I recommend you stay as far away from it as possible and go get yourself a copy of AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD, which I just watched and was completely blown away by.

AWAY FROM HER (2006)

2009-01-14T23:32:00.003-06:00

Out of every disease known to man, Alzheimer's scares me the most. The idea of loosing all my knowledge. My thoughts. My beliefs. Loosing all those human connections I've made over the course of my life. To have it all slip away sounds dreadful. And the worst part is, I probably wouldn't even know they're gone.

AWAY FROM HER is a very well made film. One that stays away from the sentimentality of the countless Hallmark films touching the same subject. A man and a woman are in love. They've been married for years on end. In their golden years, the woman is diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

Before I actually dove into this picture I thought I was going to be in for a tear-jerker, but writer/director Sarah Polley doesn't go for the easy emotions. What she has done here is make a film about Alzheimer's that focuses not on the patient but the real victims of the disease, in this case, her husband.

The film isn't upbeat or happy and it certainly moves about with a somber tone. But I think the reason it works is because it stays away from all the sappiness that usually goes hand in hand with any movie about illness and focuses on what real life is about. Dealing with it. Moving forward.

The picture isn't without merit in the style department as well. I love the way the windows throughout are blown out. The photography is very soft and subtle. Nothing flashy, but not vanilla plain either. The performances are great as well. And like the photography, we don't get anything to in your face. The entire movie relies on the subtleties of life.

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY Sarah Polley

CINEMATOGRAPHY BY Luc Montpellier

EDITED BY David Wharnsby

ORIGINAL MUSIC BY Jonathan Goldsmith

STARRING Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent

THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE (1972)

2009-01-07T00:59:00.007-06:00

Let me preface this with telling you besides the first half of LOS OLVIDADOS and UN CHIEN ANDALOU this is the first Buñuel film I've ever seen. Hopefully that'll get some of you hardcore fans off my back when I reveal I didn't really care for it.

I know, I know. It's Buñuel! A giant of the cinema. One of the forms most respected creators. Maybe I could grow to love this movie, I do own it so maybe in a future viewing I'll see the brilliance, but right now all I have is a movie that is lost on me.Once again, I get it. It's surreal. It's abstract. But, if something is surreal to the point of abstraction, it should at least be a good watch like EL TOPO.

Also, let me say that I'm 25 years old. I'm sure Buñuel is making some sort of social statement with this picture, and while I usually try to stay informed with both the current and past social climates, I was clueless as to what statement was being made. Maybe it's my own ignorance at fault. But I'd bet anyone would be hard pressed to give me an answer on this one. (If you're reading this and you feel that you can, please do so in the comments! I'd love for someone smarter than me to explain!)

As I said above, I may not be the most informed guy when it comes to movements and uprisings and such, but one thing I do know and understand is cinematic style and that's one thing that I can credit Mr. Buñuel with. He knows how to move the camera and how to cut scenes together for their maximum effect. One that sticks out in my mind is the dream sequence involving a dead boy and or a man? It's been a while since I've seen the picture but I remember it staying with me for weeks.

Even though I didn't understand the movie, I do have to admit that for the most part I enjoyed watching it and like I said, will give it another look sometime in the future. The interrupted dinners were amusing to watch and the dream sequences were as well. I just wish I knew what it all meant.

Directed by Luis Buñuel

Written by Luis Buñuel and Jean-Claude Carriere

Cinematography by Edmond Richard

Edited by Helene Plemiannikov

LAMB BLOGATHON CHAPTER THREE

2009-01-07T00:56:00.002-06:00

DO REMAKES GIVE YOU THE SHAKES?

THE RED SHOES (1948)

2009-01-06T04:46:00.002-06:00

Besides being a visually arresting piece of work, THE RED SHOES is an awfully sad film. Something I didn't expect.

I don't know why I assumed the movie would be upbeat. I'd already seen BLACK NARCISSUS and PEEPING TOM, the former having many flavors of darkness. The latter being a sick take on voyeurism. I should have assumed that this love story set among a ballet troupe would have the same downbeat motifs.

Essentially, the movie centers around a love triangle between a beautiful dancer named Victoria Page, the composer of the troupes new ballet and the troupes obsessive leader, Boris Lermontov. What sets this aside from most Hollywood fare (besides being English) is the odd nature of Lermontov's affection. See, he isn't into Page romantically. His interest lies solely in her ability to dance.

Having to choose between her career and the love of her life, Page finds herself in a dilemma that applies to everyone at some point. Where and when do we put our aside our professional ambitions in order to start a new life with someone else.

The look of the film is well known, with good cause. The technicolor process still proves to be the best way to make a color picture. The ballet sequence in this movie is also quite famous and again, rightly so. It's an extremely detailed setpiece with a very dreamlike quality. Like a Busby Berkley sequence on some bad LSD.

THE RED SHOES plays like an old romantic drama put takes turns that most movies of this nature are afraid to take. Even though I saw this movie close to two or three months ago, I still have many vivid images from the picture lodged tightly in my memory. From the first ballet sequence all the way to that final haunting spotlight.

Written by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
Cinematography by Jack Cardiff
Edited by Reginald Mills
Music by Brian Easdale
Starring Moira Shearer, Anton Walbrook & Marius Goring

THE TWO AUDREYS

2008-12-26T14:48:00.007-06:00

In this post I forgot to mention, possilby the two most important women in my cinema-life.

KUBRICK THE PHOTOGRAPHER

2008-12-25T00:03:00.012-06:00

As most of you know, the great Stanley Kubrick didn't start as a filmmaker, but as a photographer. After taking a picture of a newsstand clerk mourning the death of FDR, Kubrick got hired at LOOK MAGAZINE as an apprentice photographer.

Here are some shots he took for the Chicago Tribune in the 1950's.

THE TWENTY ACTRESSES MEME

2008-12-24T15:25:00.008-06:00

Ibetolis from FILMS FOR THE SOUL tagged me with the task of naming my favorite 20 actresses. So here, I did.

To be honest, I didn't want to do this one, because of all the pictures I had to find, but most of the actresses I picked are not to bad to look at, so it wasn't as big of a problem as I anticipated.

These are in no particular order. I picked these fine women with the following criteria.

1. If I was flipping through the channels and I saw them on, would I stop and watch... for at least five minutes.

That is all.

Naomi Watts

Teri Hatcher

Scarlett Johanson

Rachel Weisz

Natalie Portman

Christina Hendricks

Lindsay Lohan

Kirsten Dunst

Katherine Hepburn

Kate Winslet

Barbara Stanwyck

Frances McDormand

Faye Dunaway

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Giulietta Masina

Ingrid Bergman

Anne Hathaway

Anna Karina

Elizabeth Shue

Jeanne Moreau

...yeah, that's right I put Lohan and Masina on the same list.

SHIPPING OFF TO BOSTON!!! (for the weekend)

2008-12-18T11:38:00.002-06:00

FAVORITE HOLIDAY SCENE

2008-12-17T23:51:00.003-06:00

I have many favorite scenes from Holiday films. The part in CHRISTMAS VACATION where the Grandmother says the Pledge of Allegiance. The part in A CHRISTMAS STORY where the kid falls in the snow and can't get up. And of course the part in A MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET where the little girl tugs on Santa's beard.

