Greenway closing

It's official.

Greenway Theater is closing at the end of 2007.

The last show is Margot at The Wedding, at 7:20 pm on December 31st.

January 7th, 2008

Due to extenuating circumstances, our next meeting will not be until January 7th. As for what will be watched at 8pm on that day, I give you this:



I wanted to show this instead but I couldn't find the DVD anywhere:

12.10.07 @ Rory's

For my pick this coming Monday evening I have selected the 1991 film Barton Fink. I don't know a lot about it other than one of the themes is writer's block so I'm kind of going into it blind but I do know that it is one of the most highly regarded films in the Coen brothers oeuvre. No Country for Old Men, one of my favorite movies of 2007 (so far), convinced me that I need to be fully fluent in the Coen brothers. Paper Moon is going to be a hard act to follow, though. I intend to pick My Left Foot (starring Daniel Day-Lewis) next time so if someone comes up to you in a dark alley or approaches you at a party and asks if you want to see it you should just say no.

8:00 PM. Pizza and drinks will be provided. It's just going to be Coca-Cola unless I get some requests for alcohol.

12/3 - Paper Moon

Paper Moon

1973/B&W/102 minutes

I love this movie, the same way I love Bergman's Winter Light. It blew me away the first time I watched it. Everything in the movie just feels so right and they all come together perfectly-- the acting (Ryan and Tatum O'Neal & co.), the production design (American Midwest in the Depression Era), the music, the gorgeous deep-focus B&W cinematography by Lazlo Kovacs (Easy Rider, The Last Waltz), the charming story of a bible-selling con man with his smart-ass daughter and Peter Bogdanovich's vision for the movie. 

I want every single one of you to be there at Joe's on Monday. I would like to watch this film again, with you.

"Coney Island ain't no good without relish"

(Hot dogs will be served. Any vegetarians?)

Belle de Jour

"Beauty of the Afternoon" A 60's housewife obsessed with being dominated. Fun for all!

My address:
1503 Michigan St
Houston TX 77006
*Our door is the blue door.
Call me if you get lost-- 713-304-7840

Come hungry. I'll have pizza and coke.

I'm glad there's a writers' strike because...

one of movies that has to postpone its production is 9, an adaptation of a broadway musical based on an italian play which is actually based on Fellini's 8 1/2. With songs named "My Husband Makes Movies", I only wish this movie will never be made.

MONDAY! MONDAY MONDAY!

The Power of Nightmares part 3, selections from Wholphin.
My house.
Pizza.
Soda and beer and water and chocolate soy milk and juice.
VIRGIL.
-Austin

MOViES Closing

It's a sad day for Houston.

From Rob:

"Dear customers,

After weeks of seeking out investors, struggling to make ends meet and down right being left without a penny to my name, the store will begin the process of closing this Saturday.

This is very, very difficult decision for me. I'm not only letting myself down, but the hundreds of people who have come to appreciate our little shop. Over the last year, I have met some of the most incredible, thoughtful and caring people in my life. Your patronage through the tough times gave me the courage to continue working. When I was having a bad day, several of you would come through and just turn that around. With either your conversation, your smile or even just your presence, you made it easier. You were all a constant reminder why this venture seemed right.

The store isn't closing because of competition or lack of customers. In fact, from Nov. 1st thru the 13th, we opened 35 new accounts, pushing us over 800 members. With Cactus Music now reopened, we're receiving plenty of referrals from them. The one and only reason we're closing was because I didn't save enough money in the beginning. The capital that I had just wasn't enough to get us through. The most frustrating part about this is that the store continues to grow at a pace that would have gotten us out of the red in a few months.

To even consider staying open, the store needs about $6,000 over the next week. But that's just for our immediate debt. To really make a difference in the store, we would need about $20,000 - $25,000. That sum would dramatically increase our inventory, take care of our food permit/stock and give our front signage a complete overhaul. Believe me, I have exhausted any and all possibilities of additional funds.

Beginning on Saturday, we will no longer offer rentals. All inventory will be priced out to sell.

Catalog - $5.00 a piece (except for criterion and television)

New Releases - $8.00 a piece

I wish I could go lower, but whatever we end up with will be divided among my creditors.

Thank you all again for your patronage over the last year. This was an incredible experience, one I will always remember. Mostly in a good way.

Sincerely,

Rob Arcos"

Tonight

Sorry everyone, but I need to cancel movie night at my house tonight. I've been pretty sick all weekend, and still don't really feel up to having people over (who I would probably just get sick) and eating dairy products.
I can pick up next week, or we can move on, or whatever. I just can't handle it with a fever right now. Cowbell only makes it worse.
Sorry everyone,
AUSTIN

11/5/07: Veronica Lake's on the take!

SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS
1941, written & directed by Preston Sturges

Since we recently saw Day for Night, I thought we might watch another of the classic "movie-about-a-movie" movies, Sullivan's Travels. This film should help explain why Adam Sandler continues to get work.

Mac vs. PC

So, now that a higher percentage of us have had the pleasure of viewing this blog on both Mac OS and Windows (Francisco, Austin, and Brittany have made the switch), I feel I can finally comment on how much crappier this site looks on PC.

The text looks like total shit.

It's something I've thought for a while, but only now choose to verbalize for personal reasons.

10.29.07 Movie Night

Hey. Movie Night is at my place tomorrow. We're gonna watch the 1955 film Pather Panchali, directed by Satyajit Ray. This is the first film in Ray's acclaimed "Apu Trilogy". We'll be watching a bootleg DVD that I ordered online because it is not currently in print in the States. Why did I pick this movie? Two reasons. One is that I have been wanting to see it for a while - many directors and critics hold it in very high regard so I want to see what all the fuss is about. Two is that if Cinematheque Houston is truly about "presenting significant films from around the world" then India, with the second-highest population of any country in the world, has been under-represented so far and I wanted to rectify that.

See you on Monday at 8 pm.

Funny review on The Darjeeling Limited

Funny and insightful, unlike Ebert and Roeper:


and on Superbad:

see you at Joe's at 8 pm on Monday.

Free Screening: No Country for Old Men

Hey, guys. I just wanted to let you know that there will be a free screening of the new Coen brothers film, No Country for Old Men, at 11 a.m. Tuesday (tomorrow) at Angelika.

10/22 - La Nuit américaine

as in Day For Night in English

The title refers to the technique for filming night scenes during the day with the use of filters or other measures. It is Francois Truffaut's tribute to filmmaking.

Wes Anderson has paid homage to this film in his American Express Commercial, which features the music from La Nuit americaine:

Speaking of Wes Anderson, here is one of the few new commercials he made:

10/15 - White Cane Safety Day

Celebrate the achievement of blind people, who cannot watch a movie.

That's mean.

To make it worse, we're going to have a movie night.

I think it is my turn this week. But the mystery remains, what are we going to watch?

Is it...

a) an American independent cinema classic
b) a foreign family comedy
c) a movie about making a movie

You decide.

This is da bomb!

with a 82-page book. Available on Tuesday.

10/8: The Power of Nightmares (parts 1 and 2)

"Baby, It's Cold Outside" and "The Phantom Victory" are the first two parts of Adam Curtis's three-episode documentary about terrorism and its "truthiness" (to borrow from Stephen Colbert).

I would show all three parts, but they are 59 minutes each. So, for my next selection, I'll show part three and a short film.

Some Indian flair for the evening.

Monsoon Wedding (2001) was directed by Mira Nair, and India-born, New York based film director. I have watched an interview with this director, and she stated that her goal of the movie was to let the viewer understand the dynamics of an Indian family amongst the chaos of an elaborate Indian wedding. There are several subplots, which keep the plot interesting and humorous. This movie, like most Indian films, has alot of ethnic music throughout. I liked it so much, in fact, that I bought the soundtrack and I rock out to it in my car every now and then. I'll bring the CD, in case anyone wants to copy it so they can nerd out and listen to it in their car too. Enjoy!

Hotel Chevalier

Wes Anderson's 13-minute short film Hotel Chevalier is free on iTunes but you need to have a pansy ass iTunes account to download it. Personally, I refuse to hand over my credit card information to Steve "Blow" Jobs. So I am not able to download it. I would appreciate it if anyone can share their download with me.

iTunes lick balls.

