25 Films Added to Library of Congress

It's always great when movies are recognized as being historically and culturally significant. It's too often that in the wake of Hollywood Blockbusters, we forget that film is an art form and can be just as culturally significant as any other. This year the National Film Registry has added the following 25 films to be preserved in the Library of Congress:

Airplane! (1980)
All the President’s Men (1976)
The Bargain (1914)
Cry of Jazz (1959)
Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB (1967)
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The Exorcist (1973)
The Front Page (1931)
Grey Gardens (1976)
I Am Joaquin (1969)
It’s a Gift (1934)
Let There Be Light (1946)
Lonesome (1928)
Make Way for Tomorrow (1937)
Malcolm X (1992)
McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971)
Newark Athlete (1891)
Our Lady of the Sphere (1969)
The Pink Panther (1964)
Preservation of the Sign Language (1913)
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
Study of a River (1996)
Tarantella (1940)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)
A Trip Down Market Street (1906)

What An Amazing Year

There are always a ton of these video compilations done every year, but this is the best one I've seen for 2010. It's really stunning to watch everything juxtaposed like this and see just how many pieces of cinematic magic were released in just one short year. Do yourself a favor and find five minutes to watch:

Movie Recommendation: Exit Through The Gift Shop

I loved Exit Through The Gift Shop, as you can probably tell by the fact that I’m writing a recommendation for it. This pseudo-documentary examines the world of street art and in doing so shines a light on the meaning of art and the way we relate to the world around us. The film demonstrates the inherent irony in pieces of street art – an essentially rebellious art form – selling for ridiculous fees in galleries or the absurdity of the fact that a man can go from nobody to acclaimed artist almost overnight through the right combination of passion, insanity, and public endorsement. Art is meaningless except for the meaning we place upon it; it is about the process through which we relate to the world around us, and more unique viewpoints, often termed genius, have always attracted attention and large sums of money. What’s unique about Exit Through The Gift Shop is that it points to the sad, yet logical, conclusion to this trend in the information era, where we no longer step back and examine a work, but instead get caught up in the pop splash created by that work. While the film doesn’t mull on an answer to this problem, I propose that we appreciate art for the way it helps us deal with the absurdities of the world around us. We need a frame of reference instead of artificially rising prices and praise. I’m all for an artist being able to earn a living, but simultaneously an artist should care foremost about his craft, not just making it big an exiting through the gift shop.

I highly recommend this movie to everyone with even a passing interest in documentary or art. Or anyone else for that matter. Fuck it, everyone should see this film. 

Behind-the-Scenes: Black Swan Sound Design

As you can probably tell from David's review below, both of us loved Black Swan. While Aronofsky's psuedo-delusional visuals are to account for much of the films enjoyment, praise must also be given for the film's sound design. Here is a short (8 minute) look at the level of detail that went into the sound of Black Swan, which takes a Tchaikovsky score and properly perverts it into a format fitting the film's plummet into the depths of delusional obsession. Definitely worth a watch:

SoundWorks Collection - The Sound of "Black Swan" from Michael Coleman on Vimeo.

Movie Recommendation: The Red Shoes

The Red Shoes (1948) can be seen as a huge influence on Aronofsky's Black Swan. This classical tale of tragedy centers around the story of a ballerina torn between romantic love and her passion. The film centers around the nature of artistic passion and the validity of the claim that in order to make true beauty, an artist must sacrifice everything. When Victoria, a dancer, is caught between two passions she is forced to make a choice. However, true passion is all-consuming, it doesn't just open its hand and let you go. Faced with this realization, Victoria is crushed by the resulting paradox.

The movie is an enjoyable watch with beautifully shot dance scenes and a strong orchestral score. Although it doesn't have Aronofsky's haunting mind behind it, it does serve to be a strong commentary on what we expect of our artists and what the thirst for beauty will drive people to do. As a culture, we place almost unreasonable expectations upon our entertainers, who sacrifice for their craft and for public appeal. The Red Shoes pulls away the curtain and reveals the obsession behind the art, and the tragic consequences that can result. If you're looking for a strong ballet movie and Black Swan hasn't opened near you, The Red Shoes will sate your appetite. It's now streaming on Netflix.

