Past seven days

Seven days=nine movies.

Detective Dee and the Phantom Flame
Hermano
Honeymoon
Jackie Brown
Nurse Betty
Soul Kitchen (liar!  I didn't get through this one, I tried twice but it's an awful film)
The Interrupters
The White Diamond
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil

Watch it, bro!--Hermano

Last night I was able to attend a preview screening for a really great family drama. It is about two Venezuelan brothers with dreams of playing soccer.

Free event: The Interrupters

Free film event tonight--The Interrupters.

The Interrupters (by Steve James, director of Hoop Dreams, and Alex Kotlowitz, author of There Are No Children Here) tells the story of three “violence interrupters” in Chicago who now protect their communities from the violence that they once employed. Steve James and Alex Kotlowitz will be joined by Tio Hardiman, director of Ceasefire Illinois and Ricardo (COBE) Williams, national community coordinator with Ceasefire, for a panel discussion following the film screening.

Please RSVP here and I hope to hear some good post-screening discussion.

Past seven days

Did I forget my past seven days again?  Another post tomorrow of the last seven days.

Dead Bastards
Enemies, a Love Story
Escape of the Gingerbread Man
I Love You Phillip Morris
Killer Elite
Straw Dogs (2011)
The Birds Upstairs
The Wrong Box
Tomorrow
Visa to Paradise

Killer Elite

I get why Jason Statham is such a popular actor although at many times the films he stars in are not considered very good. He is basically a character actor who has refined his stock character into a B-movie lead career. He's not going to be in a romantic comedy with Katherine Heigl, or a three hanky weepy where he plays the father of an ailing kid, or play a costumed superhero. Any time he stars in a movie you can count on lots of pretty good gun and fight action and some cheeky humor. This time around the movie is based a book which is supposed to be true.

Tomorrow--See It Today!

This is an early Robert Duvall film.  It is based on a story by William Faulkner which was later developed into a play by Horton Foote that Duvall starred in prior to the film.  Foote also wrote the screenplay.

The story begins during a Mississippi court trial where a jury is considering the case of a father who shot and killed the young man who was running away with his daughter.  The camera moves in on one of the jurors, Jackson Fentry, and provides us with Jackson's backstory and its relevance to this case.

Jim Henson Presents: The World of Puppetry with Bruce Schwartz

Muppeteer Jim Henson introduces and interviews several international puppeteers who have influenced him. This episode is with Bruce Schwartz, an American puppeteer.

Unlike other marionettists, Schwartz shows himself visibly on stage during performances but it's easy to forget he is there while watching his puppets. His work benefits from television as through closeups you can see how lithe, delicate and detailed his puppets and their movements are.

Some works shown include one where he dons a Punch and Judy type theatre box over his body and performs with hand puppets in comical settings. He's also an artist in other ways: sculpting his own puppets, choreographing their dances, accompanying himself with music and singing. He really takes the one man band approach.

Schwartz seems to have been mentored by Henson too, as he was invited to appear on The Muppet Show to accompany Cleo Laine, and also had a puppet commissioned by Henson. Henson even went as far as to say that Schwartz was one of his personal favorites. Schwartz's works cover a wide range, from broad humor to more artistic ballets and medieval characters, but meant for adult audiences, especially the bawdy humor in some sketches. His work was also featured in the film The Double Life of Veronique (and Captain EO).

I like how these videos don't just have little clips of performances, but whole sketches, letting you see a work from start to finish, as well as the behind the scenes stuff and Q&A. Unfortunately it looks like Schwartz couldn't make it financially despite his talent and has become a yoga instructor. I don't find any current works by him.

This series doesn't appear to be on DVD, but if you can find them on video I recommend this series on international puppeteers. They were made around 1985.

Some comments on War Games

War Games is one of those movies I always watch when it comes on tv. I'm sure you have one or some of those too. I re-watched it when the anniversary edition DVD came out a few years ago. It was then I noticed a very young Michael Madsen and John Spencer as the silo operators at the prologue of the movie.