9/24

Sept. 24th, 2007
8pm

Two-Lane Blacktop on Criterion

Weeks after talking with Caitlin about this movie, Criterion is releasing it in this coming December. I don't know what superpower she has to summon a release, but it's pretty cool.

9/17 - I Pugni in Tasca

My pick for Monday is I Pugni in Tasca, or, Fists in the Pocket.

From The New York Times:
Considered one of the great lost classics of Italian neo-realism, this bleak drama was the debut feature of filmmaker Marco Bellocchio. Lou Castel stars as Alessandro, an epileptic from a large family of similarly afflicted siblings, headed up by a blind matriarch (Liliana Gerace). The only healthy member of the family is Alessandro's brother Augusto (Marino Mase), who wants to marry his girlfriend but refuses to saddle a bride with the enormous burden of helping to care for his ailing relatives. Sympathetic to Augusto's plight, Alessandro decides to murder the rest of the family so as to set his brother free and assure him of an inheritance. After hurling his mother into a ravine and drowning his little brother, Alessandro returns home to suffer a seizure. Long hailed by critics and historians as an unjustly ignored film, I Pugni in Tasca (1965) was one of 15 titles selected by New York's Museum of Modern Art for its "Second Act" retrospective of post-war Italian cinema in the spring of 2000.

I'll be showing it at 8 p.m. Monday, unless anyone has a scheduling conflict, and there will be pizza/drinks. I don't think most of you know where my new place is, but I'll get a hold of you to give directions. See you then! (Unless anyone wants to see 3:10 to Yuma this weekend. In that case, give me a call and I'll see you before then.)

9.10.07 Movie Night @ Rory's

Hey everybody. I am still waiting for my bootleg copy of the 1955 Indian film Pather Panchali (dir. by Satyajit Ray). If it doesn't arrive in the mail tomorrow then we'll watch the 1976 film Taxi Driver (dir. by Scorsese), which was just re-released on DVD. If we watch Taxi Driver then we'll watch Pather Panchali for my next pick. I'll explain why I selected the movie (whichever one we end up seeing) in person on Monday night.

Thanks for giving me a reason to clean my apartment. See you at 8 PM on Monday at my tiny hovel on the west side.

New List

beginning September 10th:

Rory
Caitlin
Jason
Brittany
Joe
Austin
Jennifer
Francisco

9/3 - Winter Light

Winter Light

Directed by Ingmar Bergman

80 minutes

Sweden

Berg-man strikes again! After viewing this film 2 weeks ago, I just could not get it out of my head. I empathize with the feelings conveyed by this film. The movie speaks to me.

From Criterion.com:

“God, why did you desert me?” With Winter Light, master craftsman Ingmar Bergman explores the search for redemption in a meaningless existence. In this stark depiction of spiritual crisis, small-town pastor Tomas Ericsson (Gunnar Björnstrand) performs his duties mechanically before a dwindling congregation. When he is asked to assist with a troubled parishioner’s (Max von Sydow) debilitating fear of nuclear annihilation, Tomas is terrified to find that he can provide nothing but his own uncertainty. Beautifully photographed by Sven Nykvist, Winter Light is an unsettling look at the human craving for personal validation in a world seemingly abandoned by God.

It is also one of Bergman's personal favorite:

"I think I have made just one picture that I really like, and that is Winter Light. That is my only picture about which I feel that I have started here and ended there and that everything along the way has obeyed me. Everything is exactly as I wanted to have it, in every second of this picture"

9/3, 8:00pm, Joe's place. Pizza and drinks.

Can I be back in the club?

Hey, guys. It's been a while...
So, I know that I don't regularly attend movie night, but I'd like to be added to the rotation. I can't guarantee that I'll make it every time, but I'll make the ones I host (obviously) and should be able to make it to most others. What do you all think? I'm not sure what the order is, or really even what day you have it on now, but just let me know what weekend works for me to host.
Caitlin

So...

...Movie Night is at my house on Monday night.

I have class until about 7:45, so if you don't mind, please show up around 8:30 instead of eight. This was kind of unexpected, but I did get a copy of the new R. Kelly. So, we can decide between that or a few selections from Cinema 16, the collection of European shorts that Brian sent me a few weeks ago.

See you then.

IFC x R.Kelly

The new chapters of R.Kelly's Trapped In The Closet is set to come out on DVD this week. In the meantime, IFC.com is releasing one new chapter everyday until the DVD hits the store. So go check it out.

IFC and R.Kelly? WTF?

I saw the first three chapters but I have to say it is not as fucking crazy as I hope it would be.

netflix

Netflix is definitely testing my limit. After I reported a disc missing today, they put my account on hold and tell me to call them.

I was thinking, "Is Netflix trying to persuade me to become a Blockbuster customer?"

8/20: Till glädje

Unless the newfound mass interest in Ingmar Bergman's films prevents me from finding this DVD, we'll watch this on MONDAY 8/20 at 8pm, my place:



TO JOY (Till glädje)
a film by Ingmar Bergman
1949, 99 min.

Here's what the american distributor of the DVD has to say about it:
"An orchestra violinist's dreams of becoming a celebrated soloist and fears of his own mediocrity get in the way of his marriage to the patient, caring Marta. Played out to the music of Beethoven, To Joy is a heartbreaking tale of one man's inability to overcome the demons standing in the way of his happiness."

The name To Joy comes from Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy', from his Ninth Symphony (which the horrendous movie Copying Beethoven claims was actually written by Beethoven's copyist, who was - gasp - a woman. I know what you're thinking, "a female copyist?! has the world gone topsy-turvy?!" Well, that's what Beethoven thought at first, too). Anyway, I had originally thought about trying to present this as a companion piece to Amadeus since they both deal with the struggle with mediocrity, self-doubt, and envy (and classical music), but it seems that everyone has either seen Amadeus or doesn't really have much interest in sitting through a 3-hour-long movie about a classical composer.

Anyway, To Joy doesn't need any companion pieces to be a great film. Hopefully everyone will find it truly edifying.

August Tw'elf in the year of our lord 2007

WESTWORLD

I know you guys are all like up on the edge of your seats and shit to see what I pull out of my velvety sack for movie night, but you just have to wait till the last minute for good things sometimes.

Westworld is written and directed by Michael Crichton and based on his 107-page pulp novel with a plot that may sound familiar: a dangerous theme park where nothing could possibly go wrong!

Theme parks like Disneyworld, Legoland and the Vatican contrive a Utopian bubble that ensures a branded experience for every visitor, however we all know what happens to bubbles.

As always, pizza and cola will be provided and the time will be 8.

Thank you and enjoy your visit!

Be Kind Rewind

If you visit yahoo regularly, you probably noticed this new Michel Gondry movie trailer already:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809761737/trailer


On an unrelated note, this week is Jason's movie night, right?

What's New?

I figured they would have stopped making movies altogether after The Simpsons, but these trailers prove otherwise.

Goya's Ghosts - Milos Forman's new film (first Courtney Love, now Natalie Portman. when is he gonna learn?)

Lust, Caution - Ang Lee's new film starring Tony Leung

The Darjeeling Limited - Wes Anderson

No Country for Old Men - The Coen Brothers

King of Kong – documentary from Seth Gordon

The Boss of it All – a comedy by Lars von Trier

Margot at the Wedding – Noah Baumbach's new film

There Will Be Blood – P.T. Anderson does Days of Heaven

Day Night Day Night - another film (see Paradise Now) about a suicide bomber's last days

2 Days in Paris - another film about Paris

No End In Sight - another film about the U.S.' failed "strategy" in Iraq

This Is England - another film about English skinheads who take in a kid who doesn't fit in anywhere else

8.5.07

If my calculations are correct then it is time for me to select the next film and host the next screening. I have selected the 1944 film "Double Indemnity" directed by Billy Wilder. According to Netflix, I should be getting it in the mail tomorrow. Here is a taste of what is in store for you (from Netflix):

Smitten insurance man Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) plots the perfect murder with femme fatale client Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck): Stage her husband's "accidental" death to collect double indemnity on his life insurance, then abscond with the loot. But the lethal duo must first get past a crafty claims investigator (Edward G. Robinson) who senses something isn't kosher. What ensues is a cat-and-mouse game with fatal consequences.

