Films to catch up with for Oscar time and beyond

Mike here. Yeah, don't want to look and compare how I predicted the Oscars nominations compared to how they were actually announced. I'd rather not look back at the carnage. I'd prefer to focus on what to catch up with. Oscars are a guide, but not the be-all end-all of what to see. If that were the case, I'd wouldn't have seen what I thought were the 2 best films of 2006, The Heart of the Game and Army of Shadows. Besides, on my AdSense section on Google, I have something called Midwestern lesbians featuring reviews from Dr. Dyke. From a combination of blogs featuring say, Judy Garland, Bob Dylan, City Lights, War and Peace, Otto Preminger, Oscar nominations, Lady Chatterly and Labyrinth, they came up with Midwestern lesbians. You have to be kidding me.

Anyway, it's getting to be time to form a top 10 of 2007. Critics have done theirs, it's time for us. We know full well that some of "the best" will go unseen by us until these nominations tell us we should go. And even then, some titles will slip through the cracks and remain unseen until DVD or cable. So I'll do my best to serve as a guide of what to catch up with. I'll break it down into several categories, including major nominees in theaters, minor nominees in theaters, major nominees on or coming to DVD, and minor nominees on or coming to DVD, plus what to catch that wasn't nominated, but it wouldn't 2007 without them. I consider major nominees to be Picture, Director, the 4 Acting categories, the 2 Screenplay categories, Documentary and Animated Film. Quick reviews for some of the films I caught. Here we go:

Major ones in theaters:

Atonement, There Will Be Blood,

Juno (great perf. by Ellen Page and good perfs. by the entire cast as a whole. Thumbs up, despite the fact that every character is too goddamn clever for their own good. I like The Office's Rainn Wilson, but I hated his cameo with a passion.).

Michael Clayton (will be out on DVD on Feb 19),

No Country For Old Men, The Diving Bell And The Butterfly, Sweeney Todd, The Savages,

Charlie Wilson's War (good for Philip Seymour to get the nomination. He made Julia Roberts look like she was reciting lines. Entertaining, but to be blunt, it pussies out in the end. Knowing how the story ends, the makers claim to be subtle, and look like weaklings instead. Borderline thumbs up.),

Into The Wild, I'm Not There, Persepolis,

American Gangster (well done Ridley Scott film, almost operatic for a cops and robbers flick. Running out of time in theaters.),

Lars and The Real Girl (if you can still find it),

Beaufort (not for this year's list, but for next year. Nominated for Foreign Language film. According to the imdb plot line: "The story of a group of Israeli soldiers stationed in an outpost prior to the withdrawal of forces of 2000. Based on the novel by Ron Leshen. " Sounds like an Israeli Paths of Glory.)

Operation Homecoming: Writing The Wartime Experience (not for this year. Best Documentary nominee coming out in New York on Feb 9.)

The Counterfeiters (not for this year. Austria's nominee for Best Foreign Language film, comes out on Feb. 22.)

Minor ones in theaters: Enchanted, The Kite Runner,

The Golden Compass and August Rush (if you can find them.)

Major ones on DVD:

Away From Her (well done. The gentlest of storytelling, which at times packs the strongest of punches. Christie deserves all the accolades but the rest of the cast shouldn't be ignored. First time director Sarah Polley deserves her screenplay nomination.),

La Vie En Rose,

Eastern Promises (yes, it's playing in one theater still, but it's easier to see on DVD at this point. I'm pleasantly surprised that Viggo got some Oscar love. Good film overall, but you have to let some shit slide. If Naomi Watts' one-note character wasn't naive and/or stupid, we wouldn't have a film.),

In The Valley of Elah, Ratatouille,

Surf's Up (no I don't want to see the penguin surfing film. Good God, no.),

No End In Sight (the probable Best Documentary winner. Almost clinical and encyclopedic in its telling, but devastates nevertheless.),

Sicko (so the only way one can have affordable health care is to sneak into Cuba? Interesting . . . thumbs up.),

Elizabeth: The Golden Age and The Assassination of Jesse James . . . (Both on DVD on Feb 5),

Gone Baby Gone (on DVD on Feb 12)

Minor ones on DVD:

The Bourne Ultimatum, Once,

Norbit, Pirates of the Caribbean 3 (good luck making me sit thru those 2),

3:10 To Yuma (better than expected. But the audience I saw it with at Regal Union Square; the ones under 26 who kept saying "Why didn't Bale kill Crowe?" just didn't get the point of the film at all.),

Transformers (believe it or not, works better widescreen on TV than in the theater. The robot vs. robot action is much easier to follow, it's actually pretty funny at times, we will follow Shia LaBeouf anywhere the story takes us, and only takes itself seriously with both the fighting and the consequences of said fighting. Still, it's hard to love it after seeing Team America. Thumbs up.)

Across The Universe (if you can ignore such problems as Bono looking like Robin Williams from August Rush, the cheerleader lesbian number that starts well but then has the linebackers doing Fosse hands, the weak Mr. Kite number, the Vietnam scenes that look like they were shot outside the Beales home from Grey Gardens AND ESPECIALLY the limp ending, you still have an entertaining musical. Don't know which idiots decided to give director Julie Taymor 55 + million to shoot a cult classic in the making, but I liked it overall. Standouts include Joe Cocker, Evan Rachel Wood and especially Jim Sturges.)

