tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-293259702024-03-04T23:59:48.524-07:00Film at 11"...becoming a film critic was less the pursuit of an exalted calling
<br>than a means of averting social disapproval by justifying unbreakable habit."
<br>- William S. PechterAdam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-13608408452580085172013-03-12T11:34:00.000-07:002013-03-12T11:34:02.270-07:00Pencil Down! My Answers to the SLIFR QuizDennis Cozzalio's quizzes over at "Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule" are far and away the film blogosphere's premier parlor game, so I couldn't resist answering the most recent one, dished out by none other than Miss Jean Brodie herself.
The classic movie moment everyone loves except me is:
None I can think of, honestly. Until someone starts talking about it, I rarely think of aspects of Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00366879535427657337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-66141242468226547232013-02-04T13:52:00.000-08:002013-02-07T11:32:24.547-08:00Opening Shot: Tampopo (1985)
The opening shot can tell us a lot about how to interpret what follows.It can even be the whole movie in miniature.
- Jim Emerson, "Movies 101: Opening Shots Project"
In the very opening image of Jûzô Itami's 1985 film Tampopo, we the film's audience are presented with another film audience, a sparse one in a contemporary movie theater. Feet are up, newspapers are being read, chips are being Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00366879535427657337noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-91245234536046504392011-04-04T15:20:00.001-07:002011-04-04T12:25:27.347-07:00Viewing Log: 27 March - 2 April 2011Exte: Hair Extensions [2007]Schizophrenic J-horror outing from generally underground artist Sion Sono (I've also seen his messily operatic Love Exposure and Suicide Circle). It isolates a signature element of that stereotypical look of the vengeful Japanese ghost child and imbues those face-shrouding black locks with absurd menace, ever-growing and threatening to violate one's body through any Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-64732576907710928192011-04-03T16:15:00.002-07:002011-04-03T16:25:13.398-07:00Rhyming Shots, 3 April 2011Three Comrades (1938, director Frank Borzage)The Beyond (1981, director Lucio Fulci)Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-80664861098814070002010-09-21T07:22:00.001-07:002010-09-21T07:23:27.301-07:00Jean Gabin doing what he does.Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-18613525779045354462010-09-15T13:19:00.007-07:002010-09-15T14:00:10.992-07:00Icepicks to the GroinIn my never-ending quest to watch Jonathan Rosenbaum's 1000 Favorite Films, I embarked upon two largely misunderstood psychosexual thrillers from 1992, directed with chilly precision by European filmmakers in America. Paul Verhoeven's Basic Instinct successfully wallowed in controversy upon its release for Sharon Stone's infamous "twat seen 'round the world"; today though, it only seems like onlyAdam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-63564932363212164542009-03-01T09:45:00.005-08:002009-03-01T10:28:21.392-08:00That Particular Shade of Blue in "Two Lovers"This is possibly my favorite new movie out there right now, and I plan to do some more with it soon, but for now here's some images with an especially nifty shade of neon blue that James Gray seems to be fond of.Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-56863769027622945812009-01-17T14:04:00.006-08:002011-01-10T11:35:47.803-08:00Aloha 2008Some background: For me, 2008 will be remembered as The Year I Graduated and The Year I Got To Work. I happily earned a BA in English for writing an essay mix ‘n’ matching the utopianisms of Thomas More, Emerson, Peter Weir, and Into the Wild while computer programming on the flip side and riding that technical knowledge to my very own 9-to-5 cubicle. And, oh yeah, there was an election or Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-29012124025091078152009-01-17T14:03:00.013-08:002013-02-04T08:18:47.534-08:002 - Rachel Getting MarriedDirected by: Jonathan DemmeWritten by: Jenny LumetCountry: USAStarring: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin, Debra WingerDon’t be thrown by the similarities between Jonathan Demme’s new film and other quirky dysfunctional family dramas like Pieces of April and Margot at the