WTF Hollywood

We've all experienced it before: ten minutes into a movie and already wanting to gouge our own eyes out; watching for a movie that no man, woman or child would ever want to see; reading the reports of a casting choice and wanting to throw yourself off a cliff. These are the moments when we realize that executives in Hollywood really have no fucking clue what they're doing. They fill movie fans with rage, making us want to throw up in a bucket, burn the theater down, or just slap a baby. (OK, maybe being a bulimic, arsonist, baby slapper is a personal issue, but you guys know what I mean). These are the moments when we cringe in our seats and say "WTF Hollywood". . .and now there's a blog section dedicated to them. Aren't you all happy that the internet gives you everything you never knew you wanted (but secretly did)?

First to the stand is this atrocious trailer for Rabbit Hole:

I'm not really sure how large the "middle aged couple who tragically lost a child" demographic is, but Hollywood sure has reached out to it here. Honestly, from the "Why didn't God just create another angel? He's God" line, I really thought this was going to be a comedy. Unfortunately, I was sadly wrong.

Does anyone who hasn't read the book know what the hell this movie is about after watching the trailer? Does anyone even care? I mean, maybe it's just me, but isn't a trailer supposed to intrigue in order to attract an audience instead of scaring one away? Maybe someone out there was fooled by the switch from somber score to Broken Bells, or maybe there's an soft lighting and shoddy acting. But really, I feel that whoever was responsible for this movie should be thrown off a cliff. . .or at least barred from ever working in Hollywood again. Well, except for Aaron Eckhart, but that's just because his smug smile convinces me he saw this whole project as an elaborate joke.

The sad part is, I bet this movie will be received well. People will all be caught up in the "ooh, it's based on a Pulitzer Prize winning play" and rush out to see it. (By "people" I mean the readership of The New Yorker). For my part, I hope that if there are really tons of me's out there, that the rest of them weren't subjected to the atrocity of this trailer.

Somewhere Trailer

I know I'm a little late on this, but here's the trailer for Sofia Coppola's Somewhere. As you guys may or may not know, Lost in Translation is just about my favorite movie in the world. I am extremely excited to see what Sofia does with this movie. She's a talented writer and director, and is able to use sound and stillness to illicit emotional melancholy better than any other director I know. True to form, this brilliant trailer is largely silent except for a haunting track by The Strokes.

Somewhere stars Stephen Dorff as an actor on the edge who is reconnected with his daughter, played by Elle Fanning. The movie was filmed entirely on location at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles and should provide a look into the hollowness of celebrity. It won the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival, where the jury was headed by Quentin Tarantino. Somewhere is to receive a limited release on December 22nd, with more theaters to receive the movie throughout the month of January.

127 Hours Review

Danny Boyle has done it again. Following his hugely successful Slumdog Millionaire, he has created another brilliant movie in 127 Hours. The movie centers on the true story of Aron Ralston (James Franco) who – while mountain climbing in Utah – got his arm lodged under a boulder, where he survived on a small Nalgene of water and a couple scraps of food before cutting his own arm off with a dull multi-tool, 127 hours later. While this may seem pretty dull fare for a feature film, Danny Boyle uses his Millionaire-demonstrated gift for flashback along with pseudo-experimental styling to turn this story into a taut and visually stunning movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat (and induces a few cringes).

Hollywood Fights Terrorism

No, really. I woke up this morning to an interesting post over on /Film, which points out that – according to wikileaks – Hollywood films are doing more than the American-funded propaganda efforts to increase the perception of American culture to young Saudis:

The diplomats told Washington that certain themes in American movies seemed to appeal to the Saudi audience: heroic honesty in the face of corruption (George Clooney in Michael Clayton), supportive behavior in relationships (an unspecified drama that was repeated during an Eid holiday featuring an American husband dealing with a drunk wife who smashed cars and crockery when she wasn’t assaulting him and their child), and respect for the law over self-interest (Al Pacino and Robin Williams in Insomnia).