But out of all the scenes and parts and lines and gestures, when Jimmy Stewart visits his brother's grave in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, I loose it every time.

Over the past few years I've become more and more cynical. I find problems with many. I am understanding more and more about how awful the world can be. But whenever I hear Clarence explaining to George about saving his brother's life, and therefore saving the lives of the men his brother saved in the war I understand how and why every last one of us on this Earth is important and I respect how each of us, through our small actions effect one another.

I may be a person who is easily won over by a film like this, simply because it's classically directed and acted, but without this picture, it really wouldn't feel like the holiday season. Well this one and A CHRISTMAS STORY. But I have to play by the rules of the blog-a-thon because, well, I made them....

PART OF THE L.A.M.BLOG-A-THON.

HEAD ON OVER TO THE L.A.M.BLOGATHON

2008-12-08T03:33:00.004-06:00

Hey everyone. There's another L.A.M.BLOGATHON going on over at the L.A.M.B.

Please visit the link and tell all of us floggers (apparently floggers is a term used to describe food bloggers, but I am stealing it on behalf of us, the film bloggers. Or maybe we should call ourselves cinemabloggraphers) about your favorite scene in a holiday film.

BEEN AWAY FOR A WHILE...

2008-12-01T05:47:00.004-06:00

....I have recently become obsessed with photography.

I've had this AE-1 for a while now, but I've been shooting many more rolls in the past few weeks making me realize how expensive film is. That's why I sprung for this DSLR, which should be here any day now.

This happened about a year or two ago with watches. It shouldn't last long. I always come back to cinema, looking for forgiveness due to my neglect.

...actually, I have been watching just as many movies. I just haven't been taking the time to share my thoughts with you fine people. Maybe it's time for another FILM WRAP-UP?

MOTHER OF TEARS (2007)

2008-11-21T05:42:00.004-06:00

My friend Elliott and I are very big fans of Dario Argento. So when we heard he was completing his "Mothers Trilogy" a few years ago we were both excited to see what he would do.

I didn't get a chance to see MOTHER OF TEARS in the theatre with him, at the glorious Music Box Theatre, so I thought I would share my experience with him through a live review, via email.

Some background:

Joe and Elliott both loved SUSPIRIA.

Joe and Elliott both didn't like INFERNO.

Elliott liked MOTHER OF TEARS, but realized how stupid it was.

And now, the live email:

A LIVE REVIEW OF MOTHER OF TEARS........
I love the opening title music! "Mother.......MOTHER!!!" All in whispers. Awesome!

Wow. This first chick who's talking to Asia Argento can't really act can she?

Hey, neither can Asia Argento. What do you know!?

What was with that fast track in while they were walking down the hallway. It looks like he shot it at 12 fps. Oh DARIO!

Okay, so the chick that can't act just go seriously killed. They smash her mouth open with some sort of club and strangle her to death with her large intestine. That was pretty stupid, but the effects were awesome.

Asia Argento is hot when she talks. I used to hate foreign accents, but now I really love them. Especially Italian chicks. They really fry my potatoes.

Okay, so she's in bed with a guy. Her father must have liked directing this scene. Oh wait. He wrote this scene and cast his daughter. I just know he's going to show his daughters boobs to all the world in this movie. I just know it.

Okay. A mother just threw her baby off a bridge and his head hit the side of the bridge and that was officially the most tasteless thing I've ever seen in a movie except for that part in Fulci's

DEMONEA where they burn the baby in a garbage can. Italian's are idiots.

They keep cutting to some chick chanting and they just showed her boobs. I'm pretty sure that's Asia Argento. She's the Mother of Tears isn't she? Did I just figure this out!?

exposition...exposition....exposition....exposition........

Two odd looking chicks and now.... A rape. Great.

Don't try the police Michael You idiot! They have your son. Call the Exorcist! Where the hell is Max Von Sydow when you need him?

Wow. These freaky chicks are back and they're kicking ass in an airport!

Awesome tracking shot through a library. Too bad it was pointless.

The score in this movie is pretty awesome. Sounds like Goblin if they were like a techno band.

In the library, she hides from the cops. Totally awesome. What a brilliant scene! Could have used a Split Field though for one of the shots. Would have made it even cooler.

So some Asian chick (not asia argento) just made the cop bleed from his eyes. That was pretty neat.

Asia just smashed the Asian's head in a door until it exploded! I didn't think heads could do that in a doorway.

The second age of wishes! Udo Keir is almost as awesome here as he is in BLOOD FOR DRACULA.

Well there goes Udo. He just got his achilles tendon cut. Throat slit and then the chick takes a butcher knife to his face. A hundred times.

This movie is really bloody. It's unrated though. Did you see it unrated????

The chick driving with Asia made her promise that she wouldn't trust anyone. She's in on it and I know it.

CGI church fire... LAME.

Okay so. They are eating a little boy. What the hell is going on?

CGI door stretch...LAME.

Dubbing is awesome. So is Asia Argento. But she is decietful above all things.

Lesbian sex huh. Oh. Dario. You're the man!

Holy shit. That creature that pops up from under Asia's bed just freaked the hell out of me.
Monkey's again! What up PHENOMENA.

Ghost mother. That's cool. (said sarcastically)
Dude, this movie is pretty bogus. What's with the lesbian murders? And stabbing that chick in the crotch? Not cool.

Um.... Michael's throat is slit and he's walking around talking. I'm guessing there is a super natural element involved here.

Yep. He's blabbing about the mother of tears or something.

And we have more CGI fire.hahahahah. This looks like the sci-fi channel.

AND BAM! Asia's boobs! I knew they were coming eventually. Thanks Dario. You just showed me it was cool to shoot your daughter in the shower!

HEy everybody is fighting. Kind of like THE HAPPENING? This movie is better though I think.

Doesn't mean much.

So, how much longer is she going to walk around the dark house?

What the hell is that chick eating out of that girls ass.

So all it takes to Kill the mother of tears is to burn her tunic? That's pretty stupid.

This movie didn't end with that 80's song you said. It had the mother song. Heavy Metal version though...

Um.... This movie kind of sucked hard. No set pieces. At all. The camera work was lame.
I'm disappointed. In this. And you.

-------------------------------------
Unless you've seen this movie, this probably A. Makes no sense. B. Isn't funny. And for that I offer you my apologies.

THE MAN BEHIND THE WALLS

2008-11-16T02:21:00.007-06:00

I'm thankful for many film professionals. Directors, actors, screenwriters, cinematographers, editors, sound designers, camera technicians, matte painters, etc...
But today, because of the new James Bond film, I think we should all give our thanks to the man that designed the rooms in which our movies take place.
Production designer, Ken Adam. You've probably heard his name before.
The third film he ever worked on is Jacques Tourneur's moody horror film CURSE OF THE DEMON. From there, he went on to design the sets for countless James Bond pictures and other visual masterpieces such as BARRY LYNDON and DR. STRANGELOVE: OR HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB.
Some cinephiles may take notice of movie sets as they watch a film, but I find that the general public's focus lies on the acting first, direction second, cinematography third...........production design one-hundred and twenty-third.
But when you think about it, set design is one of the most important aspects in filmmaking. All other jobs within the film depend on the set in which they work.
Rather than talk about about Ken Adam's Modern designs, here are a few photographs and an interview with the man who can hollow out a volcano better than anybody.