The movie is 108 minutes of classic film-noir. Bring your appetite as pizza will be provided. If you can't come / don't intend to come then please let me know so I will know how much pizza to order. See you at 8:00 PM this Sunday, August 5.

Michelangelo Antonioni 1912-2007

from guardian unlimited:

"Michelangelo Antonioni, one of the most innovative and distinctive film-makers of the 20th century, has died at the age of 94. The Italian director died at his home in Rome on Monday evening, less than 24 hours after the death of Ingmar Bergman - that other great giant of European art-house cinema.

"Alongside his near contemporary Federico Fellini, Antonioni signalled a break with the "neorealist" style that flourished in Italy at the end of the second world war. In contrast to the working class parables of Vittorio De Sica and Roberto Rossellini, his films were cool and stylised, traditionally focusing on the experiences of an alienated bourgeoisie. Antonioni made his film debut with Cronaca di un amore in 1950. International success followed with the release of his classic L'Avventura in 1960."

Ingmar Bergman 1918-2007

from msn.com:

Swedish director Ingmar Bergman, an iconoclastic filmmaker widely regarded as one of the great masters of modern cinema, died Monday, the president of his foundation said. He was 89.

"It's an unbelievable loss for Sweden, but even more so internationally," Astrid Soderbergh Widding, president of The Ingmar Bergman Foundation, which administers the directors' archives, told The Associated Press.

Bergman died at his home in Faro, Sweden, Swedish news agency TT said, citing his daughter Eva Bergman. A cause of death was not immediately available.

"The Seventh Seal," released in 1957, riveted critics and audiences. An allegorical tale of the medieval Black Plague years, it contains one of cinema's most famous scenes — a knight playing chess with the shrouded figure of Death.

"I was terribly scared of death," Bergman said of his state of mind when making the film, which was nominated for an Academy Award in the best picture category.

MOVIE CHANGED- 7.29.07- Sansho the Bailiff (Sansho Dayu)

As you know (if you read this blog), I have trouble getting one of my short films on time. So I decided to pick another film I want to pick-- Sansho the Bailiff (aka Sansho Dayu). I'll postpone the four short films for my next pick.


"When an idealistic governor disobeys the reigning feudal lord, he is cast into exile, his wife and children left to fend for themselves and eventually wrenched apart by vicious slave traders. Under Kenji Mizoguchi’s dazzling direction, this classic Japanese story became one of cinema’s greatest masterpieces, a monumental, empathetic expression of human resilience in the face of evil." (from the DVD back cover)

"On its French release in 1960, Sansho the Bailiff was ranked by Cahiers du cinéma as the best film of the year, topping such classics as Breathless, L'avventura, and Psycho. Critics were struck by the film's gorgeous photography, elegant camerawork, and exotic settings and by Kenji Mizoguchi's signature use of imagery that quietly evokes a spiritual transcendence above the suffering of the material world. Unlike Akira Kurosawa's frequent use of close-ups and fast-paced editing, Mizoguchi, here as elsewhere, keeps his camera distant and his takes long, resulting in a contemplative style in which the characters' suffering and pain seem vivid, yet small compared with the immutability of the landscape." (allmovie.com)

Director: Kenji Mizoguchi (Japan)
Year: 1954
Length: 124 minutes

8 pm, Joe's place.

P.S.
I don't know how to fix the fucked up fonts on this post. Sorry, I tried.

7.29.2007- Four Selected Short Films

They are not exactly short- all four are approximately in the 30-minute range. These films are not related, but you can probably see some subtle connections between them. Truffaut and Rohmer are both part of the French New Wave. Wong's films are heavely influenced by the New Wave. Surrealist Teshigahara shakes off his usually experimental style in Ako, with a hint of New Wave influence. I have only watched one out of the four (Antoine and Collette).

Antoine and Collette (from the film Love at 20, by Francois Truffaut). The second installments of the Antoine Doinel series by Francois Truffaut follows the 17-year-old Antoine's awkward romantic pursuit of Collette.

The Bakery Girl of Monceau (by director Eric Rohmer). A young university student is initially attracted to a girl he sees on the street. While searching for her over several days, he makes frequent stops to a bakery. When he finally finds the girl and arranges a date, it conflicts with the date he has made with the bakery salesgirl. (from allmovie.com)

Ako- White Morning (by director Hiroshi Teshigahara and writer Kobo Abe). A sixteen-year-old working in a bread factory, as its protagonist, White Morning is a cinema verité-style portrayal of what it was like being young in the sixties (Japan). Based around sketches of Ako’s days off spent with her boyfriend, White Morning is a collage of daily work in the factory and young Ako’s comments on her life.

The Hand (from the film Eros, by director Wong Kar-Wai). A young dressmaker's assistant finds it difficult to control his desire when he is sent to the home of a beautiful and refined prostitute, for a fitting. (from allmovie.com)

A quick poll for a potential pick

I may or may not pick this film, but I am curious to who all has seen the 1984 Disney film Tron with Jeff Bridges? It's the first feature-length film to incorporate CGI, and one of my favorite movies.

Just curious!

7/15 - He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

He/She Loves Me, He/She Loves Me Not or effeuiller la marguerite (in French) is a game of French origin, in which one person seeks to determine whether the object of his or her affection returns that affection or not.

Director: Laetitia Colombani
Release Date: March 27 2002 (France)
Running Time: 92 minutes


He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not stars Audrey Tautou as Angelique, a woman in love with a married cardiologist. From two very different perspectives, a romance is revealed which charts the relationship between Angelique, a young French student, and Loic, the married doctor. Though Angelique attempts to get Loic to leave his wife and run away with her to Florence, Loic sees Angelique's "love" in quite a different light.


The film will be showing this Sunday at 5115 Jackson St #2 at 8 p.m. sharp. Good food and ice cold beverages will be provided. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. See you then!

Edward Yang 1947- 2007

Edward Yang, whose movie "Yi Yi" was picked by Rory on movie night, died on Friday June 29. He was 59 years old.

Yang was an engineer before he started making movies. According to Yahoo! News, Yang once said in an interview, "On my 30th birthday, I suddenly said to myself, 'Damn, I'm getting old!' I realized that I had to change my life. I needed to start doing something that I could enjoy and through which I could feel fulfilled."

It is very sad that he died at such a relatively young age. Yi Yi is a phenomenal movie. I also like his 4-hour long epic "A Brighter Summer Day" a lot.

(I'm faster than criterion.com, again)

July Once, Two Thousand the Seventh- "Battle Royale," or "A Study in Competitive Human Survival Instinct "

The Beast is a wild creature held captive to his instincts. He gnashes his teeth at mother moon and howls for his birth rite of bloodied organic meats. The Beast rends flesh from bone to survive with no loyalties to IKEA. Man, the master of steel and fire is a beast in his own right, but hides his fang behind the name-badge of courtesy and city states.

However, man must please his inert beastly desires. Man must run and leap at mother moon for his own organic feasts. Man must sweat for survival beyond the corners of his pueblos and particleboard cubicles. He must feel the flow of blood between his veins and the veins of what he desires, and spill that blood upon the rocks of battle. Man must versus man to belong to this living world. Man must take part in BATTLE ROYALE!!!



(From battleroyalefilm.net)
Battle Royale, a film by the veteran Japanese director Kinji Fukasaku, tells the story of a dystopic future in which each year, a randomly-selected 9th grade class is kidnapped and sent to a deserted island where they are equipped with weapons and are forced to kill each other until one survivor is left. The movie, which premiered in Japan on December 16, 2000 amidst much controversy, is based on a bestselling novel by Koushun Takami.

Preceding the film will be an excerpt from the G4 released series, Ninja Warrior, and other Japanese challenge shows.

BANZAI!!! \(^o^\)(/^.^)/

As always, food and drink will be provide, to satisfy the desires for man's organic feasts!!!

Be at 5115 Jackson Number 2 at 8 pm SHARP or Jennifer will BATTLE ROYALE on your head

Countries we've conquered

* I put "Israel" for Paradise Now because the website does not include Palestine.

