I have to take a second look at Cassavetes, because so many people whose opinion I respect throughout the years have loved his films, maybe especially “A Woman Under the Influence.”
Jay, Brakhage is one of the more difficult but rewarding and artistic directors ever, imo. With Mothlight he literally made it frame by frame, painting on the frames, I think glueing things on the frames, don’t ask me how it gets through a projector. But the effect is really spellbinding. The “Act of Seeing with One’s Own Eyes” — difficult stuff, to tell you the truth I don’t think I watched all of it. But the form is sort of at odds with the content: the form is kind of surreal, or at least skewed a little, I guess to balance out the literalness of the content.
F FOR FAKE (Orson Welles, 1974) — watched it again last night after a birthday dinner for my father in law at Ruth’s Chris. In many ways the most “fun” film in Welles’s oeuvre. Trickery, magicianship, experts, and fakes fakes fakes. Sublime editing of various film stocks taken from other films and behind the scenes footage mixed in with his own project. And some of Welles’s lines are pure gold, often quoting great poets, but they sound better coming from him than anyone else. Recommended.
9/10
Today, Sunday, Film day, I saw 3 on a row.
1. Vanishing Point. 3.5/5.
2. Badlands. 4.5/5
3. Jules et Jim. 4.99/5
Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb – 9/10
Murnau’s CITY GIRL 7.5/10, the lighting is fucking unbelievable.
Taxi Driver 5 stars out of 5
The New York Ripper 3 stars out of 5
If you’ve seen any Fulci, you’ll know what to expect: lots of grisly, gruesome gore, and inbetween, lots of bad acting and bad dubbing. This film has a higher kill ratio than most slasher pics, so it’s a good go-to when you’re in the mood for that kind of thing.
Now… who’s got a Valium?
The Steel Helmet: 8.7/10
Just back from seeing Milk. Wonderful wonderful. I’d have to say A+.
The Steel Helmet 6.8/10, hey Mr. King, maybe we were at the same screening ;-)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington 9.5/10 love James Stewart, he was amazing
Revolutionary Road 9/10
Bad timing 9/10
Wild Strawberries – 10/10
3 Women – Robert Altman – UK/USA – 1977
My favorite Altman film now, up there with Short Cuts. Still don’t quite understand what really happened, but it was supposed to be a purely emotional film versus an intellectual or narrative film. Shelly Duvall is great (believe it or not). For fans of identity-blending and open endings and mind-f**ks in general.
9/10
Trois Couleurs: Rouge – 10/10, the whole trilogy is 10/10
‘M’ – 10/10
So what comes next from Mr Lang after Metropolis and M?
The Double Life of Veronique: 9/10
Rachel Getting Married – 7/10
It was alright. Jenny Lumet’s writing stood out for me – good job.
Coming Apart (1969) – 0/10
Liebe ist kälter als der Tod (1969) – 3/10
Park Row: 8.5/10
One of Fuller’s best..
Shockproof 6.5/10
Sirk directing, Fuller writing, should be amazing, but it is decent.
Slumdog Millionaire 8/10
Manipulative, sappy, and well done.
ADVENTURELAND 7/10
THE COVE 8/10
Grizzly Man – 8/10
The Counterfeiters – 8.5/10
Dblpstz.
The Elephant Man: 9/10
Magnolia – 5 stars out of 5
Nary a misstep here through a very intricate dramatic labyrinth. I used to think that many of PTA’s characters and situations were unrealistic, but it’s clear to me that this film is a portrait of a certain kind of well-off Hollywood childhood, soaked in drugs and empty materialism, jaded at an early age, and without even the mind-numbing comforts of movies and tv that other children have, because one already knows too much about what goes on behind the scenes. It improves for me with every viewing. Possibly the single best film of the 90s; certainly the most representative.
Pineapple Suckspress: 2/5 I’m sorry but Apatow Prod. is blowing it and me
The Perverts’ Guide To Cinema: 8/10
Justin-Glad you liked Magnolia. A favorite of mine.
F is for Fake 6/10- I was a bit let down by this. I was expecting more but found it kind of dull.
Steve Oerkfitz
Josh-Glad to see someone else likes Charlie Varrick-great film by the underrated Don Siegel.