With those five words, the enigmatically stupid Jeffrey Wells (yeah, I said it) begins his excoriation of Hairspray. Is that an exaggeration? No more so than bolding the words”suffering a major migraine.” I’m writing and posting my own review of Hairspray later this week, and while I don’t make a habit of disparaging people simplyContinue reading ““THERE WILL BE NO HATING …””
Category Archives: Film
AN UNFORTUNATE AND AGONIZING INTERVIEW
Every now and then, while I’m watching a film, I’ll become unintentionally physically demonstrative. What I mean is that I’m not trying to draw attention to myself; I don’t want to have people around me hear me audibly sigh; I’m not looking for the person next to me to notice my head drop into myContinue reading “AN UNFORTUNATE AND AGONIZING INTERVIEW“
IT’S LIKE A MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD MST3K
I’m not sure how long ago Slate V launched. If you subscribe to any Slate emails like me, I’m sure you’ve been receiving the online magazine’s new daily emails about this video only site as well, so this may or may not be new to you, but what they posted today looks like the beginningContinue reading “IT’S LIKE A MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD MST3K”
THE 2007 TOP 10 BEGINS WITH THE HOST
Yes, previously I wrote wrapping up “2007” when I meant 2006, but this subject header is what I actually mean. Today Magnolia Films opens the movie that would have been my number 2 on my 2006 list had it been released last year. Yup, ahead of The Departed. At last year’s New York Film Festival,Continue reading “THE 2007 TOP 10 BEGINS WITH THE HOST“
R.I.P. ROBERT
Wow. Robert Altman has died. The man was 81 years old, and yet I was quite shocked to read this news. Maybe it’s because in the last several years, Altman continued to be a vibrant and relatively prolific filmmaker, never really showing his age. Altman has always been a fascinating director to me. He’s oneContinue reading “R.I.P. ROBERT”
A FEW LAST WORDS BEFORE THE WEEKEND
I remain hopelessly behind in my posting, and again I hope to catch-up a bit this weekend (but no promises). I did attend a press screening of Marie Antoinette this morning: that’s right, I sat through it for a second time which was a fascinating experience. I really enjoyed the movie when I first sawContinue reading “A FEW LAST WORDS BEFORE THE WEEKEND”
NY FILM FESTIVAL: THE HOST — MUCH MORE THAN JUST A MONSTER MOVIE
(This post began as a continuation of the previous one, hence the oh-so-eloquent flow, or rather, the reference to something not included in this same entry.) It shouldn’t actually come as much of a surprise that the best film so far critiquing the current state of the world and particularly our country’s involvement in theContinue reading “NY FILM FESTIVAL: THE HOST — MUCH MORE THAN JUST A MONSTER MOVIE”
NY FILM FESTIVAL: PAN’S LABYRINTH — MAGICAL REALISM MIXED WITH RATIONAL FANTASY FOR A MAGNIFICENT CONCOCTION AND ONE OF THE BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR
(This post began as a continuation of the previous one, hence the oh-so-eloquent flow, or rather, the reference to something not included in this same entry.) Even as difficult as it is for me to say that I liked or disliked Inland Empire, it is quite simple for me to shout hosannas expressing my immenseContinue reading “NY FILM FESTIVAL: PAN’S LABYRINTH — MAGICAL REALISM MIXED WITH RATIONAL FANTASY FOR A MAGNIFICENT CONCOCTION AND ONE OF THE BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR”
NY FILM FESTIVAL: INLAND EMPIRE — THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON DAVID LYNCH
I still don’t believe I can write much about David Lynch’s Inland Empire, a nearly three-hour long smorgasbord of image and sound that to the linear-minded will prove completely incomprehensible. Any semblance of conventional storytelling or character development has been thrown not just out the window, but from the 90th story of a really tallContinue reading “NY FILM FESTIVAL: INLAND EMPIRE — THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON DAVID LYNCH”
PLAYING CATCH-UP WITH NYFF: THREE FILMS THAT EXEMPLIFY THE ART AND “MAKING” IN FILMMAKING
(This post began as one entry containing three reviews, but as each section became longer, I decided to split it up into separate posts. So let’s just call this the introduction, shall we?) As the New York Film Festival pulls into its final weekend, it becomes a good time for both anticipation and reflection. MoreContinue reading “PLAYING CATCH-UP WITH NYFF: THREE FILMS THAT EXEMPLIFY THE ART AND “MAKING” IN FILMMAKING”
Out of Focus 