This is the time of year when film releases often take a bit of a break. Post-Labor Day doldrums, and all, mixed with the pending start of the traditional TV season. But with IFC needing to fill the Ultimate Film Fanatic slot, and with a new series moving into repertory at Film Forum, at least us New Yorkers have more than one film-related options this weekend.
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I have a confession to make: I’ve never seen F.W. Murnau’s classic 1927 film Sunrise. I’m often thanking the Walter Reade Theater and Turner Classic Movies, but Film Forum deserves a chunk of my gratitude as well. Starting today and running until Sept. 20, the downtown revival Mecca is showing 13 of Murnau’s films starting with Sunrise this weekend. You bet your ass I’ll be there, possibly this afternoon. Personally, I’m also interested in next weekend’s double-feature of what some still consider the ultimate vampire movie Nosferatu together with The Last Laugh as well as the one on 9/20 featuring his versions of Faust and Tartuffe.
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Tonight IFC premieres their first attempt at a reality show: Film School. OK, so they’re calling it “An Original Docu-Series,” but those of us who have watched TV for more than an hour in the last three years know that’s just fancy-talk for “reality show.” I’m a bit troubled by what the web site calls the four NYU grad student participants “1 Goal: To direct an award-winning student film and launch their careers.” Now if by “award-winning” they mean the IFC’s Film School winner, i.e., just among these four, I don’t think any filmmaker’s goal should be to win awards. Plenty of award-winning films are crap, and even more non-award winners are brilliant, and I mean Oscar on down. The true goal of any film student should be to successfully make the film he or she envisioned, make it well, and have it be well-received. Anything else is just gravy. But in this era of competitive reality shows, this one seems like it’s going to be more about attitude, pretension and beating your competitor than any true film school experience. Ahh well … I haven’t seen it yet, so I’ll withhold judgment, but I’m not that optimistic. Depending on how much I irrationally get riled up by this episode, you may or may not find me recapping — i.e., complaining about — the entire series.
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Opening in theaters this week is … well, a lot of crap probably. Resident Evil:Apocalypse? Was there really the need for a sequel? Cellular is basically Speed meets Phone Booth, by the writer of the latter, and that just can’t be good. When Will I Be Loved is the next entry into the consistently hyped but usually underwhelming resume of writer-director James Toback, and from the trailer, it simply looks like a twisted take on Indecent Proposal.
Criminal could be good, but then again, it’s just an American remake of what was a great Argentinian thriller a couple years ago called Nine Queens. Criminal has a phenomenal cast, but these english language remakes are often iffy, and even with the acting talent at hand, I’d be very surprised if the film is as good as the original. But if I was picking something new, this is the one that would get my $10.25. Chances are, though, after Sunrise and trying to get to The Ramones doc End of the Century, I’ll be trying to clear my DiVo in prep for the new TV season which is sneaking up on us as I type.
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Besides, are you ready for some football? I’m actually not. Especially since my team is likely going to suck worse than they have since I was about 8 years old. Nevertheless, that’s why we have sports bars. So while your team is losing, you can drown your sorrows in the sweet debilitating liquid of the gods. Or beer.
Out of Focus 