Wedding. Even at their best, those films tend to devalue any hope for pleasure, empathy, good will, or Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-65271722536110106132009-01-17T14:03:00.011-08:002013-02-04T08:19:09.471-08:001 - WALL-EDirected by: Andrew StantonWritten by: Andrew Stanton, Jim ReardonCountry: USAStarring: Fred Willard, the voices of Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy, Sigourney WeaverApocalypse isn’t the typical subject matter for a children’s movie. But then again, neither is a rat cooking in France or over-the-hill superheroes, yet Pixar made it so. The studio is Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-62210572127447691452009-01-17T14:03:00.009-08:002013-02-04T08:19:20.193-08:003 - HungerDirected by: Steve McQueenWritten by: Enda Walsh, Steve McQueenCountry: IrelandStarring: Michael Fassbender, Liam Cunningham, Stuart GrahamBrutal and poignant in its dedication to the materialistic aspects of common humanity, Hunger reconfigures and reenergizes the formal potential of political filmmaking. Directed and co-written by installation artist and Turner Prize winner Steve Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-45782795140754068632009-01-17T14:03:00.008-08:002013-02-04T08:19:25.860-08:004 - Happy-Go-LuckyWritten and directed by: Mike LeighCountry: United KingdomStarring: Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan, Alexis Zegerman, Sylvestra Le Touzel, Samuel RoukinHas Mike Leigh traded his characteristic social realist dramedies for an irritatingly perky character study? Not quite. Utilizing his trademarked improvisational techniques to build characters and story with his actors, Leigh had the gall to helpAdam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-34818743381950902942009-01-17T14:03:00.007-08:002013-02-04T08:19:37.339-08:005 - CJ7Directed by: Stephen ChowWritten by: Stephen Chow, Vincent Kok, Tsang Kan-Cheong, Sandy Shaw Lai-King, Fung Chih Chiang, Lam FungCountry: Hong Kong / ChinaStarring: Stephen Chow, Xu Jiao, Kitty Zhang Yuqi, Danny Chan Kwok Kuen, Tin Kai ManStephen Chow’s brand of goofball populism, even when coated in a family-friendly sheen, hits me in the right place. Seemingly a departure from his Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-34142376937917818162009-01-17T14:03:00.006-08:002013-02-04T08:19:47.609-08:006 - Burn After ReadingWritten and directed by: Joel and Ethan CoenCountry: USAStarring: Frances McDormand, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard JenkinsIn the realm of terrific Coen brothers titles, Burn After Reading may be the best. It perfectly sums up the comedic holocaust that engulfs its characters in the end. It not only refers to the cloak-and-dagger plot but to the Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-8920829349517631562009-01-17T14:03:00.005-08:002013-02-04T08:19:53.876-08:007 - SparrowDirected by: Johnnie ToWritten by: Chan Kin-Chung, Fung Chih-Chiang, Milkyway Creative TeamCountry: Hong KongStarring: Simon Yam, Kelly Lin, Lam Ka-Tung, Law Wing-Cheong, Kenneth CheungShot during a three-year period between other Milkyway Image projects, Johnny To’s newest film, compared to his previous ones, is still a heady brew of male camaraderie, extravagant cinematography, and Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-45262430505464494782009-01-17T14:03:00.003-08:002013-02-04T08:20:01.815-08:008 - Wendy and LucyDirected by: Kelly ReichardtWritten by: Jonathan Raymond, Kelly ReichardtCountry: USAStarring: Michelle Williams, Will Patton, John Robinson, Wally Dalton, Larry FessendenKelly Reichardt’s brand of downbeat Americana, so manifest in the nostalgia and disconnectedness of the two men in Old Joy, fits well with Michelle Williams’s forlorn, destitute performance in Wendy and Lucy. Both the Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-82470073767427938192009-01-17T14:03:00.002-08:002013-02-04T08:20:06.822-08:009 - SplinterDirected by: Toby WilkinsWritten by: Kai Barry, Ian Shorr, Toby WilkinsCountry: USAStarring: Shea Whigham, Paulo Costanzo, Jill Wagner, Rachel KerbsSeen at an all-night horror-fest (along with 35mm prints of Psycho, Jaws, and Dead Alive, among others), Splinter is a refreshingly well-paced and effectively acted horror flick, punctuated with leavening humor and imaginative effects work. The Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-12062179359551304902008-04-14T10:00:00.007-07:002008-04-21T08:50:27.672-07:00Welcome