Score one for Hollywood. Full article here.

Great Black Swan Interview

I came across this great interview on Charlie Rose featuring director Darren Aronofsky and Natalie Portman, talking about Black Swan. This is a movie I'm really excited about, especially considering Aronofsky's most recent work The Wrestler. (The fact that its limited release on Dec 3 didn't include Philadelphia is hugely frustrating to me). Both Portman and Aronofsky are hugely talented and extremely intelligent, which makes this interview an insightful look into the themes within the movie and where they were derived from. Especially interesting to me was Portman's interest in ballet, due to its alignment with visual representation of emotion, which ties in nicely with the way film functions.

Black Swan gets a broader release on December 10th and a wide release on December 22nd.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Great interview with Kubrick

I recently came across an interview (via @jasonbessey) that Joseph Gelmis conducted with Stanley Kubrick in 1969. Especially of note to me in the interview is the section where Kubrick describes the emotional connection with film, which he equates to similar as the effect of music and painting. Based upon the narrative quality of film many people relate the medium to the novel. However, such a comparison is a stretch at best. The way that a movie conveys a story is through image and sound, which have a more immediate and emotional effect. As per Kubrick:

Strangelove was a film where much of its impact hinged on the dialogue, the mode of expression, the euphemisms employed. As a result, it's a picture that is largely destroyed in translation or dubbing. 2001, on the other hand, is basically a visual, nonverbal experience. It avoids intellectual verbalization and reaches the viewer's subconscious in a way that is essentially poetic and philosophic. The film thus becomes a subjective experience which hits the viewer at an inner level of consciousness, just as music does, or painting.

Actually, film operates on a level much closer to music and to painting than to the printed word, and, of course, movies present the opportunity to convey complex concepts and abstractions without the traditional reliance on words. I think that 2001, like music, succeeds in short-circuiting the rigid surface cultural blocks that shackle our consciousness to narrowly limited areas of experience and is able to cut directly through to areas of emotional comprehension. In two hours and forty minutes of film there are only forty minutes of dialogue.

I think one of the areas where 2001 succeeds is in stimulating thoughts about man's destiny and role in the universe in the minds of people who in the normal course of their lives would never have considered such matters. Here again, you've got the resemblance to music; an Alabama truck driver, whose views in every other respect would be extremely narrow, is able to listen to a Beatles record on the same level of appreciation and perception as a young Cambridge intellectual, because their emotions and subconscious are far more similar than their intellects. The common bond is their subconscious emotional reaction; and I think that a film which can communicate on this level can have a more profound spectrum of impact than any form of traditional verbal communication.

The problem with movies is that since the talkies the film industry has historically been conservative and word-oriented. The three-act play has been the model. It's time to abandon the conventional view of the movie as an extension of the three-act play. Too many people over thirty are still word-oriented rather than picture-oriented.

For example, at one point in 2001 Dr. Floyd is asked where he's going and he replies, "I'm going to Clavius," which is a lunar crater. Following that statement you have more than fifteen shots of Floyd's spacecraft approaching and landing on the moon, but one critic expressed confusion because she thought Floyd's destination was a planet named Clavius. Young people, on the other hand, who are more visually oriented due to their new television environment, had no such problems. Kids all know we went to the moon. When you ask how they know they say, "Because we saw it."

So you have the problem that some people are only listening and not really paying attention with their eyes. Film is not theater -- and until that basic lesson is learned I'm afraid we're going to be shackled to the past and miss some of the greatest potentialities of the medium.

Kubrick was a master of his use of the image for emotional resonance. I believe that the image has a much more personal relationship than do words. Words are always intellectualized; they are things that we have to learn over time. Images, however, are natural, a pure sense. We relate to the world around us in terms of images, which allows film to touch us at our emotional core.