Part of the WHO ARE WE THANKFUL FOR? blogathon over at the LAMB

THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935)

2008-11-12T12:27:00.012-06:00

This is for CAREFUL WITH THAT BLOG, EUGENE's blog-a-thon on Universal Horror.On the commentary for Robert Wise's THE SETUP, Martin Scorsese states that all true film fans love the horror genre. And no, he wasn't referring to 70's exploitation or the splatter films of the 1980's. What Scorsese was talking about were films like THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN(even though I believe he was directly speaking about the Val Lewton productions of the 1940's, the same idea still applies here).

I feel bad for people growing up today. The only horror films they have access to in the theatres are j-horror remakes and remakes of older, crappier American pictures like APRIL FOOLS DAY or PROM NIGHT. But, when watching something like BRIDE, one can't help but think that the horror genre might just be the most interesting and filmic of all.

Nowadays it seems like you can't make a serious film unless it's a drama. But with BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, James Whale made a film that both deals with social issues and thrills chills and entertains. As everyone already knows, Whale was an out-of-the-closet homosexual. When watching the BRIDE there are a number of allusions you can make.

For one, the monster cannot help who he is. He was created that way. He does nothing wrong in this picture except search for companionship, but the people of the town refuse to believe something so vile (in their eyes) could be anything but a "monster." Also, we can look at the relationship of Frankenstein and Dr. Pretorious. Both of them males. And both of them creating life together. Now, I should say, all this should be taken with a grain of salt. After all, this is still, at it's core, a thrilling horror film above all else.

Besides all these social undertones and outstanding performances (especially from Karloff who plays the Monster and Heggie who plays the blind hermit) this film, on a technical level, is one of the greatest every made.

The art direction and set design are first rate borrowing heavily from the early German expressionist films of the 1920's. At the films climax we get large swooping crane shots, canted angles and stark high contrast lighting. It is really incredible when you th

ink about this picture being made so long ago, with practical effects and old fashioned photography.

Out of all the Universal Horror pictures I've seen, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN is a cut above the rest, and while I understand this seems to be the popular opinion, I wish the studio executives looking to produce the next SAW film would take clue and bring something like this gem back to life for all of us to see.

EDIT: My brother just alerted me that this post makes it sound like I think that the studio should make a remake of THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, which I DO NOT CONDONE IN ANY WAY... unless it's a good director, because then it might be interesting... BUT I DON'T CONDONE IT IN ANY WAY. All I meant was that executives should, instead of remaking old horror films (good or bad) they should try and bring to us a socially aware original film.

THE ALPHABET MEME

2008-11-11T03:53:00.005-06:00

The game and the rules can be found here by the troublemaker (Fletch from BLOG CABINS)who started this all.
And the man (Rick from COOSA CREEK CINEMA) who tagged me can be found here.......

ALPHABET, THE
A David Lynch short that terrifies me every time I see it.

BLOOD SUCKING FREAKS
One of the worst pieces of garbage I've ever seen. Avoid this piece of trash like bad chicken.

CARNIVAL OF SOULS
One of the great horror films of the 1960's. Eerie organ music and creepy atmosphere make this a must see.

DARK CITY
An ignored sci-fi classic that should be shown in film schools everywhere. Here's how to make a big budget film children!

ELEPHANT, Alan Clarke's
I bet a lot of you thought that Gus Van Sant's attempt at PSYCHO was the first movie he remade shot for shot. Well, you were wrong! See for yourself.

FAHRENHEIT 451
A great adaptation by a great film lover, Truffaut.

GOJIRA
Because Godzilla rules!

HELLRAISER
Because Hell rules!

I SHOT ANDY WARHOL
Solid flick about a super feminist, as I recall it.

JERK, THE
He hates these cans!

KILLER, THE
If you like movies with guns, you should probably watch this.

LICENSE TO KILL
Come see Felix get chewed up by a shark!

MURDERBALL
Inspirational, but not like a Hallmark card. More like a foot in your ass. Watch this picture and know what it is to command and conquer.

NARROW MARGIN, THE
A great little crime picture that takes place on a train. Will make your fingers bleed with excitement.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA
It's a Sergio Leone movie. If you need more of an explanation please don't read my blog ever again.

PATTON
Great performance. Great cinematography. Great score. Great film.

QUAI DES ORFEVRES
A crime picture by the French master of suspense... And his name isn't Le Hitchcock!

RIFIFI
A French crime picture directed by uber-American, Jules Dassin. Banned for its step by step instructional on how to rob a bank. Watch this if you want to be awesome.

SABATEUR
A great Hitchcock movie with an ending that won't leave you hanging!

TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE, THE
There are many great things about this movie. One of them being it's extremely badass score. Plus Robert Shaw and Walter Matthau being their usual kind of cool.

UNFAITHFULLY YOURS
Hilarious Preston Sturges picture set to a series of classical music cues.

VIEW TO A KILL, A
How can a movie with so many awesome stunts and sequences be so very lame.

WAGES OF FEAR, THE
Probably the greatest French movie of all time. No matter how many times you see it, it still makes your hair stand on end.

XXX: STATE OF THE UNION
Never saw it, but I'm sure it's really great.

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
Often stated to others, by me, as my favorite comedy of all time. Most likely true.

ZOMBI 2
A good zombie movie, only if you like zombie movies.

FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT WERE FANS OF THE.....

2008-11-04T00:08:00.004-06:00

...FILM-A-THON

DOUBLE "O" WHO?

2008-11-03T01:35:00.009-06:00

ELECTRICITY: THE ULTIMATE CURE FOR DEATH

2008-11-02T05:32:00.008-06:00

After watching FRIDAY THE 13th...

...PART VI: JASON LIVES&

...PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTTAN

...I now know that any electrical current can bring dead things back to life.

HAPPY HAPPY HALLOWEEN, HALLOWEEN, HALLOWEEN, HAPPY HAPPY HALLOWEEN, SILVER SHAMROCK!!!

2008-10-31T00:08:00.005-05:00

For those of you who have never seen HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH, you must, because it's bad and awesome at the same time... and it's the very best of the HALLOWEEN sequels... and Michael Myers, rightly, is nowhere to be found... and it's got a great John Carpenter & Alan Howarth score... and great opening titles... and no Michael Myers... and killer masks....

ONE MORE DAY 'TILL HALLOWEEN, SILVER SHAMROCK!

2008-10-30T22:37:00.002-05:00

TWO MORE DAYS 'TILL HALLOWEEN, SILVER SHAMROCK!

2008-10-29T19:10:00.001-05:00

THREE MORE DAYS 'TILL HALLOWEEN, SILVER SHAMROCK!

