Author Archives: AaronOOF

Maybe it’s because it’s Friday, but that should make me happy, right? Maybe it’s the gloom and grey of the rainy day, but I’m still a San Franciscan at heart and have an affinity for grey skies. Whatever the case, I’m not all that inspired today, even though I’m incredibly excited to see Todd Solondz’sContinue reading “MISCELLANEOUS MISCELLANY: THE UNINSPIRED WEEKEND EDITION“

Last night at the Walter Reade I saw two of the “Selling Democracy: Films of the Marshall Plan – 1948-1953” programs which are a one of the special events of the New York Film Festival. When my girlfriend asked me how they were, I really couldn’t come up with anything to say other than, “TheyContinue reading ““SELLING DEMOCRACY” — IT’S NOT QUITE DEJA VU, BUT IMPORTANT NONETHELESS“

Just two days ago I bemoaned Gil Cates’ hiring to produce the Academy Awards yet again. But one of, if not the, most important jobs of the Oscar-broadcast producer is the choice of host. Well today, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences announced that they’ve hired Chris Rock to host next February’s Oscar-cast.Continue reading “OK, I (MOSTLY) TAKE IT BACK”

I came home last night to find the new “Revivals & Repertory” circular from Film Forum in my mailbox. Aside from being one of the few places anywhere to see small indie and foreign films that may not get a larger release, their other programming is often fantastic. From great revivals such as Billy Wilder’sContinue reading “ALLOW ME TO (FILM) GEEK OUT FOR A MOMENT WHILE I THANK GOD FOR FILM FORUM”

I have a couple tickets to the New York Film Festival which I can’t use. Unfortunately, it’s literaly “a couple” tickets, and the two aren’t for the same film. The first ticket is for tonight’s 9 PM screening of Lodge Kerrigan’s latest film Keane which I’ve heard is fantastic. The second is for Friday’s 6Continue reading “NYFF TIX FOR SALE: KEANE AND SARABAND“

Every now and then I have one of these busy days at work, so in lieu of anything actually interesting or substantial, here are some random thoughts: Gil Cates has been hired to produce the Oscars once again when the broadcast airs on Feb. 27. This will be his 12th time. That’s a record. NobodyContinue reading “MISCELLANEOUS MISCELLANY: WHERE ELSE DO YOU GET OSCAR, B.A., CARMEN, VERONICA AND MORE ALL IN ONE PLACE”

By now everyone knows that Christopher Reeve passed away yesterday. The thing that surprised me most about reading this news first thing this morning was my actual surprise. Here’s a man whose body had been utterly destroyed from the neck down, yet he really was a superman, surviving primarily through the strength of his willContinue reading “R.I.P. CHRIS”

Now that that’s over with, as I just mentioned, in my eight years of attending the New York Film Festival, I can’t recall a collectively better year than the one I’ve seen so far. Maybe one of these days, I’ll actually get around to writing in detail individually about most of the eight films I’veContinue reading “JUST PAST THE MIDWAY POINT: THOUGHTS ON THE NYFF”

Hi there fellow audience members. Like most of you, I assume, I have found this to be the best edition of the New York Film Festival in some time. Sure, the selection committee still can’t seem to program shorts that can illicit any description greater than “sort of interesting,” but the features overall have beenContinue reading “A NOTE TO OTHERS ATTENDING THE NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL”

First things first: in case you didn’t realize this, I have no relationship with or interest in Turner Classic Movies other than the fact that I’m a huge fan because it’s the best programmed channel on television for films ranging from the earliest silents to the ’60s and ’70s. OK, so I do work forContinue reading “TCM WATCH: THE WEEKEND AHEAD”