The Miners' Hymns (2011) is "an elegant, elegiac found-footage work from Bill Morrison, best known for his silent-film reverie Decasia," writes Manohla Dargis in the New York Times. "A miner himself of a type, Mr Morrison has dug into the archives of the likes of the British Film Institute to cull primarily black-and-white images so rich, so alive with dirty faces, shadows and the occasional pit pony that they resurrect a world that for many has long been lost to history." It screens from today through Tuesday at Film Forum with three of Morrison's shorts, previewed by Cinespect's Ryan Wells. Release (2010) "uses found footage of the 1930 release of Al Capone from Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary," while Outerborough (2005) "gorgeously catches a ride on a trolley making its voyage across the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan. Morrison gives us a split screen with two perspectives: a camera facing Brooklyn, another looking back at Manhattan." Film of Her (1996) "is more about the history of film preservation than filmmaking itself. It's a rather endearing glimpse at some rather spectacular early footage shelved at the Library of Congress — some nonfiction, some fiction." [Update: More from Michael Tully at Hammer to Nail. Update, 2/9: At the AV Club, Noel Murray gives The Miners' Hymns an A-.]
Also in New York, Society of Illustrators will present Winsor McCay's The Flying House (1921) this evening at 6:30: "Bill Plympton has resurrected the film by digitally retouching and coloring each frame." Cartoon Brew's Amid Amidi notes that "Bill will be on hand afterward for a cocktail reception, as will the film's voice actors Matthew Modine and Patricia Clarkson."
Berkeley. "Gregory Markopoulos was born in Toledo, Ohio, but his Greek heritage lights the way in critical appraisals of his refined and elusive body of work," writes Max Goldberg, opening a fine critical appraisal of his own. Seconds of Eternity: The Films of Gregory J Markopoulos opens tomorrow at the Pacific Film Archive and runs through February 16. Markopoulos died in 1992, but his partner, Robert Beavers, "an outstanding filmmaker in his own right,… will be on hand at the PFA to shepherd the films."
Awards. "Alice Rohrwacher's Corpo celeste has won the Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award," reports Vittoria Scarpa at Cineuropa. "This prestigious recognition for European directors was given to the Italian filmmaker at the Göteborg International Film Festival, Scandinavia's main film event." And the festival lists all its other award-winners.
In the works. Baltasar Kormákur may direct Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington in 2 Guns, notes Vulture's Kyle Buchanan.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt's written himself a rom-com to direct and star in — opposite Scarlett Johansson no less. The Playlist's Kevin Jagernauth has more.
An adaptation of Anne Rice's Tale of the Body Thief is in early stages of development, reports EW's Adam B Vary.
Scrolling. The Criterion Collection launched a tumblr on Tuesday and, even if you haven't seen it yet, I'm sure I don't have to tell you that they're going to be very, very good at this.
For news and tips throughout the day every day, follow @thedailyMUBI on Twitter and/or the RSS feed.