The film also had me wonder what Dabney Coleman has been up to, I hadn't heard much about him lately (since then he has co-starred in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire).

Matthew Broderick is very good as the teen hacker who gets over his head when he hacks into the NORAD computer, potentially starting WW3. Ally Sheedy is a little annoying as "the girl" he is trying to impress, but I don't know what other teen actress options they had back then. John Hurt is also good as the reclusive scientist, that typical sort that feels remorse inventing something that the government uses for destructive means.

The film just shows you how far along computers and technology have come, although the technology was portrayed as state of the art, the screens were were still primitive and memory limits were tiny compare to what we have now (the commentary track mentioned computers then had 256 K! Some files are even bigger than that, I can't imagine a whole computer could be that small).

There are many other character actors such as Barry Corbin as the bombastic colonel at NORAD and Maury Chaykin as a slobbery computer programmer.

The Nightcomers

In a Victorian England country estate, Flora and Miles' parents have died, but the staff and guardian don't seem to want to tell them. They also don't seem to want much responsibility, leaving the young kids in the hands of the governess, Miss Jessel (Stephanie Beacham), and the companionship of the gardener, Peter Quint (Marlon Brando). In fact, Quint is the one that tells the children of their parents' deaths.

When the film begins, Quint seems to have an affectionate relationship with the kids, he plays hide and seek for instance, but has sexual perversions that gradually reveal themselves to the audience.

The Spy Next Door

Kung fu action star Jackie Chan plays a nerdy neighbor, but is actually a CIA operative on loan from China.

Bix: An Interpretation of a Legend

This is a biopic on jazz cornetist Leon "Bix" Beiderbecke, who died young in 1931. He was born in Iowa (where his home is a historic building now) and spent some time in Illinois.

The Pope's Toilet

From the title, I thought this film would be a comedy in the vein of Big Night, where the community anticipate the Pope's visit and doesn't happen. It is an Uruguayan drama about one family with big dreams.

Straw Dogs

I was able to watch a preview screening of the new Straw Dogs last night. It's been a year or two since I saw the original movie. The two movies follow pretty much the same plot and elements. In fact, the new version says it's based on the previous movie and not the original book. I am comparing the current film with my remembrance of the last time I saw the original, so my memory may be a bit flawed.

Paul

Paul is recently out on DVD and is an example of how far reaching American culture has become.

Bad moviegoer!

I’m listening to a podcast about pop culture and one of the commenters is talking about why he is diminishing his movie watching at theatres as opposed to watching at home. Theatre patrons are essentially ruining the experience for him—texters, loud talkers, etc.—whereas he can have comforts at home and leave this rude behavior behind. It got me thinking about how theatres are managed. I watch a lot of movies, and I experience a lot of these same things. I try not to be the rude moviegoer, I think everyone is aware nowadays that celling and texting and other rude things should not be tolerated (although they are still tolerated to a great extent). Adding to the frustration is that theatre managers and film studios are thinking too much of themselves and not making it better for us. They are increasingly upcharging for 3-D (at the theatre I attended the other day there were four or five 3-D movies, several of which I have watched and none of which I think really needed or deserved to be). Management and studio security monitor for device use at preview screenings (to benefit themselves against piracy) but not the rest of the time when it it should be benefiting their customers.

I think it is not a secret anymore that customers are unhappy about 3-D upcharging, rudeness, device use by patrons. Why aren’t the powers that be addressing this? It’s like the bottom line is the all-encompassing goal. I know there is pressure to make the biggest profit possible.  Some screenings are barely attended, wouldn't it be better to make matinee prices even cheaper to get more people into seats, and potentially more popcorn and candy buyers?  There are some smaller theatre chains and local theatres trying to make it a better experience by offering better food options, better film options for their patrons, and engaging their customers with special events or giveaways rather than thinking solely of what the profits are.  As a result they earn their dollar as well as a better class of patrons who care about everyone's experience.

Greed is not good.