The rest of the interview can be found here.

Scorcese on 3D in Hugo Cabret

Yesterday, The Guardian posted a great interview with Martin Scorcese, one of my all time favorite directors. The famed Oscar winner spoke passionately about his relation to film and the emotional connection he draws with the camera. However, what I was happiest to find in the interview was Scorcese's musings on the advent of stereoscopic 3D:

"Every shot is rethinking cinema," he enthuses, "rethinking narrative – how to tell a story with a picture. Now, I'm not saying we have to keep throwing javelins at the camera, I'm not saying we use it as a gimmick, but it's liberating. It's literally a Rubik's Cube every time you go out to design a shot, and work out a camera move, or a crane move. But it has a beauty to it also. People look like… like moving statues. They move like sculpture, as if sculpture is moving in a way. Like dancers…"

I am happy to see Scorcese tackling the medium in his forthcoming Hugo Cabret and excited for what the director will be able to do with the added dimension. It is my belief that 3D has the capability of enhancing the emotional connection between viewer and film, but that – as-of-yet – these capabilities have not been harnessed. Cameron did his part to advance the technology, but he failed to push the boundaries of what 3D can do as a storytelling device, perhaps because Avatar didn't have much of a story. Scorcese, on the other hand, is a natural storyteller whose films have urgency and emotional truth. If anyone can show that 3D is a viable addition to filmic storytelling and not just good for shock value, it is him. 

The new IMDb layout sucks

However, luckily there is now a solution. Less IMDb is an extension for Safari that will change the layout of IMDb to move credits into a more prominent and accessible place on the page. Now you don't need to go rifling through useless trivia and star scores in order to get to the information you were really looking at IMDb for.

What I Write About When I Write About Movies

Every now and again I am faced with questions of pseudo-philosophical origins: Why do I choose to spend so much time on movies? Why does this form move me so and stir such a passion in me? Why do I write? Why about movies?

These questions are difficult enough to formulate, mostly composed of lurking thoughts in the back of my head that slip away as soon as I reach to formulate them. Answering them, then, would seem nearly impossible, but as I’m currently in an introspective and borderline masochistic mood I will do my best to put into words my love of movies, of art, and of writing itself.

Watch This Movie: "American Splendor" 2010 Review

American Splendor (2003) combines interviews, archival footage, and fiction into a wonderfully cohesive and brilliant biopic that keenly observes an artist’s relation to his creations. Simultaneously, the movie turns a watchful eye to the goals and pursuits of blue collar America and the strive for individualization and self-definition in the face of inevitable mortality. And, in doing so, manages to create a bittersweet, poignant piece of art.

"Monsters" (2010) Review

Monsters (2010), directed by Gareth Edwards, created a stir on the festival market due to the stunning special effects that Edwards created on a super-low (~$200,000) budget. The movie takes place in a world where a large portion of Mexico has been infested with extra-terrestrial monsters, which the Mexican and U.S. government now seek to contain in an “Infected Zone.” Despite the noticeable similarities to Blomkamp’s District 9, which was also done on a low budget and focused on a quarantined alien ‘invasion’, Edwards takes this set-up and basically ignores the monsters all together. Instead Edwards uses this world as the backdrop to a simple, burgeoning relationship between Andrew (Scoot McNairy) and Samantha (Whitney Able). The movie takes on similar tones as Lost in Translation and, despite some flaws, manages to be a simple and enjoyable love story told in a world on the border of apocalypse.

Movie Recommendation: "Sin Nombre"

Sin Nombre (2009), directed by Cary Fukunaga, is a pertinent and beautiful movie about the hope for a brighter future in the face of despair and retaining that hope even when its known to be in vain. Focusing on the relationship between Sayra, a Honduran girl emigrating through Mexico to the U.S., and Willy, a Mexican gang member on the run from his gang, the movie traces their burgeoning relationship and journey to the U.S. Sin Nombre makes strong commentary on gang violence and immigration without ever resorting to a preachy tone. It is beautifully shot and moments that could easily be emotionally exploitative are handled with a minimalistic hand, which actually helps to heighten the severity of the issues being addressed by showing how everyday these moments have become to some. Sin Nombre is a tactful, yet powerful movie that I strongly recommend to everyone. The only complaint I have is that the movie could have been longer and some points feel rushed, but this is an easily ignored shortcoming in an otherwise brilliant movie.

