The farce that is In Utah This Week's webpage continues. My review of "Sicko" and my column of the AFI's new top 100 list have mated and, since they were both my children, spawned some mentally disabled offspring. If it's been fixed, read on. If not, come up with a funny joke about it for the comments section.
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Friday, June 29, 2007
Friday, June 22, 2007
Once, Controversy Strained My Mighty Heart
EDIT: Apparently all the articles are fucked. You may want to hold off until they're fixed. ("A Mighty Heart" might be OK—haven't checked.)
So, everyone has been gushing about Michael Winterbottom's "A Mighty Heart" for the past couple weeks, but I didn't think it was amongst his best work. Maybe it's that I like Winterbottom and hold him to a high standard, maybe it's that I saw the film in Cannes and had just seen several of the year's best films. Maybe it's just not as great as everyone says it is. If I have time, I might give it a fresh look and see if I feel any differently. It does have a couple great moments, but overall history will prove me right.
I am, however, in agreement with the fawning over "Once," a great re-imagining of the backstage musical. (The page seems to be fucked, though).
I remember some recent and one not-at-all-recent controversial films in my latest column—dig it.
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So, everyone has been gushing about Michael Winterbottom's "A Mighty Heart" for the past couple weeks, but I didn't think it was amongst his best work. Maybe it's that I like Winterbottom and hold him to a high standard, maybe it's that I saw the film in Cannes and had just seen several of the year's best films. Maybe it's just not as great as everyone says it is. If I have time, I might give it a fresh look and see if I feel any differently. It does have a couple great moments, but overall history will prove me right.
I am, however, in agreement with the fawning over "Once," a great re-imagining of the backstage musical. (The page seems to be fucked, though).
I remember some recent and one not-at-all-recent controversial films in my latest column—dig it.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
The End of a (Quite Shitty) Era (That Won't Be Missed)
Disney is no longer going to make sub-standard, direct-to-video sequels of its contemporary and classic titles. Although I've gotta say, I was looking forward to "Cinderella 17: The Cute Mice Sing Another Song," which has been removed from 2008's release slate. It looks like the Pixar crew is making some smart moves to clean house.
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Let the Complaints Begin
"Fargo" was booted to make room for "Titanic" (which I didn't think anyone respected nowadays), but we can all breath a sigh of relief in knowing that Buster Keaton finally made it onto the American Film Institute's revamped top 100 American films of all time. I'll be filing a column on it this week, but let's go ahead and voice some complaints here. (I know Chris Bellamy already has some ready...)
As someone who prefers "Raging Bull," "The Searchers" and "Vertigo" to "The Graduate," I think overall this list is much better than AFI's 1998 effort, even if it still lacks "Sherlock Jr." (Keaton went from not being on the list to having the no. 18 spot with "The General.") Robert Altman's "Nashville" should be much higher, but I guess we should just be grateful it's there at all.
Note: I linked to Ebert's article on the list because it has all 100 films on a page. If you want to enjoy the AFI's "visual tour," feel free.
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As someone who prefers "Raging Bull," "The Searchers" and "Vertigo" to "The Graduate," I think overall this list is much better than AFI's 1998 effort, even if it still lacks "Sherlock Jr." (Keaton went from not being on the list to having the no. 18 spot with "The General.") Robert Altman's "Nashville" should be much higher, but I guess we should just be grateful it's there at all.
Note: I linked to Ebert's article on the list because it has all 100 films on a page. If you want to enjoy the AFI's "visual tour," feel free.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Bringing It All Back Home
Sorry for the big gap of content, but just as I was starting come back from my Cannes exhaustion, I had to leave town for a funeral.
I'm now back, and you can read my column from last week, on the best films of the year so far if you haven't already. I also did a story on the "Out/Ex" film program's collection of archival frame-at-a-time film strips and Brian Dewan's modern use of the art form. Unfortunately, the program took place on Saturday, so that's pretty much screwed.
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I'm now back, and you can read my column from last week, on the best films of the year so far if you haven't already. I also did a story on the "Out/Ex" film program's collection of archival frame-at-a-time film strips and Brian Dewan's modern use of the art form. Unfortunately, the program took place on Saturday, so that's pretty much screwed.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Dali Dali Oxen Free (I Have No Idea What This Headline Means)
In his review of a Dali on Flm exhibit at the Tate Modern, Richard Dorment points out that Dali was nothing without the great Luis Buñuel as his collaborator.
But real dreams normally take place in ordinary, everyday settings - it's the oddness of what happens in them, and the disorientation caused by abrupt dislocations in time that feel so weird. In the films Dalí made with Buñuel, he respects this reality. What he serves up here is high camp, cardboard stage sets that so insistently call attention to their strangeness that the meaning the dream has within the film's narrative is overwhelmed by the screaming symbolism of the backdrops and props.
My only complaint would be that Dorment gives Dali a bit too much credit for Buñuel's work.
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But real dreams normally take place in ordinary, everyday settings - it's the oddness of what happens in them, and the disorientation caused by abrupt dislocations in time that feel so weird. In the films Dalí made with Buñuel, he respects this reality. What he serves up here is high camp, cardboard stage sets that so insistently call attention to their strangeness that the meaning the dream has within the film's narrative is overwhelmed by the screaming symbolism of the backdrops and props.
My only complaint would be that Dorment gives Dali a bit too much credit for Buñuel's work.
Gracie's Got a Good Heart, but Mr. Brooks Has no Brain
The sweet little soccer movie gets it's job done, which is more than I can say about another of this week's releases.
I was really ready to give "Mr. Brooks" a good review after the first scene, but after sitting through some crime procedural crap and other lame subplots, I was forced to reconsider.
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I was really ready to give "Mr. Brooks" a good review after the first scene, but after sitting through some crime procedural crap and other lame subplots, I was forced to reconsider.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Get Knocked Up Now
The biggest mistake you could make this summer isn't forgetting your SPF 40 and falling asleep in the sun. It isn't going to a high school kegger and getting to drunk to ask the girl you're hitting on if she just graduated or just finished her freshman year. It isn't going to see "Georgia Rule" (although that's close). But if you miss "Knocked Up," which will surely be the funniest comedy of the year, you'll regret it.
Read my review, check out an interview with the supporting cast in USA Today, but most importantly, see the damn movie. Now.
Also, in my review, I somehow (might have had something to do with traveling, jet lag and a film festival) switched the names of Jonah Hill and Jay Baruchel.
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Read my review, check out an interview with the supporting cast in USA Today, but most importantly, see the damn movie. Now.
Also, in my review, I somehow (might have had something to do with traveling, jet lag and a film festival) switched the names of Jonah Hill and Jay Baruchel.
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