Past seven days

I devoted a couple days watching the third season of the TV show Chuck. Still, I managed to average over a movie a day (okay, two of these were short films, but that still leaves eight feature length films):

Chasing Sleep
Cold Weather
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Moneyball
Neds
Niagara Motel
The Lost Explorer
The Man Next Door
The Spaceship
Zazie Dans le Metro

Not the same old-same old: The Secret of Roan Inish / The Straight Story

Occasionally an artist will veer off the beaten path and surprise us with something totally unexpected of them. Two such examples are The Secret of Roan Inish and The Straight Story.

Everything old is new again: Sweeney Todd

How do actors interpret a character than has been done again and again? Shakespeare is the obvious artist who has been reinterpreted the most. What about Sweeney Todd?

Unconventional choices--Bollywood Hero / Observe and Report / Funny People

I happen to think it is easier for comedic actors to transition to drama than the other way around. Comedy timing and delivery I think is hard to learn, whereas we have have had some level of dramatic experience in our lives.

Unfinished--Finding Amanda and Casshern

Have you ever tried to watch something but just couldn't finish it? Walked out on a movie at the theatre because it was so bad?

The Damned United / Moneyball

I was thinking of The Damned United when watching a preview screening of Moneyball the other day. Both follow a similar theme and both are based on a true-life character.

State-funded arts foundations

Watching a lot of foreign and small movies, I wonder at how many companies it takes fund some of these films. I am surprised there are still some state foundations able to find money to fund the arts. I've kept my eye out, but haven't seen, to my recollection, any U.S. foundations. I've seen the National Film Board of Canada, the UK Film Council, to name a couple off the top of my head.  Can anyone name any others?

Rough Cut

I'm still waiting for the day when North Korea will tear down their walls and get with the rest of the world. I've been looking around for films from North Korea but have been unable to find any that I can access.  It would be very interesting to see what their feature films are like, or if they are still in the propaganda vein.  In the meantime, we have an increasing roster of films from South Korea.
In Rough Cut, a mid-level gangster unwittingly becomes an actor. He is a fan of a famous action star, and spies him at a club. He sends some minions to get the star’s autograph, but the star is haughty and sends them back. The gangster finally goes himself, and puts the action star in his place.

The action star’s latest film is delayed several times when he gets too caught up in stunts and hits his costars for real, who refuse to continue acting with him. He gets the bright idea to hire the gangster instead, since he is used to fighting for real and won’t complain.

Current legendary American actor

The other day I was discussing something about Marilyn Monroe with a friend and she mentioned the film Monroe did with Laurence Olivier, The Prince and the Showgirl.  It started me thinking about how an esteemed and renowned actor would do a movie with the word "Showgirl" in it (no, not Kyle MacLachlan) and then my mind moved to, "Who is America's current living legendary actor?"  Certainly with the recent announcement that Meryl Streep was chosen for a Kennedy Center Honor is another point in her favor, although a lot of her recent work doesn't match up to the heavy and relevant dramas of her earlier years. 

Who else has had an equally long career of iconic roles?  Do you choose, like Streep, an actor whose worthy roles were earlier in their career (like Pacino, DeNiro)?  Or do you choose a more recent notable like Phillip Seymour Hoffman, but does he yet have the longevity of a Streep?  Must someone be consistently stellar?  Lots of questions.

Past seven days

I watched Scott Pilgrim (again! that makes eight times I've watched this) at Columbia College's Cinema Slapdown, where after watching the film, two debaters take a pro and con view of the film.  Suffice it to say, lots of fun and a volatile discussion.

