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)