Films one needed to catch up with from 07:

Zodiac, The Namesake, 300, Rescue Dawn, The Simpsons Movie, 28 Weeks Later, Lust Caution, Black Book, Lady Chatterly

The King of Kong (fun documentary on DVD, about a family man schlub-type, who runs into way too many obstacles in his pursuit of excellence in Donkey Kong. Bizarre world that makes you shake your head a lot. Thumbs way up.)

Knocked Up (second favorite comedy of the year. Much love to both Leslie Mann's work as the burned out perfectionist wife, and Kristen Wiig as the most passive aggressive co-worker ever.),

Hot Fuzz (funniest comedy of the year. Loves the action films it spoofs, as much as they love ripping into them.),

The Lives of Others (released in NYC last Feb, so it qualifies for a best of 07 list as far as I'm concerned. Won the Oscar for Foreign Language Film. If you haven't seen it, get up off your fat ass, put it on your Netflix, devote 2+ hours to it, and enjoy.),

Hairspray (pretty decent, at times good musical. Though it took the number where Travolta dances with Christopher Walken, one hour in, before I stopped thinking LOOK, it's John Travolta in hideous makeup and clothes. Also, too much jump cutting: its as though the director doesn't want us to think his cast can dance so he has to cover it up with editing, the Travolta-Walken scene not withstanding. Thumbs up anyway.),

The Kingdom (basically a CSI episode set in the Middle East, with a terrific 20-30 min. action sequence near the end. Strange that director Peter Berg copied a scene of an Arab policeman taking care of his elderly father, from his own Friday Night Lights, where the young quaterback takes care of his elderly mother. Almost shot for shot. Still, thumbs up.)

12:08 East of Bucharest ( kind of a Hungarian Christopher Guest-like comedy. On a Hungarian public access show, a Ted Baxter-esque host moderates what it was like when Communism ended and if there was a revolt or not. His two guest may or may not have been there; a professor who might not be sober, and an elderly man who seems to get easily distracted. Slow start but builds well. The taping, done in almost real time, is the payoff. Thumbs up.) .

I would list either Planet Terror or Death Proof, but unless it comes in the form of Grindhouse, complete with fake trailers, don't bother. It's not my fault that Harvey gave a ton of money to Tarantino and Rodriguez for something that would only appeal to a niche audience, THEN didn't have a clue how to promote it between the coasts. I enjoyed Grindhouse, but until it comes all together in what I would guess would be a 2 or 3 disc set, don't waste your money.

Also worth catching:

Killer of Sheep: It received the Army Of Shadows type of rediscovery this year, and is worth catching. You won't find it on my list, only because it already received a U.S. release back in 1977. Almost neo-realistic in its depiction of poor black families in L.A., struggling to get by in a post Watts riot environment. Fighting off the temptations of crime, but with no hope of rising above. Somewhat amateurish in terms of some of its performances, but with some stunning scenes as well. Now on DVD, rent it.

That's all for now. Later all.

Jan. revivals: second half

Mike here with what to catch for the second half of January. Smaller list than usual. Almost half of the films are French, but they're still worth catching. KIDDING! Here we go:















LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD- Tues Jan 22, Wed Jan 23, Wed Jan 30 and Thurs Jan 31 at 6:30, 8:20 and 10:10- Film Forum- When I found out this was playing at the Forum back in early November, I wasn't looking forward to this. I was thinking about leaving it off altogether. Then, when I went to see the very good I'm Not There, I saw the trailer. Now I want to catch this real bad. Oscar nominated for Original Screenplay. In a new 35mm scope print. After that, I know nothing else about this picture. So I'm afraid I'll have to cut and paste from the Forum's website to explain this:

(1961) As ominous organ music resounds, the Scope camera tracks through the seemingly endless halls of a baroque grand hotel — alternately thronged with tuxedos and gowns or echoingly deserted — as Giorgio Albertazzi tries to persuade an initially disbelieving Delphine Seyrig (in gowns by Chanel — Coco herself!) that they’d met the year before, even as the sepulchral Sacha Pitoëff (her husband?) hovers about, continually beating all comers in a kind of pick-up-sticks game. Simple enough, right? But as Albertazzi continues to repeat “Last year. . . ” each encounter takes place in different locations, in different costumes, the alterations not just coming from scene to scene but from shot to shot — at one point Seyrig seemingly steps forward in a perfect match cut despite spanning completely different sets — with his remembrances becoming more and more detailed and personal, amid actually mounting suspense, until the question becomes not only did it happen, but was it seduction or. . . ? All this as their fellow guests alternate among relatively realistic crowd scenes, poses frozen in place as the principals walk past them, and a de Chirico-like composition amid the lavish grounds where the people cast extremely long shadows but the shrubbery casts none. Perhaps the ultimate puzzle film, with dizzying time shifts and flashbacks, real or imagined—or are they shifts into the subjunctive? Possible solutions have included the Orpheus-Eurydice myth; a visualization of the process of psychoanalysis; or the whole as a kind of stream-of consciousness of a single mind, encompassing truth, lies, and visualized what ifs. But the list could go on, and usually does, as vehement post-film discussions. Technically, however, it’s easy to agree that Marienbad is a tour de force, with Sacha Vierny’s lusciously velvet black and white photography of the incredibly lavish interior of — mainly — Nymphenburg castle in Bavaria; with the debuting Seyrig’s feathery peignoir probably an homage to Evelyn Brent in von Sternberg’s Underworld; and the horror film-worthy organ score by Seyrig’s brother Francis. With Oscar-nominated screenplay by nouveau roman titan Alain Robbe-Grillet, who now sits in the Académie Française. One of the most iconic and "referenced" art films of all time, Marienbad has been homaged in everything from Calvin Klein "Obsession" ads in the 80s, to Marc Jacobs' Fall 2007 collection, to British band Blur's music video "To the End." “I was not prepared for the voluptuous quality of Marienbad, its command of tone and mood, its hypnotic way of drawing us into its puzzle, its austere visual beauty.” – Roger Ebert. “The overall tone is poker-faced parody of lush Hollywood melodrama . . . Yet the film’s dreamlike cadences, frozen tableaux, and distilled surrealist poetry are too eerie, too terrifying even, to be shaken off as camp. For all its notoriety, this masterpiece among masterpieces has never really received its due.” – Jonathan Rosenbaum. “I can’t remember a film of more sustained visual delight. It is the Finnegans Wake of the movies.” – Dwight Macdonald.