AFI's new 100

The American Film Institute has released their new list of 100 greatest American movie. Citizen Kane is still no.1. You can check out the list from my least favorite website.

I'm sure we all have our own opinion. And I'm sure Joe would think it is stupid for them to drop Amadeus from the list. City Lights, which Rory picked for movie night, is no.11. Other past movie night picks on the list include High Noon (no.27) and Sunrise (no.82).

Other "great" picks on the list include Titanic, Toy Story, ET, Tootsie, Saving Private Ryan, The Sixth Sense and Lord of The Rings. No disrespect to these movies, but top 100 American film of all time? come on.

I don't see any cassavetes' or documentaries on the list.

6/24 - The Blue Kite

The Blue Kite
Year: 1993
Running time: 138 minutes
Country: China

I've always wanted to pick a movie from China, since we have yet to show any movie from this very big country. Personally, I have only watched a handful of movies from China and this is probably my favorite. I like it for its honest portrayal of harsh lives of the people living under the 50s/60s Maoist government, as the country goes through the disastrous "Cultural Revolution." I also like the style of the film a lot, how it focuses on the simple events of daily life. The electric guitar soundtrack by Japanese experimental musician Yoshihide Otomo adds to the melancholy and somber atmosphere of the film.

Here's what allmovie.com says:

"Tian Zhuangzhuang, a charter member of China's politically beleaguered, so-called Fifth Generation of Directors (along with Ju Dou's Zhang Yimou), made this film about the gradual disintegration of an entire family targeted by Mao's political reformation movements of the '50s and '60s. Told in a series of three stories, the audience sees the little boy Tietou and his mother try and try again to rebuild their lives from the ashes left them by the madness of the era. Director Tian works from a palette of primary colors on widescreen images that are often fixed in an icy-white Kubrickian glare of omnipresent paranoia. Yet much of The Blue Kite is resplendent with palpable signs of ordinary life: noisy kids, happy weddings, loud mealtimes. Tian amplifies the human element of these heady days, so that viewers may genuinely feel the humanity ripped from this story as events overtake and shatter all hope."

see you at Joe's. at 8 pm.

Please give me a call at your earliest convenience if you cannot attend.

6.17.07 Movie Night

Join me in my small-ass apartment this Sunday at 8:00 PM for your weekly Movie Night fix. As always, pizza will be provided and I will have Coca-Cola and St. Arnold's beer to wash it down. In my continuing mission to expose the group to films from some of the greatest directors of all-time I have selected the 1967 film "Persona" to represent the Swedish director Ingmar Bergman.

Synopsis from Netflix:
"To achieve more effective treatment, a nurse (Bibi Andersson) and her patient (Liv Ullmann), an actress who's lost the power of speech, check into a private cottage by the sea. Isolated from most of the rest of society, the two women become co-dependent and insanely jealous of each other."

The movie is 83 minutes so perhaps we can also play some Tetris, Dr. Mario, and / or other 2-player video games before and / or after the movie. For my next pick I will be selecting the film noir classic "Double Indemnity".

Proposal

Here's my proposal:

We meet every Sunday at 8pm.

rotation goes as follows:
Rory
Francisco
Jason
Joe
Jennifer
Austin

Let's hear your thoughts.

Mon. 6/11 (8pm) - Trapped in the Closet

I believe Amazon.com said it best:

"Trapped in the Closet is a a work of unadulterated, if perhaps unintentional, genius which rests comfortably alongside the work of Bunuel and Dali. What begins as a stereotypical melodrama quickly escalates into an epic farce which gleefully subverts our conception of what is possible and impossible. Lines like "he's opening the dresser / I pull out my berreta" and "then the midget takes his inhaler out" elevate R. Kelly's meisterwerk into storytelling genius. The subtle touches, like the fact that the midget has asthma, or that the Cop's wife is allergic to cherry pie, are like the details in a Bosch, giving life to the hellscape of modern life and revealing to us, in an age when we find ourselves drawn increasingly apart, that we are all connected in ways which may never be revealed to us, until we are forced into the closet by the unexpected arrival of a one night stand's spouse. R. Kelly's narrative interludes, delivered from inside the closet, remind us of the intent of the artist in orchestrating events, and casts R. Kelly into the mold of a sympathetic but ultimately helpless creator. By revealing to the audience both his control over evetns and his ultimate helplessness, he reminds us strikingly of Humbert Humbert in his asides to the jury.

Also, the most important thing to remember while watching is that R. Kelly peed on a 14 year old girl."

Shirt Idea

At our last movie night, we discussed the possibility of making V-Neck shirts, and I think we should definately do it. A lot of people haven't seen the logo that Joe made, either, so I put together this prototype of the shirt.





It doesn't have to be white, but white seemed the most sensible. Here is the American Apparel website for V-Necks: http://store.americanapparel.net/2456.html#i

I really think we should have the V-Neck shirts; they look very tennis player, especially with the logo, and we jujst so happen to play (virtual) tennis every few movie nights!

Let me know what you guys think. Joe, Jason, and I all know how to do silk-screening, so the only costs would really be the $15 for the shirts and everyone could pitch in for the necessary chemicals.

6/3 Dogville

Dogville is a 2003 film written and directed by Lars von Trier. Even though this is pretty recent, I believe this is a great film and I’m excited that, aside from Rory, no one else has seen it.

“DOGVILLE is shot exclusively in studio with a minimum of props allowing the actors' maximum freedom and full exposure inspired by televised theatre of the 70s.”

The viewing will be held at the following address: 5115 Jackson St #2 Houston, Texas 7004

Dogville Stew will be served, so bring your f-ing appetite.

Joe Ross (what a smart guy) suggested changing the hour we meet and I’m all for it. The reason for the suggested time change is due to the fact that when we arrive at our weekly destination we converse, eat and don’t end up getting to the film till around 10. Please note this film is 178 minutes and you are more than welcomed to arrive early. In fact, please arrive at 8 p.m. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated. Hasto Domingo!

Olga Schoberová

Because I think she's really beautiful, and we just watched Lemonade Joe in which she played Joe's love interest. Olga Schoberová on the cover of Playboy, March 1964 - the same year Lemonade Joe was released.

Up next

I know it won't be my pick for a few more weeks but I want to let all concerned parties know that I intend to select Ingmar Bergman's 1966 film "Persona" next. Hopefully not too many of y'all have seen it. If it is next in your queue you may want to hold off on watching it until we have movie night at my place again.

Errol Morris' Miller High Life commercials

or: something for Joe to do at work.

His official website has a page of over 80 commericals for Miller High Life beer, which are pretty good (misogyny aside).

http://www.errolmorris.com/commercials/miller.html

My favorite is "Bounty." Although, admittedly, I haven't yet watched them all.

Be sure to also check out the PBS commercials, especially "Light" and "Photobooth."

5/28: Czech New Wave Trilogy, Part II

It's that time again, folks. Keep in mind that in addition to pizza I will be supplying Czech beer for the drunks among us and lemonade for those of us who don't dig on hops (for explanation, see below).

LEMONADE JOE
1964, directed by Oldrich Lipsky



Lemonade Joe will be the second installment of the Czech New Wave Trilogy. Good times should be had by all attendees. Bear in mind that the current DVD release features a less-than-desirable print of the film which has been poorly cropped from widescreen into full screen. Unfortunate as this is, it's not unwatchable and I don't think there will be another DVD release in the near future.

"This Czechoslovakian spoof of classic Hollywood Westerns features hookers with hearts of gold, evil cattle rustlers, heroic duels and the title character -- a sweet, teetotaling cowboy. When alcoholic villains threaten a gorgeous temperance crusader at the Trigger Whiskey Saloon, Lemonade Joe (Karel Fiala) comes to the rescue. Oldrich Lipsky, the artistic director of Prague's Satirical Theater, helms this silly song-filled send-up."
-netflix.com

Czechoslovak New Wave Trilogy
Part I: INTIMATE LIGHTING (1965)
Part II: LEMONADE JOE (1964)
Part III: THE SHOP ON MAIN STREET (1965)

Criterion Geeks

Besides visiting this blog three times a day, this Criterion forum has been my favorite website lately. It is basically a message board ran by a bunch of movies geeks. There is a thread on every Criterion title (even the yet-to-be released ones). They even have sections for other brands like Fox, Warner and the Masters of Cinema Series (something like a UK Criterion).

