Category: (random lists)

capote

last night i saw capote, because neither simon nor our friend jennie wanted to see brokeback mountain (don’t ask). i enjoyed the movie while it was going, though i was a bit weary during the last third. but simon and jennie talked me out of liking it in about 15 minutes of conversation after the movie’s end. here is our collective thought on capote:

philip seymour hoffman is a great actor who handles his first major (or first, period) lead role with great aplomb and artistry. he is actually magnificent. i guess the director knew hoffman was his best asset, because every other shot is a close-up of his smooth, babyish, pink face. i actually find him quite fetching, so i didn’t Continue reading capote

Jiminy Glick in LaLawood

I’m honestly a little amazed that no one has mentioned this film yet – let alone seen it. I mean, you people obviously aren’t afraid to watch shitty films as evidenced by discussions on Catwoman, Fantastic Four, and Two-Lane Blacktop. Also, I know there are big fans of SCTV here. Bruns I think is a big Martin Short fan, and I think Reynolds is as admiring of Clifford as I am.

Also, the Jiminy Glick show on Comedy Central was consistently funny. Watching A-listers like Tom Hanks and Seinfeld stare in amazement as Glick brings up incredibly obscure points about their lives and then stuffs his face with donuts and candy – It made for good TV. Continue reading Jiminy Glick in LaLawood

Inspired opening sequences

I’ve been thinking about this lately: the opening sequence of a film. It’s typical for a filmmaker to go the narrative exposition route–that is, he/she front-loads all the essential information about what has happened prior to when the film begins so that audiences can feel comfortable, informed, aware, and be absorbed into the diagesis. There are exceptions. Some of the James Bond films give us “pre-credit sequences” that are more like sideshows, and these sequences do not, in any way, prepare audiences for the film as such (I’m thinking of Goldfinger, Thunderball, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, Octopussy, and so on). What I’m interested in, however, are opening shots, or sequences of shots, that do not provide anything in the way of narrative info, but do, in some way, capture the overall theme or tone of the film. The thing is that, upon first viewing, these shots or sequences of shots, may slip by us. We may not recall them, we may not process them, they may, in some cases, even hinder our efforts to “get into” the film. But upon subsequent viewings, they seem to resonate. Continue reading Inspired opening sequences

Cowboy sex

Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain is a work of art—a lean, spare, unsentimental film suffused with loneliness and longing. That being said, I think the American public will ignore this plaintive love story. Though the Wyoming landscape is gorgeous to look upon (cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto deserves an award from someone), the film’s episodic structure and the lack of big, sweeping emotional moments (i.e. MAINSTREAM) will limit the film’s appeal. Admittedly, I walked away from the screening feeling a bit let down. I guess I wanted the Gay Gone With the Wind everyone’s been hyping. I wanted to feel emotionally drained. Such expectations, however, are not fair. The film is certainly full of big moments and genuine human conflict and there are well-earned laughs throughout. Still, it is far from histrionic and the nature of the story of these two men preclude the kind of fireworks I was expecting. Instead, Brokeback Mountain is a quiet and contemplative film fueled by passive aggression, self-loathing, fear and sadness. I have been haunted by it for the last dozen hours or so—I’m in a melancholy mood today—and such a response is due to the filmmakers deep respect for their source material as well as the story’s contentious subject matter not to mention the heart-wrenching performances of Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams and a memorable supporting turn by “Freaks and Geeks” alum Linda Cardellini.

Narnia

When it is not attempting (poorly) to replicate the visual splendor and complexity of the Lord of the Rings films (the CGI here can be quite muddy), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe proves to be an old fashioned, delightfully charming work of family entertainment. It is not the centaurs or dryads or giants or talking beavers that captures one’s attention but the subtle and unforced performances of the young actors in the central roles. Director Adamson has coaxed very good work from these kids, and it is their commitment to the material that makes the film soar. Tilda Swinton is fantastic as the White Witch (and her costumes are fabulous), and James McAvoy’s gentle, enchanting performance as Mr. Tumnus was truly memorable (he’s all the rage in our house at the moment). The adaptation opens up yet improves upon C.S. Lewis’ novel, which, after reading it aloud to my daughter last week, can grow a bit twee. After the wearisome Harry Potter IV, I was a bit reluctant about taking Cate to another big holiday film, but she was absolutely riveted. Indeed, the theatre was packed and, considering the number of small children in the auditorium, remarkably—reverently—silent.

of gay actors, indian actors, and pride and prejudice

this is my first post, and i’m sure i’m already going all wrong about it. but since arnab forced me to use the password “italysucks” for my first login, i’m trying to mess up his site as much as i can.

i have nothing to say on gay actors, but i thought i’d bring the debate that’s being conducted under michael’s post on steven spielberg to a location where people can find it (why do i know that suddenly no one will have absolutely anything more to say on the subject?).

i would like, though, to say something more on the topic of identity specific actors. the first thing i want to say is screw current theories of performance. the second thing i want to say is that, as reynolds says, it matters very little whether actors can represent characters whose identity is racially/ethnically different from their own (i’m intentionally leaving out class and sexuality — and gender doesn’t seem to be a problem nowadays!), when foreign actors and actors of color have a hard time getting jobs in high-paying hollywood. Continue reading of gay actors, indian actors, and pride and prejudice

The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse

I watched The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse tonight. The plot isn’t terribly original, but it is cleverly handled: the characters of Royston Vasey invade the “real” world in search of their creators who have grown bored with them. The film essentially begins when Reverend Bernice reveals that she has discovered, underneath her church, a series of catacombs whose walls depict the apocalypse—specifically, the end of Royston Vasey. Scenes from the first ten minutes of the film have “already been written,” as it were (such as the scene in which Dr. Matthew Chinnery inserts a rectal probe into a giraffe). The only way to save Royston Vasey is to unlock a secret door (this provides occasion for a nice prop gag) and pass through into the real world, find Gatis, Pemberton, and Shearsmith, and force them to write more episodes. Naturally, the writers don’t want to. They’re working on an entirely new project: a film entitled The King’s Evil, which takes place in England, 1690. Continue reading The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse

Michael Caine, moralist.

Nothing important: just saw a wonderful snippet of an interview with Michael Caine from 1967: Peter Whitehead’s Tonite Let’s All Make Love in London. Michael: “You see, we don’t want to get drunk, or go out–what is properly known as–womanizing until 2:00 in the morning, what we want is the freedom to do so should we wish. We don’t want a lot of rules and regulations. To me, the pubs closing at 11:00 pm and more expensive clubs keeping open later is the most condescending piece of class consciousness I’ve ever heard. It’s to keep the workers out of the pub so they’re not drunk and up late for work in the morning–this was the original idea of it for the munitions factories of the first World War.” He then objects to mini skirts and such, while Whitehead gives us footage of him primping for the cameras. Great stuff.

oldboy

Because this movie was a commercial success in Korea, I had imagined it to be very different. I had anticipated the humor, which was certainly there (although I’m not sure if it was as funny in translation), but the “serious” subject matter was a surprise to me. Overall, I thought the film was an interesting mixture of fantasy and a cautionary tale, with a sci-fi/comic book visual aesthetic.

If you haven’t seen it don’t read any more.
Continue reading oldboy