AMC's 'The Walking Dead' and the state of the horror genre

This past Sunday (10-31), AMC premiered their new show The Walking Dead, based off the graphic novel of the same title. This premiere became the number one watched original series for AMC, a huge feat for a channel that airs both Mad Men and Breaking Bad. However, this post isn’t about the amount of people that watched the show, it is about how the show represents a revival of old-school horror in a country that has recently turned to brutality as a replacement for suspense (see: Saw. Get it?)

Easy A

Easy A, starring Emma Stone, is a fun and funny movie that I greatly enjoyed, and not just due to my undying love for Emma Stone (though I’m sure that helped). The movie centers on Olive (Emma Stone), an intelligent and quick-witted teen who makes up a small lie about losing her virginity. As things often go in movies such as this (and in real high schools all over the country) the tale becomes greatly conflated and Emma, once anything but popular, becomes the talk of the school in this clever retelling of Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter (a reference that the movie does not let you miss). And then, as one would expect, drama ensues.

Hollywood's God Complex: "Percy Jackson" versus "Clash of the Titans"

            Greek mythology seems to be perfect Hollywood fodder; a world based on strict rules where adventure is commonplace and damsels-in-distress lie around every corner. With all of these elements, a movie based in mythology would seem to be a no-brainer, a surefire hit… right? Let’s examine two recent releases, one that pulls the formula off correctly and manages to be fun, whimsical, and exciting; and one that is just a pile of cheap CG. Those two movies are Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief and Clash of the Titans.

Ok, it's been a while...

BUT we graduated and there's a whole summer full of movies lying ahead of us, and a journey out to the big times: Hollywood. School has been keeping us too busy to post, but we recently finished our first film, The Night. We have lots more of fun things in store for the summer and beyond. So, keep reading and telling us what you think. In the meantime here's the movie, share your comments: The Night 

Movie Recommendation of the Day

2 Days In Paris - I was talking to my girlfriend and mentioned that a review I had read compared 2 Days In Paris to Away We Go. The expression on her face, as she said, "2 Days In Paris is a lot better," captured the sheer absurdity of the comparison. I do not want to say that Away We Go is bad, but 2 Days In Paris manages to capture the complexity and variation of emotions that occur in a relationship without relying on an unrealistic traveling couple plot. Written/Directed by Julie Delpy, who also stars, this film deals with the anxieties that come from intimate interaction with foreign cultures. Marion (Delpy) and Jack (Goldberg) are a couple on vacation in Europe. They take a train to Paris to stop by her parents' house and pick up her cat but decide to stay for two days. Any more discussion into the plot runs the risk of ruining the unexpected issues that arise and make it so interesting and entertaining. There are so many great things about this movie, a few examples include the characters, especially Marion's parents (played by Delpy's real life parents, Albert Delpy and Marie Pillet), the writing, and the general ambiguity. My favorite has to be the decision not to use subtitles (which might have been my own fault but definitely created a new and interesting movie watching experience). The lack of subtitles creates an environment where the solely English speaking audience does not always know exactly what is going on and has to figure out certain plot points from body language or reactions, basically recreates the experience of being in Paris with these people. A fantastic, deep, and entertaining movie.

Movie Recommendation of the Day

Brick - It's been a couple of years since I've seen this one, but an article on /Film has brought it back to my attention and I have strong craving to watch it again. This is one of those movies that grabs you by the balls from the beginning and drags you to the very end. It is original in a way that only indy films can be nowadays. It takes classic film noir and breathes new life into the genre by setting it in a high school. It's a revival of classic crime movies and should be watched by anyone who loves those types of movies and is tired of the repetitive nature they have taken on recently. Once again, available on Netflix instant streaming.