I like the forum because I want to see people telling me about the DVDs if I am going to make a purchase. Also, they have a lot of extra knowledge that I would not be able to find otherwise. Some people were talking about how Criterion inserted random postcards of their cover art in random Criterion titles. My favorite part is they have a list of titles expected to be forthcoming from Criterion, but has yet to be officially announced. These people got the information from Criterion's newsletters, blog and even emails from the staff. I'm very happy to see the following titles on the list:

Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless (finally, a Criterion for this French New Wave classic, possibly 2007)

Akria Kurosawa's Drunken Angel (one of the first Kurosawa masterpiece, possibly 2007)

Masaki Kobayashi's The Human Condition Trilogy (early 2008)

Nagisa Oshima's Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (David Bowie + Ryuichi Sakamoto = Opposing officers in POW camp = hidden homosexual attraction)

Jim Jarmusch's Night On Earth

Louis Malle's Le Feu Follet (I don't think they have enough information about the possibility of this release, but I'm very interested)

and a possible Mikio Naruse boxset

Apparently, there is quite a debate and speculation about what title is gonna be Criterion's spine number 400 (as if anyone cares). The interesting thing is Criterion announced their upcoming titles on their page but the number 400 was left out (they have up to 402). Let's hope it is going to be Breathless, or something great.

On a side note, some of the messages on the message boards are so dumb and geeky, it's hilarious.

5/20 - Bob Le Flambeur

Yeah, it is French again. And yes, it is also a Criterion title. But we ain't no whore (as Rory put it), for we are not forced to sell our bodies and dignity for anything. Lucky me.

Back to the movie. I want to pick Bob Le Flambeur because it is arguably the first French New Wave movie. I think Joe knows a hell lot about the French New Wave, so I don't even bother to introduce the movement here (as this is just another "Joe and Francisco's conversation).

The story: Bob, who used to be a bank robber and now loses all his money to gambling, plans a casino heist with the help of some of his so-called friends. Sounds like Ocean's Eleven (or whatever number it is now)? Maybe. Afterall, this is also the first "heist" movie.

see you at Joe's on Sunday.

There are more people attending movie night now (a good thing). But I live in a tiny studio apartment. So I'll re-think my position on hosting movie night at my place in the future.

%

In response to some speculation regarding our possible alliance with Criterion Collection, Inc., I decided to post some statistics.

41.27% of the films we've watched have been Criterion titles.

58.73% of the films have been non-Criterion releases (meaning they were released by Warner Bros., Sony, Fox Family, etc.)

Considering we've only had 26 Criterion movie nights (out of a possible 63) and they've released 385 dvds, about 375 of which are considered 'worth watching,' I think we're doing pretty good as far as representing Warner, Sony, and Fox Family is concerned.

60 Years of Cannes

This year is the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival. Among the filmmakers who are attending Cannes this year, a few of them had had their films shown on Movie Night. Steven Soderbergh (Bubble) is having a world premiere for Ocean's Thirteen. Gus Van Sant's (Paris, Je t'aime) Paranoid Park is of the twenty films in competition. Wong Kar-Wai's (In The Mood For Love) English-language debut "My Blueberry Nights" is the opening film for the festival. The film features Norah Jones, Jude Law, David Stratharim, Rachel Weiz and Tim Roth (plus Chan Marshall of Cat Power?).

Again, I'm trying to report faster than criterion.com on related filmmakers. My last attempt was announcing the death of Robert Altman.

To answer Rory's question after every movie night:

If I am not mistaken, I'm going to pick for the next movie night.

I know it's just Monday, but let's play a little guessing game here.

Guess what movie will be picked for the next movie night?

Hints:
1. It is said to be the precursor of the French New Wave, if not the first French New Wave film.
2. It is black & white, made in 1955.
3. The director had a cameo role in an early Godard film.

I'll reveal the answer on Friday.

5.14.07 Movie Night

Ladies and gentlemen:
You are invited to attend a screening of the 1939 Jean Renoir film "La Grande Illusion" at the apartment of Rory Crossin. Pizza and beverages will be provided.

I've been meaning to select this film for a while. Basically my last few picks have all been films directed by highly regarded directors which I have read a lot about but have not yet had the pleasure of seeing.

My address is 764 International Blvd. Apt # 51. The zip code is 77024. My phone number is 713.447.8748. Parking is kind of tricky so call me if you have any questions.

See you on MONDAY evening.

5/6 Hearts and Minds

It's been a while since I've chosen a film- I think this is actually only the second or third time that I have. I chose Peter Davis' Hearts and Minds for a couple of reasons. I've been wanting to watch a documentary and I recently read the book Bloods, which is a collection of black Vietnam veterans' oral accounts of their experiences in Vietnam. Not only did they deal with the atrocities of the actual war, but they also delt with racism from their fellow soldiers and the knowledge that they were fighting for a country that was not fighting for them. It was a great book, and I wanted to learn more about the war and the events surrounding it, including its ties to the Cold War. Hearts and Minds seems to encompass all of that and more, and appears to be the most widely acclaimed documentary of the war. If any of you have already seen it please let me know because I can always pick another- I've got months of not choosing anything to make up for.


A landmark in documentary feature films, this Academy Award-winning documentary is an insightful critique of the US's cataclysmic involvement in Vietnam. The film exposes the duplicitous nature of the American government, obsessive in its quest to squelch Communism and advance its own imperialist agenda, documented here in a media-savvy trail of propaganda ranging from archival footage, excerpts from press conferences, newsreels, and clips from jingoistic Hollywood war pictures. Director Peter Davis also uses damaging interviews (including disturbingly racist comments from US soldiers and General William Westmoreland), pop music from the period, and material he shot himself in Vietnam to create an indelible visual essay against war. Eschewing narration, the film has a cinema verite style, which gains its power from juxtaposition and the severity of its images. Released only two short years after the January 1973 agreement that brought home U.S. troops, the film stands as one of the strongest films condemning the war and the America's involvement in it. HEARTS AND MINDS's title derives from a now-infamous speech given by former President Lyndon Johnson in which he stated, "The ultimate victory will depend on the hearts and minds of the people who actually live there."

20 Films (edited)

My annually revised all-time favorite films list has finally arrived... I found it impossible to narrow it down to 10, and the only way I managed 20 is by limiting myself to two films per director (hence the exclusion of Stolen Kisses) and no films under 10 years old (hence the exclusion of The Celebration, Rushmore, and films from the 21st century)... I also left out silent films

Citizen Kane (1941, Orson Welles)
The Bicycle Thief (1948, Vittorio De Sica)
The Third Man (1949, Carol Reed)
Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949, Robert Hamer)
Rashomon (1950, Akira Kurosawa)
Tokyo Story (1953, Yasujiro Ozu)
Paths of Glory (1957, Stanley Kubrick)
Wild Strawberries (1957, Ingmar Bergman)
The 400 Blows (1959, Francois Truffaut)
Jules and Jim (1962, Francois Truffaut)
My Life to Live (1962, Jean-Luc Godard)
8 1/2 (1963, Federico Fellini)
Dr. Strangelove (1964, Stanley Kubrick)
The Battle of Algiers (1966, Gillo Pontecorvo)
The Firemen’s Ball (1967, Milos Forman)
A Woman Under the Influence (1974, John Cassavettes)
Taxi Driver (1976, Martin Scorsese)
Amadeus (1984, Milos Forman)
Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985, Tim Burton)
Fargo (1996, Joel & Ethan Coen)

(edited: as I read back over this I realized I completely missed Wild Strawberries)

Scheduling

Cinematheque Houston Citizenry,

It seems the best way to go about addressing our scheduling issues would be to tackle it in a two-pronged manner.

First, we should have movie night EVERY OTHER SUNDAY. In my opinion, this should coincide with Rory's work schedule so that he can attend.

Second, we should have movie night EVERY OTHER MONDAY. The best way to do this whilst still carrying out our first objective would be to have the Monday movie nights on the Mondays that do not immediately follow a Sunday on which we held movie night.