LABYRINTH- Fri Jan 18 and Sun Jan 20 at Midnight- Landmark Sunshine Cinema- A flop back in the summer of 1986. A cult following today. Personally, I think the cult is bigger in say, L.A. and Chicago than here. It feels to me that; if there is more of a following in terms of mid80s Jim Henson work, then it would be more for Fraggle Rock then for this flick. When you hear those from 26-30 in NYC, who had HBO back then, talk lovingly about the show, or even Tina Fey, when she compared Paris Hilton's wig with a Fraggle, you might come to the same idea I did. That said, tell me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Labyrinth the only Jim Henson film to be re-released in a 2 disc DVD set to actually sell pretty well? Someone's rocking out to this.

While babysitting, Teenager Jennifer Connelly gets sick of her little brother, and wishes him taken away by some goblins. Why a mid 80s teen would pick goblins, who knows? But she gets her wish, as Goblin King David Bowie does exactly that. Jennifer goes off to David's Goblin castle to keep the rugrat from becoming a goblin. And of course, has to go through the title set of mazes to get there.

Executive produced by George Lucas, but hey, at least it's better than the other film he produced from that summer, Howard The Duck. Directed by Henson, who co-wrote the story. Monty Python's Terry Jones wrote an early version of the screenplay, with some kind of uncredited re-writing from Elaine May. Hell, I'll give this a shot. And because this falls on Martin Luther King weekend, Landmark Sunshine Cinema will also have a Sunday night Midnight screening, to go along with the Friday and Saturday night ones. If you don't have to work the next day, the Sunday nighter might be fun.


HIS GIRL FRIDAY and (But I'm not running to catch this one) THE WOMEN- Tues Jan 22 at 6 (His Girl) and 7:45 (Women)- Symphony Space- W. 95th and Bway- A double feature where I'd really like to catch the first film, and I don't care whether I see the second or not. His Girl Friday is the first of two female reporter versions of The Front Page, and the best film adaptation of this play. Newspaper editor Cary Grant tries to keep top reporter/ex-wife Rosalind Russell from quitting the paper and marrying perennial other guy Ralph Bellamy. She gets to finish her career on a high note, but actually finishing isn't that easy . . .

Director Howard Hawks keeps the film, and especially the dialogue, flying at a million miles a second, or it seems that way. Very few films have succeeded in pulling off such an evenly matched battle of the sexes for as long as they do here. Russell never had better chemistry with another male actor, as she did with Grant.

Double featured with another Russell film, George Cukor's The Women. Cukor got the job after being fired from Gone With The Wind. Whether it was because Clark Gable didn't want to work with a gay director, or didn't want to be directed by someone who had dirt on him, or any dozen of reasons from Hollywood Babylon, The Last Tycoon and God knows how many Golden Age of Hollywood dirt specials, Cukor was available and solidified his reputation as a successful woman's director here. Feels a bit too campy for me now, but not bad. Has its fun bitchy moments. Lines are drawn in a group of female friends, when one of their's husband has an affair, and the gossip spreads like wildfire. Hell of a cast, as MGM used every actress they had under contract, except for Myrna Loy and Greta Garbo. Ok, I guess Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, and Lassie as well. Assuming they were under contract that is. The cast includes Russell, the cheated-on Norma Shearer, adulteress Joan Crawford, Pauline Goddard and Joan Fontaine.


LADY CHATTERLY- with an intro by Director Pascale Ferran- MOMA- Mon Jan 28 at 7- Technically a revival. A highly praised adaptation of D.H. Lawrence's story from 2006. For once, a version that wasn't turned into soft core porn, but treats its audience like adults. It came out in the U.S. this summer to critical praise, but against PG-type art house hits such as Waitress and Once, it had no chance. It seems like one of those films one should probably try to catch this when it comes to rounding out any potential top 10 lists for the year. Note this is the 3 hr version of the film, not the 3hr, 40 min version as it originally was on French TV. Director Pascale Ferran will introduce this particular screening at MOMA herself.


Let me know. Later all.