See the trailer

Movie Recommendation of the Day

Ong Bak and Ong Bak 2 - These movies are great for anyone who likes a good martial arts flick. Heavy on fights, light on story, these two movies are excellently choreographed and show off Tony Jaa, an actor out of Thailand who could quickly become the next Jet Li. The Muay Thai in these movies is a great change of pace from other fighting movies. The first is available on Netflix streaming and definitely warrants a watch.

On 3D

            Avatar has created quite the buzz in the movie industry. Indeed, it’s currently the second highest grossing film of all time and features “groundbreaking” 3D technology. And while I loved the movie, ignoring the poor script for the sheer beauty of the thing, I do not think that all movies could work in 3D, especially those half-classics of recent years that have already reserved a special place in our hearts with their 2D-selves.

A long bus ride and "Paper Heart"

So today I was on the bus to NYC and decided to watch Paper Heart, a documentary/comedy hybrid focusing on comedian/musician Charlyne Li's quest to find out what love is. It combines a contrived relationship* with Michael Cera and interviews with various people as to their definition of love. And while the fictitious elements were a little weak - albeit quirky and funny - the interview elements were quite endearing and left me feeling pretty good about love in a world that seems to be moving away from the notion. Worth a watch if you ever feel your inner romantic dying.


*according to an interview with Charlyne, though some sources insist the relationship was real

"Up in the Air" Review

            Jason Reitman is quickly proving himself to be a modern master. His movies are painted with a simple elegance that doesn’t detract from the strong messages conveyed, and each of his last three films has done this better than the last, which is saying something since Thank You For Smoking set the bar quite high, and Juno raised it even higher.  And now, Up in the Air has accepted the expectations presented by his previous movies and blown them away.

Movie Recommendation of the Day

The Fountain - Written/Directed by Darren Aronofsky, this movie has almost evenly mixed reviews meaning that it is, at the very least, worth serious consideration. This stylized and abstract story involves three interwoven love stories, or rather one love story with two side stories written by characters in the main story (according to Ebert's simplistic and realistic interpretation), that create an intricate mosaic examining death and the sacrifices that one makes for love. As confusing as that sounds, Aronofsky's ambiguity resists Haneke's characterization of American cinema's dis-empowerment of the audience and forces you to work to understand what exactly is going on. This means that it is not an easy film to understand but is definitely worth watching for the spectacular performances and equally spectacular visuals that draw you in if you allow them to. In my opinion this is the most beautiful and philosophically interesting of Aronofsky's entries into the American film canon.

The Bones Are Rotting

About ten days ago, I was watching The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers and Peter Jackson’s genius clicked for me. I firmly believe that no other person had the combination of vision and technical knowledge to bring that epic trilogy to life. From finding the previously unknown or unappreciated talents necessary to best bring the characters to life to his integration of the best technology of the time, Jackson established himself as an insightful filmmaker with a particularly acute attention to detail. Sadly Jackson followed up his successful popular mainstream effort with the disappointing King Kong.

Movie Recommendation of the Day

So, as often as possible we're going to try to recommend movies that you all might not otherwise know about/see

For today:

Gammorah - Directed by Matteo Garrone and presented by Martin Scorcese, this movie offers an unflinching account of gang crime in Italy. While the intertwined plots can sometimes be difficult to follow, this movie casts a truthful look at the reality of crime and its affects upon communities, in an unwavering style that is reminiscent of John Singleton's masterpiece Boyz N the Hood. See this movie, but be prepared, life is cruel.

"Daybreakers", yet another pointless vampire movie

               Today I had the misfortune of watching Daybreakers, a film that I was hoping could recover vampires’ castrated balls from the Twilight-saga. Boy was I mistaken.

Hey guys

So this is going to be a blog dedicated to Dave Daise's and my rantings, ravings, and reviewings of movies. Read it if you want, hopefully it will prove entertaining if nothing else.