2008-10-28T16:00:00.000-05:00

SEASON OF THE WITCH (1973)

2008-10-27T17:12:00.005-05:00

I don't know what to say about George A. Romero's SEASON OF THE WITCH (aka HUNGRY WIVES, aka JACK'S WIFE). It's an interesting enough story. A housewife plagued by society's view of women, seeks out a way to become her own woman, independent and strong. Her way out is to become a witch.

The editing is strange and kinetic and would work if it weren't for the incredibly bad cinematography. The picture looks like they handed a Bolex to a 12-year-old without a light meter and told him to go wild. Most of the picture is over-exposed. People's heads are cut off at the top of the frame, and the it looks as if though Romero has his DP set the camera up in each of the most uninteresting corners of the house. When I say this film is hard to look at, I mean hard to look at.

The story is almost as hard to take. Not for the subject matter and basic plot, but for it's execution. This picture plays less like a social commentary and more like a really, really bad John Cassavettes movie. Early 1970's. Old people who want to feel young. Drinking. Laughing. Acting silly. With a bit of the witchcraft thrown in to the last 20 minutes.

There are a few reoccurring dreams that are well done. The main one of a masked man trying to break into the house and rape our main character. The dreams benefit from this muddy photography, but only because it makes you feel icky to look at it.

I love George Romero. Not only his Dead films, but also movies like CREEPSHOW and THE CRAZIES. But if I had to choose between watching this movie again and drinking a mixture of shredded laurel leaves, cinquefoil and mugwort, I'd take the brew.

HERE IS MY REVIEW OF JOHN CARPENTER'S "CHRISTINE"

2008-10-24T12:11:00.002-05:00

INCREDIBLE.

MARTY ON SET

2008-10-23T01:09:00.003-05:00

I know posting videos all the time makes me a lazy blogger, but this is too great to keep to myself!

ARE YOU READY FOR DTV?

2008-10-17T18:08:00.001-05:00

This has nothing to do with movies, but I work at a television station and I find this extremely amusing.

PROM NIGHT (1980)

2008-10-14T01:52:00.005-05:00

Just finished watching PROM NIGHT and boy was it lame. I have a special place in my heart for movies of this nature, and sure most of them, even if bad are fun to watch around Halloween time, but this movie consisted of 80 minutes of talking and 10 minutes of scares. And the scares turned out to be not so scary.

When four kids accidentally kill a little girl, they make a pact never to say anything to anyone. Six years later we meet all these kids at their high school prom. Meanwhile, a killer is on the loose, looking to seek revenge for the little girl's death.

Sounds fun enough, no? But, it isn't.

Besides the dreamlike beginning, and some inspired editing throughout, the movie is a flat dull mess.

The only two things worth remembering about the picture are a pair of optical zoom ins and zoom outs that happen right before the killer puts in axe into the meanest of the kids, and a later scene in which the school bully is decapitated by the murderer's axe, causing his head to roll down the runway during the crowning of the King and Queen.

The final showdown between Curtis and masked man is laughable, completed with an ending that had me questioning the whole film.

If you haven't seen this picture, my advice is to just watch HALLOWEEN for the millionth time.

I KNOW IT'S SHOCKTOBER, AND ALL POSTS SHOULD BE HORROR RELATED BUT; MY VOICE AND "TWIN PEAKS" ARE PRETTY HORRIFYING

2008-10-10T15:21:00.017-05:00

A gentleman by the name of Rob Rector contacted me one day about doing a podcast with him on his wonderful audio blog, NATSUKASHI (he also runs another blog called USE SOAP FILM which you all should check out).

The basic premise is to take a film you saw as a child, and re-watch it through adult eyes.

Being right in the middle of re-watching all of TWIN PEAKS, I asked if he would be so kind as to let me yammer on about the entire series and the film FIRE WALK WITH ME.

He obliged and this was........

CREATED.....................

CHRISTOPHER LEE VS. CHRISTOPHER LEE VS. CHRISTOPHER LEE VS. CHRISTOPHER LEE

2008-10-08T14:13:00.004-05:00

In honor of Rick's tribute to Christopher Lee over at the COOSA CREEK, I asked myself a simple question......

VS.

....who would win?

ROMERO ZOMBIES SPEAK!

2008-10-05T15:16:00.005-05:00

I was dead a few minutes ago and now I'm alive. Weird. What should I do with my second chance? First, I'll eat, then make a list!

So, I cheat death and I end up back at the mall my girlfriend used to drag me to. Whoever said life was easier the second time around!

A little anesthesia would be nice.

Zombie One: How come we're not multiplying?

Zombie Two: Because we're not gremlins.

Zombie One: Oh.

It's 2007 and I don't even have an iPod yet. Could this get any worse?

JOHN KERRY THE STAR OF RE-ANIMATOR; BERNARD HERRMANN SCORES?

2008-10-04T19:42:00.004-05:00

Before posting this I didn't think to google search "RE-ANIMATOR John Kerry." After a full day of being proud of myself for making this hilarious comparison, I decided I should to see if any other super funny people thought of this already.

Turns out they did.

Oh well. I came to the conclusion unknowingly, which makes me just as hilarious as them, if not more hilarious.

But the funny thing is there is more to this story of duplicates.

Just like John Kerry stole his look from the head carrying character from the RE-ANIMATOR, RE-ANIMATOR stole it's main theme from PSYCHO.

Is there more to this story? Is the cat from this picture in fact the cat from CAT'S EYE? I guess we'll never know.

I don't care. I still love them both!

BRING ME THE HEAD OF JOHN KERRY.

2008-10-04T12:44:00.008-05:00

MOTION PICTURE TRAILERS: PART IV

2008-10-03T19:50:00.007-05:00

In the spirit of Halloween...

Let's all watch the trailer for the 1977 horror classic SUSPIRIA and agree that the last line of the trailer is the greatest phrase ever used in any marketing ploy, ever. Yes?

29 DAYS TILL HALLOWEEN, HALLOWEEN, HALLOWEEN, 29 DAYS TILL HALLOWEEN, SILVER SHAMROCK!

2008-10-02T16:11:00.005-05:00

WHEN GREAT SONGS ARE RUINED BY LAME MOVIES

2008-10-02T15:58:00.006-05:00

I was just cutting the grass and listening to Roy Orbison. As the songs from one of his greatest hits albums rolled by, I took note that David Lynch really digs him.

He used one of his songs in BLUE VELVET and a spanish version of Crying in the great MULHOLLAND DRIVE.

The fact that Lynch used two of these incredible songs in two of his best movies makes both the movies and the songs more special.

But then, I came to the last song on the compilation. Pretty Woman.

I found myself cringing at the song. "Oh no, not this crap film."

But as it played for a moment, I realized I was judging the song based on the terrible movie in which it's in.

Man do I hate when great songs are tainted by terrible movies...

I'VE BEEN LAZY MAKING MOVIES...

2008-10-02T00:42:00.005-05:00

I haven't posted in a while, but I have an excuse...

I'm trying to make a movie.

Here is our camera rig.

...And here is a still from the first shot of video we took with it...