Oscar picks

Ok people. Mike here. I did this last year, and I'll do this again. Let's hear your Oscar nominations picks. As a guide, I'm using hsx (hollywood stock exchange) to break down the major nominations. For each category, they are broken down into probables, possibles, maybes, and longshots, followed by my picks. I generally do better with picking the nominees until last year. We'll see. Here we go:



BEST PICTURE:

Probables: There Will Be Blood, No Country For Old Men, Atonement, Juno, American Gangster

Possibles: Michael Clayton, Into The Wild, The Diving Bell and The Butterfly

Maybe: Sweeney Todd

Longshots: Charlie Wilson's War, Before The Devil Knows You're Dead, The Kite Runner, 3:10 To Yuma, Hairspray, Once, Zodiac, The Assassination of Jesse James . . ., Knocked Up


My picks: The Diving Bell And The Butterfly (a surprise but the Producer's Guild members will probably get it in), Juno (Consider this the Little Miss Sunshine slot), Michael Clayton (West coast people kept the film from being a flop, they'll get it in here), No Country For Old Men, There Will Be Blood


BEST DIRECTOR: Probables: The Coen brothers- No Country . . . , Paul Thomas Anderson- There Will Be Blood

Possibles: Julian Schnabel- The Diving Bell and The Butterfly, Joe Wright- Atonement, Ridley Scott- American Gangster, Sean Penn- Into The Wild, Tim Burton- Sweeney Todd, Tony Gilroy- Michael Clayton

Maybe- David Fincher- Zodiac

Longshots- Sidney Lumet- Before The Devil . . ., Jason Reitman- Juno, Ang Lee- Lust Caution, Marc Foster- The Kite Runner, Todd Haynes- I'm Not There, Sarah Polley- Away From Her, Denzel Washington- The Great Debaters, David Cronenberg- Eastern Promises, Ben Affleck- Gone Baby Gone, Judd Apatow- Knocked Up

My picks: Anderson, the Coens, Gilroy, Schnabel, Scott. Not that far at all from the DGA picks, I know.


BEST ACTOR:

Probables: Daniel Day-Lewis- . . . Blood, George Clooney- Michael Clayton, Johnny Depp- Sweeney Todd

Possibles: Denzel Washington- American Gangster, Viggo Mortensen- Eastern Promises, Tom Hanks- Charlie Wilson's War, Emile Hirsch- Into The Wild

Maybes: Ryan Gosling- Lars and The Real Girl, James McAvoy- Atonement, Josh Brolin- No Country . . ., Mathieu Amalric- The Diving Bell . . .

Longshots: Phillip Seymor Hoffman- Before The Devil . . ., Frank Langella- Started Out In The Evening, Tommy Lee Jones- In The Valley Of Elah, Casey Affleck- Gone Baby Gone, Christian Bale- Rescue Dawn, Russell Crowe- 3:10 To Yuma, Kal Penn- The Namesake

My picks: Clooney, Day-Lewis, Depp, McAvoy, Washington. Just don't see Viggo getting the much deserved love.


BEST ACTRESS:

Probables: Julie Christie- Away From Her, Marion Cotillard- La Vie En Rose, Ellen Page- Juno, Keira Knightly- Atonement, Angelina Jolie- A Mighty Heart, Cate Blanchett- Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Possibles: none

Maybes: Helena Bonham Carter- Sweeney Todd, Amy Adams- Enchanted

Longshots: Laura Linney- The Savages, Wei Tang- Lust Caution, Keri Russell- Waitress, Jodie Foster- The Brave One, Nikki Blonsky- Hairspray, Carice Van Houten- Black Book

My picks: Christie, Cotillard, Jolie, Knightly, Page. If this was the people's choice, Adams would be there instead of Angelina, but it's not, so . . .


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Probables: Javier Bardem- No Country . . ., Casey Affleck- The Assassination of Jesse James . . ., Phillip Seymour Hoffman- Charlie Wilson's War, Hal Holbrook- Into The Wild, Tom Wilkinson- Michael Clayton

Possibles: Paul Dano- . . . Blood, Russell Crowe- American Gangster, Tommy Lee Jones- No Country . . .

Maybes: Philip Bosco- The Savages, Max von Sydow- The Diving Bell . . ., Ben Foster- 3:10 To Yuma, Ethan Hawke- Before The Devil . . ., Irrfan Khan- The Namesake

Longshots: Brad Pitt- the Assassination of Jesse James . . ., Robert Downey Jr.- Zodiac, Homayon Ershadi- The Kite Runner, Albert Finney- Before The Devil . . . , John Travolta- Hairspary, Marcus Carl Franklin- I'm Not There

My picks: Bardem, Dano, Hoffman, Holbrook, Wilkinson. I know Affleck has been praised, but I have to wonder if any Academy member sat through all 8 hrs or the Jesse James film. I know I haven't tried to at this point, and if I can't (for some of you, I'm the only one you know who likes Westerns), why would some Academy members with 65 DVDs to go through. My guess is that any member who wasn't jumping for the other 4, and saw Dano stand up acting-wise to Daniel Day, would have to nominate him.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Probables: Amy Ryan- Gone Baby Gone, Cate Blanchett- I'm Not There, Tilda Swinton- Michael Clayton

Possibles: Vanessa Redgrave- Atonement, Catherine Keener- Into The Wild, Kelly MacDonald- No Country . . .