Does this work for everyone?

Favorite Directors

It is always difficult to summarize all the movies we like into a list of 10. How about a list of favorite film directors? My basic criterion here is I have to watch at least 3 of the directors' films and I enjoy most of their works a lot. Here's my top 10 list and please post yours:

Orson Welles
Akria Kurosawa
Stanley Kubrick
Yasujiro Ozu
Federico Fellini
Francois Truffaut
Hayao Miyazaki
Jim Jarmusch
Wong Kar-Wai
Takeshi Kitano

I didn't put Martin Scorsese, even though I love Taxi Driver and Raging Bull a lot. His other movies are good too but I lost interest in his recent stuff. Godard is great, but sometimes he's too style-over-substance. Wes Anderson is on the bubble.... I don't watch enough David Lean, Kenji Mizoguchi and John Cassavetes movies, but I'm certainly interested. Other honorable mention: Pedro Almodovar, Hal Ashby, Michel Gondry, Edward Yang, Takashi Miike and probably more.

(next time, we'll talk about our favorite living/working directors)

Directions to Jason and Jennifer's for all attending parties

5115 Jackson #2

From Montrose: Left on Binz, Left on Jackson.
From 288: Exit Southmore, right on Southmore, right on Jackson, first house on the right.

This is my number: 979.235.7576

C'era una volta il West

Spaghetti Western DELUXE.

Director:
Sergio Leone

Writers:
Dario Argento (story) & Bernardo Bertolucci (story) ...

Release Date:
21 December 1968 (Italy)

Starring: Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards and CHARLES BRONSON

Never eat spaghetti on a first date.

conflicting schedule

Due to my new work scedule I will only be able to attend Movie Night every OTHER Sunday. This coming Sunday (4/29/07) will be the first I will not be able to attend due to this new schedule. I am trying to get a more agreeable schedule but until then I was wondering if we might be able to possibly change Movie Night to a different night on the weeks when I can't attend on Sunday. I don't want to inconvenience you but perhaps we could work something out that would work for everyone. What do you think?

4/22: Czech New Wave Trilogy, Part I

For my next three picks, I've chosen a trilogy of Czech New Wave films. Hopefully it'll be a fun adventure into the oft-overlooked "other" 1960s movement (the one that happened outside France).

Part I: INTIMATE LIGHTING (1965)



I chose Intimate Lighting as the first installment mostly because I've wanted to see it for quite some time and I can't hold out any longer. It was written by Ivan Passer and Jaroslav Papousek, Milos Forman's co-writers on Loves of a Blonde and The Firemen's Ball (both of which have been featured for movie night). It was also directed by Ivan Passer, who would later follow Forman to the USA to make films here (although obviously not as successfully). Intimate Lighting is often cited as one of the masterpieces of the Czech New Wave, and Milos Forman calls it one of his favorite films of all time.

Because Criterion Collection has decided, for some stupid reason, not to release Intimate Lighting on DVD, it's only available on VHS (the VHS was put out by Criterion Collection in 2000 - why not just put it out on DVD?). This means we'll have to watch it over at my place. Hopefully that's not a problem for anyone.

Czechoslovak New Wave Trilogy
Part I: INTIMATE LIGHTING (1965)
Part II: LEMONADE JOE (1964)
Part III: THE SHOP ON MAIN STREET (1965)

4/15 - Paris, Je T'aime

Tonight, we're screening "Paris, Je T'aime", which has not been not officially released in the United States yet. Here's a description from imdb:

Paris, je t'aime is about the plurality of cinema in one mythic location: Paris, the City of Love. Twenty filmmakers will bring their own personal touch, underlining the wide variety of styles, genres, encounters and the various atmospheres and lifestyles that prevail in the neighborhoods of Paris. Each director has been given five minutes of freedom, and we, as producers, carry the responsibility of weaving a single narrative unit out of those twenty moments. The 20 films will not appear in the order of the arrondissements, from one to twenty, but rather, in a pertinent narrative order, initially unknown to the audience. They will be fused together by transitional interstitial sequences, and also via the introduction and epilogue sequences of the feature film. Each transition will begin with the last shot of the previous film and will end with the first shot of the following film, and will have a threefold function: 1) The first is to extend the enchantment and the emotion of the previous segment, 2) The second is to prepare the audience for the surprise of the next segment, and 3) The third is to provide a general, comfortable and cohesive atmosphere to the feature film. The delightful and brief interludes of these transitions will enable the viewer to slide from one world to the next, featuring a recurring and unexpected character. This mysterious character is a witness to the Parisian life and helps create a continuous narration. It appears both in and in-between the films. In addition to the information these transitions will provide about the city and its people, their tone will be intentionally light often referring to famous scenes easily attributed to the history of Paris cinema. Similar specifications will be followed by the composer who will supervise the musical fusion between the films and the transitions as he creates the musical score of Paris, je t'aime. Considering the common theme of Paris and Love, the fusion between the films and the transitions, the fast pace of a fluid and complete storytelling, Paris, je t'aime will not be just another "anthology" picture. It will be a unique collective feature film that will constitute a two-hour cinematographic spectacle whose original structure will make for a dramatically different experience for its global audience. Written by Emmanuel Benbihy

La Strada/ Inland Whatever

As much as I've anticipated to see La Strada, I was still surprised by it in a nice way. It is heartbreaking and unique. Gelsomina is such a special character (looks & personality), she makes it impossible for the movie to be ordinary. The ironies in the film also make it very memorable.

I watched David Lynch's Inland Empire with Rory the other day. It is 3 hours long and it does not make any sense. Yeah, I fell asleep a couple times in the first 40 minutes, because I was tired and the movie is incomprehensible (as expected). It is 10 times more confusing than Muholland Drive. 90% of the time, the characters in the movie do not know what's going on. And from interviews I read, the lead actors (Laura Dern and the other dude) did not know what the movie is about when they filmed it. So basically, anyone who said the movie makes any sense is bullshit. I wouldn't mind watching parts of Inland Empire if it is 15 minutes long, as a short film. Yet having a 3-hour-long feature film with that kind of flow is unacceptable. Besides the "mind-bottling" nature of the movie, the constant influx of new characters only makes it more difficult for anyone to watch. However, the movie is so ridiculous I refused to go use the restroom in the middle of it because I did't want to miss any of the crazy shit. My only compliments would go to the haunting sounds of the film and how versatile Laura Dern was. Yet how dare so many critics (and even just random people on netflix) have such high praise for this movie. It is incomprehensible, purposely confusing and repetitive. Those out-of-focus super close-up shots got on my nerves too.

DVDs from Criterion that I have yet to watch

As you guys know, I've somehow befriended a gentleman who works for the marketing company that represents our favorite film publisher. When he can, he sends me the titles that I ask for, and even sets up interviews with the directors (like William Greaves). He also sends me films that I don't ask for and wouldn't usually be interested in, because (I think) they're films that are mostly ignored by the reviewers who do "New Release" columns, and this marketing copany has extra copies laying around.

Anyways, because I'm a bad person, I haven't watched some of the films he's sent me. I don't really want to show them for movie night, but I thought that maybe we could all watch them together, or someone could come watch them with me, or whatever. I just think it could be another element to Cinematheque Houston; Criterion titles that Austin owns but hasn't watched yet.

If y'all are interested in getting together sometime and checking them out, let me know!


The titles:



"At once a compelling piece of anti-isolationist propaganda and a quick-witted wartime thriller, 49th Parallel is a classic early work from the inimitable British filmmaking team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. When a Nazi U-boat crew, headed by the ruthless Eric Portman, is stranded in Canada during the thick of World War II, the men evade capture by hiding out in a series of rural communities, before trying to cross the border into the still-neutral United States. Both soul-stirring and delightfully entertaining, 49th Parallel features a colorful cast of characters played by larger-than-life actors Laurence Olivier, Raymond Massey, Anton Walbrook, and Leslie Howard."





(Not yet released!) I actually plan to write about this one for my column, so it would be interesting to get everyone's criticisms and interpretations to help shape the article.