to the "American Cinema" Anniversary Blog-a-Thon!As announced a month or so ago, this is a blog-a-thon to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of Andrew Sarris' The American Cinema, one of my personal favorite books on film and one of surpassing influence. Starting this week (and hopefully beyond), you'll be seeing entries on directors since 1968 from all around the blogosphere. If you want to contribute something, feel free to email me at Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-35362842683878122102008-04-14T00:00:00.003-07:002008-04-15T13:11:42.132-07:00Strained Seriousness - M. Night Shyamalan (1970- )FILMS: 1992—Praying with Anger. 1998—Wide Awake. 1999—The Sixth Sense. 2000—Unbreakable. 2002—Signs. 2004-The Village. 2006—Lady in the Water. 2008—The Happening.The Shyamalan universe, with writer/director/producer/actor Shyamalan at the center, is rapidly contracting with each passing film. Two low-key, earnest efforts preceded his commercial breakthrough, The Sixth Sense, but even then aims Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-44683000833872377782008-04-02T17:17:00.006-07:002008-04-02T17:59:24.844-07:00Le Beau Serge (1958, Claude Chabrol)Equal parts overbearing Catholic allegory and interesting, visually unadorned on-location examination of the inhabitants of French village Sardent, Claude Chabrol’s debut Le Beau Serge (Handsome Serge), considered one of the opening salvos of the French New Wave, starts out strong and richly textured but eventually succumbs to an overly schematic and redemptive conclusion. Jean-Claude Brialy Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-3742474119287754252008-02-28T13:34:00.030-08:002008-03-02T14:30:33.567-08:00Announcing the "American Cinema" Anniversary Blog-a-Thon, starting April 14About Andrew SarrisAbout The American CinemaThe gist of the blog-a-thonKnown as the bible of American auteurism, Andrew Sarris' The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929-1968 turns 40 this year. A compendium of critical commentary and categorization of cinema (sorry!), this enormously influential and eminently readable text tackled the history of American film as a history of dominant Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-11810416812886246252008-01-31T20:28:00.000-08:002008-01-31T21:56:18.560-08:00Qu'est-ce Que Le Cinéma? Une Réponse #1The first in hopefully a series of images, sounds, and videos that, for this moment, capture the essence of "movieness" for me. Shout-out to if charlie parker was a gunslinger... and André Bazin for inspiration and a title.Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-70256483589894485492008-01-15T12:06:00.000-08:002013-02-21T07:14:01.060-08:00I'm Not Mishima: Artistic (Auto)Biography
How to present a real person’s life? This is the central quandary of the biopic genre, and too often the answer according to filmmakers is to smooth out the unquantifiable human experience to fit the constraints of traditional dramatic structure. While not fully eschewing this linear, arc-filled mode of storytelling, I’m Not There (2007) and Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985) take more Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-60553996905365128052007-08-25T15:35:00.002-07:002008-02-17T22:30:39.043-08:00Spaghetti Madness: Alex Cox's "Straight to Hell" (1987)Alex Cox’s 1987 flick Straight to Hell is an odd duck, to say the least. Cult fans know its bizarre history already, but for the rest of you, here’s the rundown from an interview with the director on his personal website: Producer Eric Fellner planned to expand a Brixton show featuring the Pogues, Joe Strummer, and Elvis Costello benefiting the leftist Sandinista Liberation Front into a Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29325970.post-92152353765530486212007-08-08T11:49:00.000-07:002007-10-23T20:37:46.923-07:00A Personal Alternative to the AFI Top 100, Part 321. A Face in the Crowd (57, Kazan)An extremely well-paced indictment of media saturation and superstardom. Making his film debut, America’s favorite sheriff Andy Griffith plays Lonesome Rhodes, a hobo/jailbird who becomes a radio and later TV folk hero with songs, wit, and not a little manipulation. Patricia Neal initially takes notice of him and is caught up in his media rise to fame. Kazan Adam Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10697302492021271196noreply@blogger.com0