Maybes: Ruby Dee- American Gangster, Saoirse Ronan- Atonement, Jennifer Garner- Juno, Romola Garai- Atonement

Longshots: Emmanuelle Seigner- The Diving Bell . . . , Leslie Mann- Knocked Up, Marisa Tomei- Before The Devil . . ., Michelle Pfeiffer- Hairspray, Kristen Wiig- Knocked Up (KIDDING- No way that internet push to get her nominated will work, no matter how memorable her cameo is)

My picks: Blanchett, Keener, MacDonald, Ryan, Swinton. Honestly, after Cate and Amy, I have no clue. So I'm going to some old favorites, like Tilda and Kelly. But don't be surprised if somehow, the 12 year old from Atonement or Ruby Dee gets up there.


BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

Probables: Juno, Michael Clayton

Probables: American Gangster, Ratatouille, Before The Devil . . .

Possibles: Waitress, The Savages, The Great Debaters, I'm Not There, Once, Knocked Up, In The Valley Of Elah Longshot: Eastern Promises, The Darjeeling Limited

My picks: Before The Devil, Juno, Clayton, The Savages, Ratatouille. I know Knocked Up is WGA nominated, but considering a lot of the best jokes were ad libbed, will we have another Beverly Hills Cop in our hands? And I know Lars is also WGA nominated, but how actually went to see this?


BEST SCREENPLAY ADAPTATION:

Probables: No Country . . ., There Will Be Blood, Atonement, Into The Wild, The Diving Bell . . .

Possible: Zodiac

Maybes: Sweeney Todd, The Kite Runner, Charlie Wilson's War, Gone Baby Gone. 3:10 To Yuma

Longshots: Away From Her, Lust Caution, Peresepolis

My picks: Diving Bell, Into The Wild, No Country, Blood, Zodiac

That's it for now. Give me yours if you got them. Nominations are Tuesday morning, Oct 22.

Jan. revivals: first half

Hey all, Mike here. First I'd like to thank those of you who joined me on film outings over the past year. Here's what we caught: INTERIORS (introduced by actress Mary Beth Hurt, lousy cell phone picture round here somewhere), STARDUST MEMORIES, BECKET (acting 101, British Costume Drama Division), INVESTIGATION OF A CITIZEN ABOVE SUSPICION, ARMY OF SHADOWS, THE EARRINGS OF MADAME DE . . ., GOLDFINGER, LIVE AND LET DIE, THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, FOR YOUR EYES ONLY, NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN (guess you can tell there was a James Bond retrospective in 2007), THE DAY OF THE LOCUST, BARRY LYNDON, 28 WEEKS LATER (a new release, but a revival when I caught it), THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, LE DOULOS, THE KING OF MARVIN GARDENS (with introduction by and post film Q and A with co-writer Jacob Brackman by assistant curator of the Museum of the Moving Image Livia Bloom; a lousy cell phone picture of it around here somewhere. A well acted, forgotten film from 1972 that should be seen by fans of good acting. Got to your Netflix and find it.) THE LAST DETAIL, MANHATTAN (some films are just worth waiting to see on a large screen, like this one), REAR WINDOW, FITZCARRALDO, THE LANDLORD (another forgotten film, this time from 1970; a more honest film from a major studio about urban race relations you will not find. Maybe Do The Right Thing, maybe. I hope it comes out on DVD soon.), BLADE RUNNER: THE FINAL CUT, TIM BURTON'S THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS IN 3-D, DIVA, ERASERHEAD, and ALL THAT JAZZ (aside from the last musical number being a little longer than expected, as great as I remembered.).

26 in total, 8 less than last year- a little disappointing. 27 in total if you count I'M NOT THERE which was on the list though it wasn't technically a revival. 28 if you count the late BUFFY SING-A-LONG in April. It worked better with stage performers than just as a screening of the episode back in April. But it is missed. I wonder which group of bastards killed this off by complaining about residuals? I should also note that I felt good about talking people into seeing The Dark Crystal at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington. 4 people to be exact. I'm sorry I couldn't go with them, but I'm glad I could influence them to see and enjoy it.

I repeat, thanks to those who did catch films with me. Especially those who caught more than one with me. Here's the current list for the first half of January. Here we go:



ANATOMY OF A MURDER- with an introduction by Foster Hughes- Fri Jan 4 at 7:30- Film Forum- The beginning of the Otto Preminger retrospective. Hugely successful courtroom drama, with possibly Jimmy Stewart's best performance. He plays a defense attorney using his Golly gee mannerisms and basically plays dumb to try to win his case against prosecutors who feel superior. And this precursor to Matlock has a doozy of a case, defending an Army Lt. (Ben Gazzara) for the murder of his wife's rapist. The wife played not so innocently by a young Lee Remick, who got the role when Lana Turner said no, after Preminger's refusal to let her wear designer gowns for the parts. That's right; designer gowns worn by a rape victim in a small Michigan town. You can't make this stuff up. Eve Arden also appears as Stewart's assistant/girl Friday.