"Seamlessly interweaving archival war footage and a fictional narrative, Stuart Cooper’s immersive account of one twenty-year-old’s journey from basic training to the front lines of D-day brings all the terrors and isolation of war to life with jolting authenticity. Overlord, impressionistically shot by Stanley Kubrick’s longtime cinematographer John Alcott, is both a document of World War II and a dreamlike meditation on man’s smallness in a large, incomprehensible machine."

a review

Needless to say, "Naked" was probably the most disturbing film we watched at movie night. The film is beautifully shot and the music was haunting, but there is a lot about the film that makes me think over and over. There are all these "whys" and "what the" in my head. I found myself agreeing a lot with the following review I read from netflix:

"This film is beautifully shot, beautifully scored, and pretty well acted. That being said, I'm a little disapointed that more people aren't more critical of it. The main character is a completely self concerned, self righteous "lost boy" who wanders around London berating nearly everyone he comes into contact with and abusing any woman who allows him into their bed (as well as those that refuse to). He is highly inteligent with a keen ability to smell weakness and shut down anyone with his impossibly witty, stabbing banter. More than a couple of his monologues/rantings, however, devovle into cinematic masturbation (or filmmaker self indulgence). All the female characters in the film are completely weak-willed, ineffectual creatures who allow themselves to be abused both mentally and physically and then ask for more. At the end of the movie I was left asking myself what the point was supposed to be. Unfortunately there is no point. There is just a lot of beautifully shot ugliness which many critics labeled "social realism" and gave it high marks. I expect more. I expect that if you're going to open a movie with the main character raping a young woman that some profound social commentary or point should be made about this guy and his behavior. I listened to the directors commentary after watching the movie to see if he was trying to do something which I missed, but no, he wanted to do exactly what it seemed he was doing: introduce a totally depraved character committing one of the worst acts and then gradually show that he's actually a very complicated character. What? Complexity of character in no way justifies or explains the kind of behavior we see in the film. This is a movie which grapples with some serious subject matter but fails to follow through and attach a meaning to all of it, to give it a purpose. I would go so far as to say this is irresponsible film making. For instance (and most notably), what is this movie saying about violence towards women?"

Fellini for you

In my continuing effort to expose myself and the group to films we have not yet seen by great directors, I decided to pick "La Strada" by Fellini this week. I am most likely going to pick Jean Renoir's film "Grand Illusion" next so you may want to hold off on watching it until then. Here is the Netflix synopsis:

Italian auteur Federico Fellini helmed this powerful rumination on love and hate, the Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Film in 1956. This restored version (introduced by Martin Scorsese) tells the story of gentle Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina), sold by her mother to the bullying circus performer, Zampanò, with whom she falls in love. When a clown, Il Matto (Richard Basehart), wins her heart, a doomed love triangle inevitably develops.

4/1: Naked

"Mike Leigh’s brilliant and controversial Naked stars David Thewlis as Johnny, a charming, eloquent, and relentlessly vicious drifter on the lam in London. Rejecting all those who would care for him, the volcanic Johnny hurls himself into a nocturnal odyssey through the city, colliding with a succession of the desperate and the dispossessed, and scorching everyone in his path. With a virtuoso script and raw performances from Thewlis and costars Katrin Cartlidge and Lesley Sharpe, Leigh’s panorama of England’s crumbling underbelly is a showcase of black comedy and doomsday prophecy, and was the winner of the best director and actor prizes at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival."
-Criterion

We're repainting the studio, so it will be at my apartment this Sunday.

Also, on an unrelated note, my contact in the Criterion Collection's marketing department said he would send over a copy of the new "Early Bergman," the first title in the new Eclipse line. So, when that comes, maybe we can watch it together. ALL 5 DISCS.

3/25: F for Fake

after much deliberation, I've decided to choose the following film for 3/25. location TBA.



F FOR FAKE
1975, a film by Orson Welles

it's unlike anything I've ever seen... Orson Welles's last completed film provides an eccentric avant-garde study of reality, truth, and illusion as well as an interesting critique on the idea of expertise...

"Trickery. Deceit. Magic. In Orson Welles’s free-form documentary F for Fake, the legendary filmmaker (and self-described charlatan) gleefully engages the central preoccupation of his career—the tenuous line between truth and illusion, art and lies. Beginning with portraits of world-renowned art forger Elmyr de Hory and his equally devious biographer, Clifford Irving, Welles embarks on a dizzying cinematic journey that simultaneously exposes and revels in fakery and fakers of all stripes—not the least of whom is Welles himself. Charming and inventive, F for Fake is an inspired prank and a searching examination of the essential duplicity of cinema."
-criterionco.com

fake democracy

I have a lot of ideas for movie night this week and I find it difficult to pick one. So I'm going to ask for your opinion, your preference-- so I can ignore you. Please don't say "anything is fine" or other similar responses.

My first though is "Paris Je T'aime", a collage of shorts made by 18 different directors across the world, including famous names like Alfonso Cuaron, Oliver Assayas, the Coen brothers, Tom Tykwer, Alexander Payne, Christopher Doyle and Gus Van Sant (asshole). All the shorts are love stories happened in the City of Lights-- a tribute to Paris' reputation as a romantic city. I got that DVD when I went to China, the movie won't be released here (U.S.) until May.

On the other hand, I always thought about picking Akira Kurosawa's Stray Dog. Stray Dog is one of Kurosawa's earliest masterpiece (1949). In this movie, you can also see a very cerebral performance by Toshiro Mifune, who is famous for being the wild crazy samurai in features like The Seven Samurai and Rashomon. Stray Dog is a thrilling film noir about a cop who is finding his lost gun. You can never get enough of Kurosawa, right?

Yasujiro Ozu, another great director who has not been featured on Movie Night. What a crime! I've been thinking about picking Late Spring for a while.

so, now, tell me what your opinion

The film I am selecting for this Sunday is a 1927 silent film called Sunrise, which I have been looking forward to seeing for a while now. I have read a lot of good things about it but, unfortunately, Netflix does not offer it. Luckily, Rob Arcos @ MOViES ordered it for me and now we can decide for ourselves if it lives up to all the critical acclaim. Below is a synopsis of the film from Netflix:

Director F.W. Murnau's emotional odyssey stars George O'Brien and Janet Gaynor as a country couple whose marriage is threatened when O'Brien falls prey to cosmopolitan temptress Margaret Livingston's feminine wiles. Imbued with an intoxicating ambiance in style and substance, the lyrical silent film -- which is, by turns, quixotic, blissful, sensual and terrifying -- chalked up Academy Awards for Best Actress (Gaynor) and Best Cinematography.

whatever happened to movie night

Yo. I'm back.

I'ma little surprised 2 movie nights were cancelled.

But I'm glad I didn't miss much.

So, what's the plan for this week?

3/4: Mutual Appreciation

Movie Night has been postponed, again, because Francisco is still in China and Joe will be picking Kathryn up from the airport.

I've heard a lot of good talk around this film, and I'm attracted to the actual independence and low budget it was made on. It seems like too many indy films have huge budgets and big name actors, distilling the genuine feel of a real indy film.
Again, we'll meet at CSAW.



From Amazon.com: "Alan's quest for success in music and love is hampered by one thing-- himself. Centering on Alan's half-hearted romancing of radio DJ Sara and promoting his fledgling band, Mutual Appreciation is less a love story than an insightful and hilarious portrayal of the art of awkwardness. Andrew Bujalski, voted "Someone to Watch" at the 2004 Independent Spirit Awards and writer-director of critically acclaimed Funny Ha Ha, slinks through New York City bars, clubs and teeny apartments in this exploration of the gray areas between expectation, disappointment and desire that accompany adulthood. An indie festival favorite, Mutual Appreciation is a cleverly written, utterly timeless snapshot of post-college angst."

Trailer (opens in a new window)

Name Game

People of Movie Night,
I am of the persuasion that we should come up with something to call ourselves - our little club - other than simply "movie night," especially given the desire of the members to expand the scope of said "movie night." At least something to change the heading of this page to so it looks more official on the off chance that someone other than us happens by and, for some insane reason, takes an interest in it.