We're hoping to make something in the vein of JULES AND JIM, WHO'S THAT KNOCKING AT MY DOOR, SHADOWS, CONTEMPT, 8 1/2, BEFORE SUNRISE, BEFORE SUNSET, DETOUR and TRANSFORMERS.

Well, maybe not TRANSFORMERS.

I think the tentative title is OUTLET.

If that's a horrible title let me know. I will take your distaste under consideration, because I'm a sellout and only try to please the public.

On that note, I'm going to start writing about horror movies for this month like everyone else, because, in October, it's time to catch up on the blood soaked chillers!

THE REMAKE OF PSYCHO PSUCHKS

2008-09-24T20:17:00.004-05:00

I haven't recently watched this film, but I saw it in the theatre when it came out and was appalled by the idea even then.

Watching them side by side shows who is the true genius here and it ain't the guy that made ELEPHANT, I can tell you that.

Notice the zoom in on Marion's face instead of the cuts in Van Sant's version. And also the stupid shots of a storm in the clouds.

The same thing goes for the murder of Arbogast in the house and Danny Elfman's atrocious rendition of Herrmann's groundbreaking score.

I'm not saying I'm against all remakes, but Lord do I love PSYCHO (1960).

DESIGN: POLSKA POSTERS!

2008-09-22T05:07:00.003-05:00

I've recently become a bit obsessed with "design."

Mostly film related, but stretching out to the depths of book covers, buildings ETC....

Here are two Polish film posters that are simply amazing and a post from WELL MEDICATED with 48 more.

I STUDIED A LITTLE FINNISH MYSELF...

2008-09-16T04:48:00.002-05:00

THE 50-FILM WRAP-UP: VOLUME ONE

2008-09-11T14:58:00.028-05:00

I've neglected my blog. Thank God there is no such thing as blogger jail, or I'd be in it. I guess. Probably not for that long though. Or maybe I would just have to do some community blogging.

You know, I use to hate the word "blogging." I was ashamed to even say I had a blog when I started this thing.

But now I use it freely and proudly. "Oh, yeah, I have a blog. You don't have a blog? You should read this blog. Oh, this blogger wrote the funniest thing on my blog. Want to read it, my blog I mean?"

That oughtta buy me some points with the Blog Police. Don't you think?

Anyway...

These past few months I've watched more than a few movies but instead of writing about them because I've been super busy(lazy), I've been making a list of these movies in order to write about them later. Now, there are so many on said list that I'm feeling this giant weight over my head. I just need to get them out of the way.

Some of these films I've seen before, but I recently watched again, but most on this list are first time viewings.

Forgive me if I repeat the same things over and over. I never was too good with words.

And now, my easy way out.....

THE 50-FILM WRAP-UP

VOLUME ONE

(Because I'm sure this will happen again, I feel a need to quantify this post in regards to the future inevitable posts)

------------------------------------------------------

FAMILY PLOT (1976) First Viewing

This was a great little Hitchcock picture, the last of his career, that I was actually putting off seeing because I heard it was bad. I heard wrong. This was a wonderful little movie that worked on it's own twisted logic. Very funny and charming. Except for the awfully fake rear-projection chase scene, I'd say this movie is a solid entertainment.

CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982) First Viewing

The score is brilliant in this Schwarzenegger vehicle. And the action is just as great. How can you beat James Earl Jones turning into a snake and Arnold lopping off heads at will?

FLIRTING WITH DISASTER (1996) First Viewing

I'm a little in love with Tea Leoni. And also with Patricia Arquette. And, also with Ben Stiller. Actually I'm just kidding about Ben Stiller, but I do have a crush on Alan Alda. This movie is a fun little romantic comedy with somewhat of a bite. Kind of like how a Howard Hawks picture would be if it was more edgy. Of course nothing David O. Russell has every made even approaches Hawks' many masterpieces, but this movie is fun nonetheless.

NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)

What else can be said about this brilliant exercise in suspense. It may just be my favorite Hitchcock movie, mostly because it never, ever looses it's steam from the incredible opening by Saul Bass, to the hilarious cut to the tunnel at the end.

SABOTAGE (1936) First Viewing

Another one by the Master of Suspense. This is one of his earlier British pictures and it sure keeps your knuckles white. One scene in particular, on a bus, will have you screaming at the screen. This is the first time (along with the tracking shot in YOUNG AND INNOCENT) while watching one of Hitch's early films that I could see a true genius oozing off the screen.

THE LADY VANISHES (1938) First Viewing

Truly, one of the best of Hitchcock's I've seen. It's funny, suspenseful and thrilling. I don't want to give away any of the plot, but I'll tell you that the Jodie Foster film FLIGHT PLAN basically ripped this one off more than Van Sant did with PSYCHO.

THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2007) First Viewing

So much has been written about this already, so I guess my opinion on it really doesn't matter. All I can say is that, if you haven't seen it, run to do so. It's a great picture that should be watched on a large screen with a very loud stereo.

VERTIGO (1958)

All the colors in this film, whether they be physical or psychological are right on. This just may be tied with NORTH BY NORTHWEST when it comes to my favorite of Hitch's pictures. If you haven't see this one yet, you should first punch yourself in the face for depriving yourself of it's genius, then, run out and see it as quickly as possible. The Herrmann score alone would warrant a viewing, but in this case the image and story match the music 100%. Truly a masterpiece.

FUNNY FACE (1957) First Viewing

I enjoyed this fun movie, but didn't love it by any means. The dance numbers are magical and Audrey Hepburn is cute as a button, but the age difference between her and Astaire kind of ruined it for me. All in all, if you're a fan of musicals by all means watch it because it's brilliant to look at. If dancing actors is not your thing I'd say stay away, stay away.

THE RULES OF THE GAME (1939) First Viewing

Often thought of as the greatest film of all time. Any time I hear that I know I'm going to be disappointed because nothing could ever live up to that hype. But this one, actually did. I enjoyed it thoroughly and thought that the camera work was just fantastic. It seems as if though Renoir never stops moving his camera as the picture nears the climax and it helps build up this breathless sense of suspense and excitement, even though the film isn't a thriller! This truly is a great movie, but I much preferred.....

THE GRAND ILLUSION (1937) First Viewing

A prison break film with manners. This picture is every bit as great as THE RULES OF THE GAME, but I just relate to this one a little more. If you've never seen this one, like VERTIGO you should run to see it. It's funny, charming, heartbreaking and clever all at once and the camera work is just magnificent. Before this year I didn't know much about Renoir, and now after seeing a few of his pictures I know why he is considered one of the great film artists of his time.

LADY IN A CAGE (1964) First Viewing

Here's a white-knuckle thriller starring an older Olivia de Havilland and featuring a young James Caan. I read about this on DAVE'S BLOG ABOUT MOVIES AND SUCH and it was every bit as good as he said it was. The opening titles were killer and the movie literally had me on the edge of my seat, as cliche as that sounds.

SEDUCED AND ABANDONED (1964) First Viewing

This movie makes me both ashamed and proud of my Sicilian heritage. It just goes to show you how loving, caring, insane, suicidal, homicidal, fun and ignorant they all are. Seriously, this movie plays like a comedy that's not really funny when you think about it. It's one of the great Italian films and it is available by the Criterion Collection in a wonderful new transfer.