Also notable for having Joseph Welch, who who won his verbal throwdown against Sen. McCarthy in 1954 as the judge, and for Duke Ellington's standout score (he has a cameo). A memorable opening credits sequence from Saul Bass (Psycho, North By Northwest). Controversial in its day, for the casual use of words such as rape, bitch and sperm. So much so that Stewart's own father told a local newspaper that he thought this was a "dirty picture". The picture's release was blocked in Chicago, similar to Brokeback Mountain in Utah a while back. Despite this, 7 Oscar nominations, including Picture, Stewart, 2 for Supporting Actor including George C. Scott (his loss here made him so disillusioned with the process, he would refuse to ever accept an Oscar, which he did in 1971 for Patton) and Screenplay Adaptation. No wins though; it ran into the Ben-Hur buzz saw that year. According to MOMA's website, "Seven years after Anatomy’s release, Preminger took his distributor to court in an effort to prevent the film from being shown on television with commercial interruptions.". Worth seeing if you have the time.

Foster Hirsch, author of Preminger The Man Who Would Be King, will introduce the 7:30 screening.


IN HARM'S WAY- with an introduction by Patrica Neal and Jill Haworth- Tues Jan 8 at 8- Film Forum- Part of the Otto Preminger retrospective. Well done, though a little too long, war drama. John Wayne stars as a Naval officer whose career gets resurrected when he's needed to lead against the Japanese fleet in WW2. But since the film starts with the attack on Pearl Harbor, you can imagine how little he has to work with. Because of the setting, Preminger has placed his characters in an out of control situation. At times, those in uniform are the most helpless, and not always in battle.

Brilliant (Oscar nominated) Black and White cinematography gives this film an impressive look. Otto seemed to have a lot of fun with Panavision. The war scenes work, especially the Pearl Harbor attack and the final sea battle. The soap opera drama isn't maudlin as you'd expect, Preminger wouldn't allow such a thing to occur. Wayne's best leading man perf of the 1960s, even over True Grit and Liberty Valance. An all star cast (Kirk Douglas, Patricia Neal, Paula Prentiss, Brandon de Wilde, Dana Andrews, Stanley Holloway, Burgess Meredith, Patrick O'Neal, Carroll O'Connor, Slim Pickens, George Kennedy, Larry Hagman and Henry Fonda as unnamed Admiral Nimitz) is a big help.

Patricia Neal (in a well done storyline as an older nurse who falls for Wayne) and Jill Haworth (who played a young nurse who has a run-in with Douglas's character) will introduce the screening.


CARMEN JONES and/or RIVER OF NO RETURN- Fri Jan 11 at 8:30 (Carmen) and 10:30 (River)- Film Forum- 2 more films from the Preminger retrospective. First, Carmen Jones, updated from the opera Carmen, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstien. Dorothy Dandridge received the biggest break in her life (her words), an affair with her director, and an eventual Oscar nomination for Best Actress, as the Southern temptress who leads good guy Harry Belafonte astray. No white American director would even consider touching this all Black project, but Preminger, an Austrian immigrant and noted maverick, was willing to take chances and ignore or fight American prejudices of the 1950s. The cast includes Pearl Bailey, Brock Peters and Diahann Carroll.

The person who probably enjoyed the most success from this film wasn't Dandridge, who never got a better role in her short career and life, or even Preminger, whose career would go until 1979 and had a few more hits along the way. It was Marilyn Horne, who singing voice was dubbed in for Dandridge's. After the previous singer was tired of Preminger's bullying (a common complaint about Otto), 19 year old Horne stepped in for little pay, re-recorded what was previously done, and she never looked back. Definitely for musical fans.

Since one is there to catch Carmen Jones, you might as well stay for River of No Return, a Preminger Western from 1954. His only Western from 1954 shot in Cinemascope, starring Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe. According to author Chris Fujiwara, Otto decided never to do in two shots what he could in one. Here farmer Mitchum and saloon singer Monroe must battle deadly rapids (they both nearly drowned during shooting, we get to see some of it), gambler Rory Calhoun, and angry Indians. Apparently, one of the more naturalistic performances by Monroe. How did Preminger do it? Well, to quote him: "Directing Marilyn Monroe was like directing Lassie. You needed fourteen takes to get each one of them right." Also, according to imdb, Otto described Monroe as a vacuum with nipples. Ok then. Anyway, I'm curious to see it.


BOOGIE NIGHTS- Sat Jan 12 at Midnight- Landmark Sunshine Cinema- E. Houston St., bet. 1st and 2nd Ave.- There will be a Paul Thomas Anderson retrospective this weekend and next, at AMMI in Astoria. But I don't have time for most of them, and I don't feel like taking the time to re-tackle Magnolia. Another time definitely, but not now. Luckily, Boogie Nights will have a Midnight screening and if you can take the length, go for it. With a cast that is an embarrassment of riches, boy did Anderson do well for himself in this category. Oscar nominations for Anderson for his Screenplay, Julianne Moore for Supporting Actress, and Burt Reynolds for Supporting Actor. Supposedly at the time, this wasn't considered a great deal for Burt, being cast in both Bean and this: a film about 70s porn by a director with only an art house flop (the decent Hard Eight) on the resume. He fired his agent shortly before or after filming, don't remember which. After he received his Oscar nomination for Boogie Nights, and supposedly receiving a big big check from a share of Bean's rather large grosses, it was believed Burt's career was officially revived. After films such as The Crew, Mystery Alaska and Universal Soldier 2 and 3, that idea was put to rest real fast.