My suggestion would be 'Cinematheque Houston' as somewhat of an homage to Cinematheque Francais, which was headed by my hero Henri Langlois for many years until 1968. It was the only place for people like Truffaut, Godard, and Chabrol to see old films from different parts of the world and is credited with basically laying the foundation for the French New Wave. There a few cinematheques around the world and their basic stated goal is generally something like "the public presentation and preservation of the moving picture in all its forms." That sounds fairly like what we're after. Also, I rather like the official, European sound of the word 'cinematheque.' It sounds legit and somewhat ambitious.

Anyway, that's just my suggestion. Hopefully you guys will post your suggestions as they come to you and we can vote on it.

2/11: (Revised)

I decided to show Boyz N The Hood for my next pick.. instead, i chose something i've been wanting to pick for a while.. in CSAW's spoon room...



PARADISE NOW
a film by Hany Abu-Assad, 2005

We haven't watched any Middle Eastern films so far for movie night, and I think this is probably a good place to start. The reason I chose this film (other than that i love it) is because 98% of all the information we're given by the U.S. media regarding the Palestine-Israel conflict is sided with our allies, Israel, and it's refreshing and enlightening to see the Palestinian perspective for once - even if it's only for an hour and a half.

"Paradise Now - sweepingly powerful and intricately detailed, highly acclaimed and widely controversial - tells the story of two lifelong friends and their mission of doom. Hany Abu-Assad directs, shooting this harrowing thriller in locations made equally harrowing by real-life missle attacks, exploding land mines, suspicious Palestinian factions and Israeli occupied forces, and the kidnapping of a crew member. The result is a film that knows its topic up close and provides no easy answers. Instead, Paradise Now lays bare the humanity and the horror for all to see, to ponder, and perhaps to change."
-from the back cover of the dvd

Biznaz

From what Joe said on Sunday night, I've set the blog to where anyone can read it (it's kind of a pain in the ass to have to login all the time anyways). I'm not really sure how and if you wanted to make the group more public, but the ideas you brought up were good ones.

I'd like to open up the discussion we had to all of us (or at least the four core members) in making movie night bigger (and better?). I mentioned that we could have it in the CSAW studio a few times, which we can once we get a couch in there, but I'd like us to openly discuss ideas and criticisms we have with movie night and how to improve it.

In the words of men much more eloquent than myself, "Let's get it started in here."

If you have ideas to make movie night better than it is, please speak up!

2/4 Josh's House

In case you don't remember, movie night will be at Josh Nolan's house this Sunday. I think he's showing "Papillon," but I could be wrong.

His address is 1743 Nina Lee.

ps- Francisco, I can't remember if you said you owned them, butif you do, can I borrow "Akira" and "Princess Mononoke?" Thanks in advance. If not, then un-thanks.

1/28 - My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Feature-length animated films have never been shown at movie night. The closest one is Austin's Cat Soup, a 34-minute OVA from Japan (which i like a lot). So that is one of the reason why I picked My Neighbor Totoro.

Hayao Miyazaki is one the of the most (if not THE most) important and acclaimed animated filmmaker in the world. His films are often built on humanistic and ecological themes with creative and unique imageries. In Miyazaki films, there are no smart-ass cute kids, there are no good vs. evil, there are no girls awaiting to be rescued, there are no sugar-coated fantasies. His films are about honest portrayal of children and relationships, the alarm of human weaknesses but also the importance of hope and redemption. His storytelling ability transcends the boundaries of the perceived limits of animation. Miyazaki is the first and ever filmmaker to win a Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival with an animated feature (Spirited Away).

Except his first directional effort, I've seen all of his films. In fact, my first experience in a cinema is watching Miyazaki's "Nausicca of The Valley of The Wind". I love all his films. So it was hard for me to pick. Spirited Away is an easy choice, but Rory has seen it already (even so I highly recommend it because it has all the best qualities of all his films). I decided to pick My Neighbor Totoro for a few reasons. First, the film is set in post war Japan. It is able to illustrate the culture of Japan at that time without providing any exotic elements for western audience to focus on. Second, though it may be billed as a family/children's movie, it is not a typical children's film. To quote from allmovie.com, "some scenes portray the very real-life fears of being alone at night at a bus stop and being separated from an ill loved one. There are also some humorous bits that reveal a careful observation of children, as well as some genuinely inspiring moments in keeping with the ecological themes Miyazaki frequently returns to." And third, I love the movie.

There are a lot of assumptions and stereotypes when it comes to animation. And I hope this film will show that a animated film can be very good without being dragged by kiddie cliches or have to be obscure to be cool.

Black people

I was thinking since you guys have such boners over a themed month, maybe February could be a black directors month, since it's also black history month. Maybe cheesy, but it seems like a nice fit.

Also, Josh Nolan, who's been to a few movie nights, is interested in hosting sometime. He's got a few films he repeatedly tells me to show, and wants to host, but always tells me too late. Would you guys be adverse to going over to his place one of these Sundays? I'll work out with him when a good time would be.

2006- The Year of Mexican Cinema

No matter you like their films or not, there is little doubt 2006 was a great year for Mexican filmmakers. Leading the way is Babel, which has been honored by a lot of awards already and is now the top contender in America's big prize (aka the Oscars). Babel's screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga also wrote "The Three Burials of Melquiadas Estrada", a very fine film which did not gain a lot of attention in North America (it's technically 2005, but I'll include it as 2006). Alfonso Cuaron's follow-up after his success with Harry Potter was "Children Of Men", a movie that received a decent dose of accalim and box office. I'm sure we'll see more of Cuaron's presence in American cinema. He also produced an independent mexican movie "Duck Season", which quietly came and go in American theaters. Let's hope "Duck Season" is a glimpse of what we can expect from the young mexican filmmakers in the future. And of course, Guillermo Del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth" is the biggest hit right now. The hype is big, but this genre-blender is not to be missed (even speaking as a CGI-movie-hater).

As I've told Rory, I was not satisfied with the quality of movies in 2006. But here are my favorites:

Duck Season
The Three Burials of Melquiadas Estrada
Little Miss Sunshine
Bubble
49 Up
Volver
Pan's Labyrinth

(Babel and Letters From Iwo Jima are decent films, but I just don't like them as much as the ones above)

Movies I missed and I am open to see:
Little Children
Half Nelson (i hope it's not a Garden State Deja Vu)
Deliver Us From Evil
The Last King of Scotland
Jesus Camp
The Good German

movies I'm not interested in seeing are: The Queen (modern monarchs are just stupid leeches of society, sorry), Dreamgirls (Eddie Murphy's oscar nod could be a sign of apocalypse) The Departed (I hate remakes, especially the ones of a foreign movie a couple years old)

What are your favorites? (well, i know rory's)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

well gang, as of today it's officially been a year since our first sunday movie night... and what a year it's been! full of ups and downs, highs and lows - but overall we've been very blessed to have seen some really good movies...

i thought, just out of curiousity, we should all post what each of our favorite movie(s) of the year was/were.. the catch is it can't have been something you'd already seen...

i'll start.. mine were:
In the Mood for Love (7/9)
and
L'Atalante (11/12)

Letters from Iwo Jima?

i'm gonna try to see Letters from Iwo Jima on friday at Angelika...
i know seeing a movie on opening night usually isn't a good idea, but if anyone wants to join me let me know... i'll probably get tickets early for the latest possible showing (because there'll probably be less of a crowd)
so who's in?

democracy in action

I want to see a Hitchcock film that I have not yet seen this Sunday. Ideally I would like to pick one that:
(A) you are enthusiastic about
and / or
(B) you have never seen before.

The choices are:
Strangers on a Train
Notorious
Rebecca
The 39 Steps

Cast your vote now.

Sun. Jan. 21

I spoke with Rob Arcos at that store "Movies" on Richmond and he is ordering a copy of the 1927 F.W. Murnau film "Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans" on DVD to rent for the store. I've been wanting to see it for a while but Netlix doesn't have it. Unfortunately, it won't arrive before this Sunday so I'm gonna have to find an alternative for this week. However, I plan on selecting it for my next pick or selecting it for my "silent film" pick if we decide to do that theme, which I think would be a cool theme to do. Personally, I'd like to do African-American directors next. I liked the women directors theme and think we should continue to do themes every once in a while.

See you at my place on Sunday.