MAFIOSO (1962) First Viewing

I saw this movie at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago sometime last year or so, and again I watched it on DVD (Pristine transfer once again by the Criterion Collection). All I can say about this one is "WOW." May just be tied with GOODFELLAS and the first two GODFATHERS as the best of the Italian mafia movies. I see a huge influence here on a movie like GOODFELLAS, mainly because of the humor involved. When watching a movie about criminals killing one another you wouldn't think you'd be laughing so much, but I was and then I wasn't and then I was and then I wasn't. It's very odd with it's mood and structure. Pretty much like no movie I've seen before it. A very important film.

THE LADY EVE (1941) First Viewing

The only other Preston Sturges films I've seen are THE GREAT McGINTY, SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS and THE MIRACLE AT MORGAN'S CREEK. I must say that THE LADY EVE is my favorite. This movie is charming and hearth warming. Barbara Stanwyck is simply charming and Henry Fonda plays the Innocent goof role better than anyone. The movie is short and sweet and leaves you with a refreshing taste in your mouth. Many people say "They don't make movies like they used to." That's a half truth. Crime films, dramas, experimental and documentary films all have their modern day counterparts, but pictures like THE LADY EVE really aren't made anymore. Instead we get films like MUST LOVE DOGS. Give me a break...

HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY (2008) First Viewing

I wasn't a fan of the first HELLBOY, but I quite enjoyed the sequel. I feel as if though Del Toro focused more on the freaky creatures in this one and it totally works in favor of the picture. I think all the actors did a terrific job and the story was much more fairy tale like than the first. That's where Del Toro belongs. In the realm of the weird. As long as he stays with this series and continues to make it stranger and stranger as it progresses I'll be along for the ride. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone though. Especially those who find it hard to believe in trolls. You know the type.

THE DARK KNIGHT (2008) First Viewing

I knew what I was in for when I knew the picture wasn't going to be subtitled THE DARK KNIGHT. As in BATMAN 2: THE DARK KNIGHT. Or BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT. It's just THE DARK KNIGHT. Which is both awesome and hard to believe. I couldn't believe a studio would allow this. And then I sat through the film. This is no regular studio superhero film. This is a dark crime film that belongs alongside some of the greats. See it in IMAX if you can.

TRON (1982) First Viewing

Surprisingly, this is not a film I grew up with. I was born in 1984, so I would think that TRON would be something I would watch over and over again as the years passed, but I only recall seeing it once, if that. Watching it again, with relatively fresh eyes I can say that I enjoyed it and that's about it. I don't know how often I'd need to revisit this world, but it is genuinely unique and visionary and deserves it's place in cinema history.

TENEBRAE (1982) First Viewing

Completely changing gears here is another picture from 1982 called TENEBRAE; A giallo thriller written and directed by the great Dario Argento. While I earlier lambasted his INFERNO, I pretty much loved everything about TENEBRAE. Even though the plot is just as convoluted, it flows so much easier. The ending is shocking. The effects are cheesy but effective. What more can ask for in a movie like this?

DEMONS & DEMONS II (1985&1986) First Viewing

I watched both of these pictures in the same night. Both are directed by Lamberto Bava (son of Mario) and both are written by Lamberto Bava and Dario Argento. DEMONS takes place entirely in a movie theatre. The audience is watching a movie about Demons and of course, half the audience becomes...demons. It sounds pretty stupid, but it's ridiculously fun to watch. The effects are horribly gory and well done and the violence is so over the top it's extremely difficult to get offended by it. If you're looking for something to watch on Halloween night, this would be one to consider. The sequel, DEMONS II, is pretty much the same movie, only it takes place in an apartment building. The effects aren't as bloody or as fun and to be quite honest, it got a little tedious. Maybe if I didn't watch them back to back I wouldn't have felt this way. Only time will tell.

MARATHON MAN (1976)

One of my all time favorite thrillers. I remember seeing this movie as a kid more than a few times. I've always had an extreme fondness for Roy Schieder and Dustin Hoffman was no slouch either. It wasn't until recently that I actually understood the themes of MARATHON MAN. With Hoffman's character father playing a major role in the psychological undertones. I always thought it was just a neat thriller with a horrible scene of dental torture. I'm extremely glad now, in my adult years, to find out this "thriller" means so much more than that.

SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (1957)

Burt Lancaster is one mean bastard in this inside look at newspaper columnists in 1950's New York. The film could be the example used when making the case that all films should be shot in black & white. Period. If you haven't seen this one and are a fan of film noir or just movies with wonderful dialogue and camera work check this out. You won't be disappointed.

STROMBOLI (1950) First Viewing

Caught this one late one night on TCM. What a brilliant work of art. Rossellini captures some of the most amazing images in this film about a city woman who goes to live in a small Italian village. There is a scene in which the villagers fish for tuna which, in my eyes, is one of the greatest sequences in the history of cinema. Nobody can deny the raw power of that scene. Not available on DVD, so if you see it playing on TV, watch it! Watch it! Watch it!

TOUCHAZ PAS AU GRISBI (1954) First Viewing

One of my favorite crime pictures. I can't say enough good things about this movie. One day, as I so often do, I was browsing the Criterion Collections website, saw this movie, with a title I couldn't pronounce and I got it based on the fact that it was a crime film and I love crime films. Now, after watching it, I am making it a personal quest of mine to see every last one of Jacques Becker's films. Right up there with the classics BOB LE FLAMBEUR, KISS ME DEADLY, THE ASPHALT JUNGLE.........

MOUCHETTE (1967) First Viewing

A very sad tale about a young girl. Like all of Bresson's films, there is a compassion that isn't fit for words here. The movie is short, depressing and extremely moving. It didn't connect with me as much as BALTHAZAR did, but I liked it more than PICKPOCKET. Worth watching.

BLOWOUT (1981)

Anyone who knows my tastes in movies knows my unabashed love for Brian DePalma. I like all of his movies and downright love most of them, but none as much as this. BLOWOUT is DePalma's masterpiece. A reworking of Antonioni's BLOWUP, the story focuses on a sound man who catches the audio of a car blowout while recording some ADR work for a horror film. The story unfolds from here. It's a brilliantly shot film, scored beautifully by Pino Donaggio. It ranks up there with some of my favorite Hitchcock films and should be seen by anyone interested in the art and craft of filmmaking.

ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (1969) First Viewing

The darkest James Bond film I've seen. At first I didn't really get into this picture, but by the end I was drawn into its yarn. The final hour is thrilling and sad. What I thought to be a very campy and formula driven picture turned out to be quite different and the more and more I think about it, the more I like it. Give me some time on this. I'm sure at some point I'll list it as the greatest movie of all time.

HAROLD AND KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY (2008) First Viewing

I liked the first one. I liked this one. I never need to see either of them again, but if I said I didn't laugh, I'd be lying. That's about it

MURDER INC. (1960) First Viewing

Not the best crime film in the world, but Peter Falk's portrayal of a mob hit man is absolutely unforgettable. He, along with the wonderful CinemaScope photography, are reason enough to watch this relatively short film.

NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947) First Viewing

What a brooding picture. If you're a fan of film noir, or high contrast cinematography you have to check out this film set among the carnivals of the 1940's. It starts off as a love story, turns into a con picture. And quickly turns into the fall of a man, into alcoholism and insanity. If you ever wondered what the true meaning of the word "geek" is, here's your film. Or I suppose you could just look it up on the Internet. But you should probably watch the movie because it's so good.

THE LEOPARD (1963) First Viewing

An expertly shot, acted, scored drama about the fall of upper crust in Sicily. Usually stories about rich people, realizing their way of life is coming to an end is a story that makes us regular folk happy. But here, I truly felt bad because our main character, Prince Salina (Burt Lancaster) is such a likable guy. The waltz at the end is magnificently orchestrated with subtlety and grace. A wonderful picture.

BEFORE SUNRISE & BEFORE SUNSET (1995 & 2004)

One of the best, if not the best, modern romantic film. I refer to both of these pictures together, because this is how they have to be watched. It is really something to watch the first one, then, immediatly pick up on the story 10 years later with the same actors. The locations are wonderful and the tracking camera, particularly in BEFORE SUNSET is mesmerizing.

EASTERN PROMISES (2007)

There is a special place in my heart for early Cronenberg. THE FLY, SCANNERS, VIDEODROME, DEAD RINGERS....But I very much enjoy the new direction he has been taking his films. EASTERN PROMISES, like A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE has no mutants or monsterous transfermations. It focuses on people and the choices they make. This is the second time I've seen this picture, and I love it even more now. Also, watch out for the best hand to hand fight in a movie that I've ever seen.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (1971) First Viewing

I'm trying to make it through all the Bond pictures before the awesomely titled QUANTUM OF SOLACE comes out this year. This one, the last true Bond picture that Connery was apart of is great if you look at it as a comedy. The plot invovled some sort of huge laser, diamonds, two gay hitmen and a chase through the dessert with a lunar cruiser. A lot of fun with great music and well put together action.

THE RIVER (1951) First Viewing

The third Renoir film that I've gotten through. This time, in color. And boy what wonderful color it is. The story centers around a British family that lives in India. It's a great coming of age story that, to me, seemed a bit cheesy at times, but halfway through it really started to move me. At first I was against the narration, but by the end I wanted more. I can see this movie growing on me with repeat viewings.

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963) First Viewing

I'm actually watching the Bond films in order, so I saw this way before DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER and ON HER MAJESTY'S. As of right now, I've seen the whole series up until THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, and all the films after LICENSE TO KILL. Out of all of them, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is my favorite so far. It's down and dirty. It's real. It's the only one that seems like a spy picture rather than a farce(not that I mind some of the goofiness). Robert Shaw in this film is great, and Connery, of course, is at the top of his game.

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (1967) First Viewing

Another Connery classic. I know I'm not authority on Bond, and this is by no means a shocking revalation, but Connery is by far the greatest of Bonds. He's calm, cool, collected, deadly and charming all at once. And, he's got hair on his chest and he's not afraid to get his suit wrinkled. What can I say about this movie. It's over the top. Pretty much the opposite of FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, but I still love it!

BLACK NARCISSUS (1947) First Viewing

Could this be the greatest color film of all time? I don't know. But it's up there. Every shot looks like a moving painting. If for anything, you have to check this out purely for the picture, but the movie itself is wonderful as well, especially if you are interested in Religion. A great psychological drama.

BABEL (2006) First Viewing

This film was so bad, I think a nimrod made it.

TOPAZ (1969) First Viewing

Although TOPAZ contains moments of greatness (a certain murder scene I will not spoil), the film as a whole doesn't work. It pains me to say this, because I have a total man crush on Alfred Hithcock. It's okay though. I've said it before and I'll say it again. The worst Hitchcock is better than a lot of other filmmaker's best.

PIERROT LE FOU (1965) First Viewing

When I was in college, I really loved Godard. Now, as I get older, I can see my love fading, which seems to happen to a lot of people. It's not that I dislike him. I still love films like BREATHLESS, WEEKEND and BAND OF OUTSIDERS. But this movie just felt like a meandering mess with no real point. The only high point was Karina singing to Belmondo about her "fate line." And of course the shocking explosion at the end.

THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY (1955) First Viewing

Shirley MacClaine sure was cute in this dud. I don't know about this picture in regards to the rest of Hithcock's filmography. It seems like, in hindsight, I should have enjoyed it. The premise is funny enough. The score is magnificent. The cinematography is great to look at. But if I put my love aside, I find myself not ever wanting to return to it. That can't be good.

BADLANDS (1973) First Viewing

A pretty solid first effort by Terrence Malick. I don't know if I'd attribute as much praise as it gets, but it sure is good. Martin Sheen is real good in the movie and I remember the cinematography to be quite striking. It's a bit like BONNIE AND CLYDE, but darker and more existential. If you ask me though, I'd trade both this and B&C for Joseph H. Lewis' GUN CRAZY.

LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD (1961) First Viewing

I saw this film at a theatre with a brand new restored print and boy did it look wonderful. If you're a fan of films with a fluid camera, ambiguous stories or just experimental cinema in general, I suggest you seek out this beautiful nightmare about a man named X and a girled named A out.

THE TRIAL (1962) First Viewing

The more of Orson Welles' movies I see, the more I love the man. He may not always make perfect pictures, but they are always most certainly interesting. This one takes place in a dream-like state of mind, where our protaganist is led around dark cityscapes and rooms being accused of a crime he knows nothing about. Very strange picture with incredible photography.

THE KING OF COMEDY (1982) First Viewing

I really enjoyed both DeNiro and Lewis in Scorsese's dark comedy about fame and infatuation. It isn't nearly as great as some of his other pictures, but it certainly does pack its own punch. Sometimes, DeNiro as Rupert Pupkin makes you so uncomfortable you almost have to look away.

I CONFESS (1953) First Viewing

Yet again, another great Hitchcock film. This one dealing with the rules of the church and murder. Two of Hitch's greatest interests.

LIVE AND LET DIE (1973) First Viewing

I don't know if I can get used to Moore as James Bond. He's a little too fancy for me. The plot of this picture is relatively lame. It's about heroin something or other and ends with 007 making someone explode. It's totally watchable, but worse than every Bond before it.

.....Well, there you go. I don't know what the point of all this was. Hopefully, you'll want to see a few of these and this list will make you do so, except for the few that I didn't like, in which case I urge you to stay away.

BRETT RATNER = GENIUS

2008-08-30T18:19:00.003-05:00

THE IMAX EXPERIENCE

2008-08-29T00:42:00.006-05:00

I've seen THE DARK KNIGHT three times in the theatre now and I'm convinced it's part of a three way tie for my favorite superhero film. The other two being SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE and SPIDERMAN 2.

I think enough has been written about THE DARK KNIGHT already, so I won't go further into the reasons I think the film should be nominated for multiple Oscars (not that the Academy matters. We all know they're nothing more than a bunch of commercial, sellout, ignorant, blood sucking freaks).