I would have added Igmar's Bergman's Fanny and Alexander, now playing at IFC Film Center thru mid-January. However, they're pissing me off again. I don't mind that their showing the original 5 hr 12 min version, as opposed to the 3 hr 8 min theatrical release. But they're showing this in two parts, and separate admission for each part! You mean no special day where you can see it all. You have to spend 22 dollars to see it all. Get bent, IFC! And I still don't know what midnight screenings they have this month, so if they were any good, we won't know about it until it was too late. If it wasn't for the fact that IFC will have some good Louis Malle films in February and March, I would ignore this place altogether.

Let me know about the above films. Later all.

As Chrismasey as I can get.

If you don't think a surrendering French soldier from the Metropolitan Opera's current production of War and Peace, giving a Benny Hill style salute by a Christmas tree doesn't spell Christmas, then I'm afraid you don't know what this holiday means! It didn't take much to get this guy to pose all goofy for my Christmas electronic postcard, let me tell you. A Happy Festivus to all, and more about this experience when I get the chance.

Dec. revivals: second half

Hey all. Mike here with what to catch for the rest of the month. Not a complete list: I left out It's A Wonderful Life at IFC Film Center (after the grief I took last year for bringing it up after it plays on TV all the time, forget it), the director's cut of Bad Santa also IFC Film Center (it essentially plays with Wonderful Life, yet they're charging separate admission- BULLSHIT TO THAT!!! AFTER THEY COULDN'T KEEP THE FIRST SHOT OF ERASERHEAD IN FOCUS ON WED NIGHT OF DEC 19, THEY'VE ONLY BEEN SHOWING THIS FILM FOR 2 WEEKS NOW! AND THEN YOU DOUBLE CHARGE WITH THE XMAS FILMS?!?!?! I'M GETTING ANNOYED BY THEM NOW!), Hannah and Her Sisters at Film Forum (Uuuuuhhhhh, no) or Ratatouille or Disney cartoon classics from 1932-1940 at AMMI (seen most of them, loved most of them, but no time).

So here's what I want to see in the limited time I have. And I mean, want to see them with a passion. Here we go:

CITY LIGHTS- Wed Dec 26, Thurs Dec 27 and Sat Dec 29 at 3:25 and Sun Dec 30 (maybe, as long as it doesn't interfere with what's below) at 7:15 and 9:30- Film Forum- 209 W Houston St.- A new 35mm print of what's considered by some to be Charlie Chaplin's best film. Being shown on the 25th anniversary of his death, it plays from Christmas Day through New Year's Day. I'm just list the screenings I can probably make. Go to the Forum website to see the other times for yourself. It is a silent film, but Chaplin's first with recorded music and sound effects. Basically, Chaplin's Little Tramp goes through various trails and tribulations, all for the love of a blind flower girl. Chaplin and blind girl actress Virginia Cherrill hated each other with a passion, but since she was the only one who could play blind without looking like a joke, he was stuck.

A comedy classic that's on both AFI Top 100 lists. Sorry, I don't feel like going into more about this. Basically, City Lights is not a film you say no to. It doesn't play frequently enough to just let this go by.


CABARET- Wed Dec 26 at 6:15- Walter Reade theater at Lincoln Center- Studio Print- Part of the Bob Fosse retrospective. He spent decades working on the stage, but Bob Fosse only lived long enough to direct 5 films. I don't have the time to go his first one, Sweet Charity, or any of the films in the retrospective that he choreographed and/or danced in, like The Pajama Game and My Sister Eileen. Luckily, I have time for the best ones, for in all. To some of you who might read this, Fosse might be just the guy involved in Chicago, that mediocre film (not in my opinion) or that musical that casts hacks, soap opera types, singers who can't act, and actors from The Sopranos who can't sing. Fosse was/is much much more. Consider Cabaret as film lesson 1 for this post.

Cabaret, along with Grease and All That Jazz, were the only successful musicals of the 1970s. Sorry, I don't consider Saturday Night Fever, Woodstock or The Last Waltz as musicals, and Willy Wonka and Rocky Horror I consider to be cult films, not bonafide hits. The classic Fosse-Minnelli musical, gets a nice screening on the Walter Reade's large screen and quality sound system. 8 Oscars, in the year of the Godfather. Among the winners were Liza for Actress, Joel Grey in his signature role for Supporting Actor (over Caan, Duvall and Pacino for Godfather!), Geoffrey Unsworth (2001, Superman)for Cinematography, and Fosse for Director. This was the year Bob won the Oscar, Tony and Emmy for Best Director, a feat never pulled off before or since.

Number 5 on AFI's recent Top Musical list. I've never seen all of it in one sitting from beginning to end, but would like to. Note that I probably will have to bolt from the film the second the end credits finish, but I still want to catch it.


STAR 80- Fri Dec 28 at 4 and Sun Dec 30 at 8- Walter Reade theater- Part of the Bob Fosse retrospective. A studio print. Consider this film lesson number 2 for this post. A well done bio-pic. One of the best of 1983, but probably the darkest and least-seen of the Hollywood films from that year as well. Fosse's last film; he was supposedly depressed for a while after the box office tanked. By the time he was up for another film (the development of Chicago with possibly Madonna and Goldie Hawn in the leads), he died of yet another heart attack in 1987.