California Dreamin'
Contagion
Gates of Heaven
Little Big Soldier
One Week
Our Idiot Brother
Rapt
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
The Pope's Toilet
Zero Effect

Forks Over Knives

Forks Over Knives is a documentary proposing that a vegan diet will solve all our worries—health, economy, environment. Made by Lee Fulkerson, a TV writer and director and maker of documentaries. The main subjects are two doctors who concurrently but separately came to the same conclusion in the 50s-70s—a vegetarian/plant based diet is healthier. Some of the health claims made is stopping advancement of cancer, turning around heart disease. Also profiled are some ordinary people who went on doctor-regulated vegan diets (including the filmmaker) who found their energy was higher and health was better. One man taking many medications had a goal to get off his medication, which he attributes to his new diet. Data from different countries show how those with high animal product diets (namely America) tend to have higher levels of heart disease, cancer, pollution, etc. There are also allegations that industry is influencing politicians and thus perpetuating this sort of bad lifestyle in the mantra of making money.

While the film is competently made, I don’t think this is new news to industrialized countries; most people know these types of facts, it is more a matter of convincing people to follow this type of living, which in America I don’t think is going to happen anytime soon.

Little Big Soldier

Jackie Chan plays his typical character, a humble farmer, who is thrust into a situation where he has to defend himself, often keeping his humility despite the hard circumstances. The setting this time is a war between the Liang and Qi soldiers several centuries B.C. Jackie Chan plays “Little Soldier,” a farmer turned soldier. After a reciprocal massacre between the two factions, there are very few survivors, just Little Soldier who is a Qi and a Liang general who is injured. Little Soldier really just wants to return to his farm, but he suspects he will get a reward or ransom for the general. It becomes somewhat a road movie of this odd couple as Little Soldier’s humility rubs off on the arrogant general.

Along the way they meet Mongols (?) and other frenemies, and many poor people who betray Little Soldier’s kindnesses, but throughout Little Soldier remains humble.

While Chan doesn’t do a lot of martial arts in this film, there is enough of his slapstick moves and comedy to satisfy fans. The historical epic-ness and large scale battle scenes are kept to a minimum and is focused more on the two main characters, although that needed a bit more development for the general to more convincingly see the error of his ways. I would like to see Chan really challenge himself with something outside his stock character. The film looks very good and fight sequences as often with Chan are well choreographed.

Zero Effect

This modern film noir that got me thinking--what was Sherlock Holmes like as a kid?  Was he a loner who spent a lot of time reading chemistry books and books about new world adventures like The Voyage of the Beagle or books by James Cook?  Was he on the school's cricket team?  Did he have girlfriends?  Or did he, like the brilliant detective in this story, Daryl Zero, have a traumatic childhood as the film suggests?

One Week

A young man is told he has a terminal illness and takes time to experience life before his time expires. Joshua Jackson plays the lead character of Ben Tyler. After told of his illness, Ben buys a motorcycle on a long repressed whim and leaves his bewildered family and fiancée behind, who can’t understand why he distances himself from them or take any action concerning his illness. They can’t understand what Ben is doing IS his action. He motors across Canada to see the country and to seek and share what he hopes are meaningful experiences. A narrator (Campbell Scott) tells us here and there how Ben’s actions impacts the lives of strangers he meets, in small but sometimes meaningful ways.

Rapt

A French suspense film, Rapt concerns the kidnapping of a businessman for ransom. Stan (Yvan Attal) is the Chairman of a wealthy company in Paris, but he is not a very noble person. With a mistress and a heavy gambling habit, his family, friends and business associates have a lot of options as to the motives of the kidnappers.

Salt of the Earth

In honor of Labor Day, I encourage you to watch Salt of the Earth.  For someone like me who works in an office and haven't had to deal with a lot of working class struggle, I found this film genuine and involving.

Before Norma Rae, before Matewan, even before Martin Luther King, was Salt of the Earth. This movie will continue to be a timely topic as long as there are class struggles and new citizens coming to the U.S. (even though the New Mexicans portrayed in this film are citizens). Based on a real life strike.

Past seven days

Bronchitis hasn't slowed me down! I am checking out more film fest calendars. In the meantime, here is what I did the past seven days since my last Past Seven Days post:

Catching Hell
Crime After Crime
Gunless
Makioka Sisters
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Paa
Refrigerator Mothers
The Pale Horse
The Storm