THE DARK KNIGHT aside, I still feel like something should be said about the "IMAX Experience."

As most of you know, Christopher Nolan had about 30 minutes of this picture shot using true IMAX cameras and IMAX format film (70mm film run horizontally through the projector, allowing less perforations and more surface area-minus a soundtrack) and I must say that the difference is more than noticeable.

The trend lately has been to blow up regular 35mm films into this 70mm horizontal format. This is called the DMR process and it has been done to many new films including SPIDERMAN 3.

What they do is take the smaller 35mm image and literally make it fit a negative double its size. Then, using some sort of digital remastering, they extract the "important image elements" from each frame from the grainy blow-up, leaving you a "crystal clear image." I hear from very reliable, image obsessed sources that it only hurts the film, making it look bigger but much less defined. But these companies still market it as "THE IMAX EXPERIENCE." Don't be fooled.

With THE DARK KNIGHT, Nolan showed us that there is a technology available to big budget filmmakers that will actually bring people back to the theaters. There is no way I could see anyone ever try to recreate the experience of watching something with this kind of clarity and on such a gigantic screen at home. Not to mention the wonderful 6-channel sound that made me literally jump out of my seat a few times(and I knew the jumpy parts were coming too!).

Long story short, see anything you can that is playing on IMAX that is made for the IMAX. As a cinephile or just an average Joe, you won't be disappointed...

...and if you are then you're just ignorant and stupid...

...well, maybe not stupid....I guess....

ANOTHER 12 MOVIES MEME FEST-O-RAMA

2008-08-27T10:58:00.019-05:00

I've been tagged again. This time by the MovieMan over at THE DANCING IMAGE. See, he liked Piper's idea for this whole Movie Meme thing so much that he decided to start one himself. The only problem is, the subject he chose is was damn difficult. That's why it took me a full week to make my list.

Here is a quick re-cap of this new challenge set by the MovieMan...

Pick twelve movies that you've never seen before and are very difficult to find on video.

...the full write-up and rules on this meme can be found HERE.

Now, I fully understand that many of these movies can be found, on VHS, youtube and some of them are screened at local theatres (I'm lucky to live in Chicago), but bear with me for the fun of it all.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you...

MY HOLY GRAIL LIST.

SHOESHINE (1946) SANDRA (1965)

My desire to see SHOESHINE stems from my obsession with Vittorio De Sica. The man was funny, a brilliant actor and even more so, one hell of a director. SANDRA has become an obsession of mine as well. Number one, because I adore Visconti's other work. Number, two the one sheet for the picture is gorgeous and sexy. And also, Claudia Cardinale is gorgeous and sexy.

VOYAGE TO ITALY (1954) PAISA (1946)

I just caught Rosellini's STROMBOLI on TCM. After seeing the brilliance of that film, and knowing a few of his others I decided to dedicate this night's program to him.

BALOCCHI E PROFUMI (1953) THE GOLD OF NAPLES (1954)

Number one, I couldn't even find the poster art, and or a screenshot from the film BALOCCHI E PROFUMI. All I know is my mother tells me her brother took her to see it when she was a small girl, and she cried all the way home. A quick IMDB search shows me Maria Bava photographed the film as well, making my interest peak even more. THE GOLD OF NAPLES is considered a De Sica classic and I have no idea why this has yet to get a release somewhere.

NAPOLEON (1927) GREED (1924)

Two supposed silent masterpieces that I'm more than dying to see.

CHELSEA GIRLS (1966) SANTANTANGO (1994)

Both of these films would take some patience to watch, so why not put them as a double bill. CHELSEA GIRLS is a semi-documentary about the 1960's counterculture, made to be projected in split screens side by side, thus cutting the 8 hour running time down to 4 hours. SANTANTANGO is Bela Tarr's 7 hour dissection of a small desolate town in Hungry.

HAIL MAFIA! (1966) ITALIANAMERICAN (1974)

I tried to see HAIL MAFIA! once, by ordering from a second rate DVD burning website, but they never sent it and charged my credit card. I was pretty upset I never got to see this story of two hitmen out on a job. ITALIANAMERICAN is a documentary made by Martin Scorsese about his parents and New York Sicilians.

Neither one of these are doubtfully ever going to see a big screen re-release. There is a chance we might see ITALIANAMERICAN at a Scorsese retrospective, and someone may decide to show HAIL MAFIA! on a bill with other forgotten crime films of the 1960's, but I'm not holding my breath.

Now it's my turn to tag five other bloggers. But instead I'll just tag their blogs...

INFERNO (1980)

2008-08-23T15:37:00.008-05:00

I really admire Dario Argento. I think he has made some of the most engaging, baroque, beautiful looking horror films ever made. That being said, INFERNO is not one of them.

As a huge fan of SUSPIRIA, I came into this picture with great anticipation (this being the sequel). But what I got was a bad copy. The movie had the same trademark lighting schemes. The same type of progressive rock music. The same kinds of murder set-pieces. And pretty much the same story. But it all felt somewhat lacking. While SUSPIRIA seemed fresh and original, INFERNO seemed to try and be something it wasn't. And that thing is SUSPIRIA.

I'd like to give you a synopsis of the plot, but that would be rather pointless because there isn't one. In a nutshell: there are three houses with three different mothers (witch mothers, that is) and they are spread about all over the world. One in Germany, one in New York City and one in Rome. The first film SUSPIRIA, dealt with house in Germany, INFERNO with the second in New York (Argento finished his THREE MOTHERS TRILOGY this year with MOTHER OF TEARS). Mark, our main character travels from Rome to New York to investigate the disappearance of his sister Rose. Of course her disappearance is directly related to all this witchery.

The movie does have some things going for it. After all, Argento is still a master of the murder set-piece. There is a wonderfully scary scene involving a record player, a power outage and a horrible stab wound. The movie is worth watching for this scene alone.

I wouldn't recommend this movie to anybody who isn't familiar with the work of Argento, or any other horror maestro of the time, such as Fulci, Bava, Martino etc.... If you're looking for a good horror film there are much better examples, even from Argento himself. SUSPIRIA being one of them. TENEBRE another. If you're a completist, like I am, and you have already started down the Argento path, you'll see this movie. I just hope you're not as disappointed as I was. Especially with the finale of the picture, which features the witch turning into death personified. TRANSLATION: She wears a skeleton costume that looks like it was bought at Walmart. Terrifying stuff.

STARRING

Leigh McCloskey

PHOTOGRAPHED BY

Romano Albani

EDITED BY

Franco Fraticelli

SCORED BY

Keith Emerson

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY

Dario Argento

MY FIRST FILM FEST

2008-08-22T18:19:00.006-05:00

Last night was the first film fest that accepted and played one of the many short videos I have helped produce.

It was called the FRACTURED LENS VIDEO FESTIVAL and it was held at the newly restored PORTAGE THEATRE, a wonderful old movie palace in one of the many great Chicago neighborhoods.

If you have any interest, here is the short they showed. I realize this is self-indulgent. And for that I apologize. But maybe, hopefully it'll give you a laugh.