This film, shot in part in a faux-documentary style, focuses not so much on Playboy Playmate of the year for 1980 Dorothy Stratten, but more on the man who murdered her, Paul Snider. A sleazy type who "discovered" Stratten, got lucky that she was the perfect type for Playboy, tried to ride her coattails of B and C level stardom that turned out to be more embarrassing then anything else, and couldn't stand it when she left him for a director.

The attention on Star 80 at the time was focused on two things before the film came out. One, Mariel Hemingway and her newly-bought breast implants; she claimed they weren't for the role. Two, the real life people who really ticked off by this movie: Peter Bogdanovich, the director who Stratten fell for, and Hugh Hefner, the Playboy publisher who sued (unsuccessfully I think) because of the film's depiction of him.

After the film's release, all attention went to Eric Roberts, in his highest profile role at that point, as Snider. A little man with big dreams, but without the talent or taste to do anything more creative than wet t-shirt contests. He gets his wishes, career-wise and love-wise, fulfilled with Stratten. But she was getting big enough to leave him behind. And Snider fell into the typical psycho thought: if I can't have her, no one else will and it's all her fault. Similar to In Cold Blood, the death scenes were shot in the same apartment where they happened.

Despite good turns by Hemingway (never more beautifully photographed), Cliff Robertson as Hefner, Carroll Baker as Stratten's mother, and Roger Rees as Bogdanovich (renamed in the movie to avoid a lawsuit), all acting praise goes to Roberts. Probably never turned in a better performance. At times it's possible to be both repulsed and empathetic with Snider through Robert's performance, up to a point. Supposedly, Fosse feared if he hadn't succeeded at choreography, he might have gone down a path similar to Snider's. According to the Fosse biography Razzle Dazzle by Kevin Boyd Grubb, Fosse would direct Roberts to act Snider like Fosse himself, how Fosse would have acted and reacted to Snider's situation. "Steal from me!" to quote from the biography. I would say Eric stole well.

As good a film as it is, it does push buttons and it certainly did back in 1983. Despite great reviews from say Roger Ebert and Vincent Camby, other critics were repulsed by the world depicted, as well as the detail shown in the rape and murder of Stratten by Snider. A few weeks into an art house style release, the film was expanded into wide release, and essentially drew no audience. Little in the way of awards, except for a smattering for Roberts and a German award for Fosse. After the inital home video release, it's been ignored ever since. Fosse's death and Roberts and Hemingway's careers falling off the map didn't help. Not a holiday film, since the sleaze practically drips off the screen, but a worthwhile drama nevertheless.


ALL THAT JAZZ- Sat Dec 29 at 8:15 and Tues Jan 1 at 4- Walter Reade theater- Part of the Fosse retrospective. Consider this film lesson number 3 on this post. A studio print of this semi-autobiographical film. Around 1974, Fosse was trying to direct, co-write and choreograph Chicago on Broadway starring his (long separated) wife Gwen Virdon: while trying to balance his relationship with girlfriend Ann Reinking with the other women he slept around with, keep up a relationship with his daughter, and struggle to edit Lenny into something at least watchable. All while being a chain smoker and popping Dexedrine like they were candies. Wanna guess how many heart attacks he had, and how close to death he was?

After he got better, and both projects went up, what's a man to do? Make all of that into a movie. His friend Shirley MacLaine claims to have given Fosse the idea, he claimed not to remember. Change the names to protect the innocent as well as those he might not have liked, such as Michael Bennett, played in a way by John Lithgow. Made sure he came off as the biggest jerk of all, yet still likable. Bring in some veterans who have been around his world, like Ben Vereen, Leland Palmer (who came out of retirement to play the Gwen Verdon type, then went back into retirement), designer Tony Walton to help with the Art Direction, and Reinking to essentially play herself (which she does well, plus dances terrifically). Make the film essentially a flashback from a place that might be in-between life and death, and that might only be happening in the Fosse-like man's imagination, with Jessica Lange as one luscious Angel of Death, and you've got a helluva picture.

Non-original music and newly developed Fosse choreography shine here. For those who have difficulty with musicals where the singing and dancing come from inorganic places, note the singing and dancing only come from the audition/rehearsal of a musical, one moment performing for Dad, and that imagination place between life and death. That said, we're in for the ride, because we buy Roy Scheider as the Fosse type. According to Razzle Dazzle, unlike Warren Beatty, who wanted massive rewrites to fit his tempo, or Jack Nicholson, who was more interested in watching the Lakers than talking in depth with Fosse, or Richard Dreyfuss, who quit before he was fired during rehearsal, Scheider was more submissive. He was actually willing to learn how to be Fosse from Fosse, not impose a character of his own creation. Might not necessarily be ideal, but film is the director's medium. You might not believe Scheider was ever a dancer before the last scene, but you do come away believing everything else.

Which brings me to one particular part of All That Jazz. The two top films for me that came out in 1979 are All That Jazz and Apocalypse Now. The difference for me between Apocalypse being very good and All That Jazz being not only the best film of 1979, but also in my personal top 35 ever, is the ending. Apocalypse is one of the best, until we get to see Marlon The World's Fattest Green Beret, and then Coppola's film deflates and suffers (Redux only partially fixes this). But the ending of All That Jazz is a great finale, the build-up leads to a payoff greater than expected. And when it's time for us to go, what could be better than a send-off with singing, dancing lights, spectacle, and everyone we ever became close to giving us a fond farewell. The little details is what Fosse nailed, while Francis had fat Marlon in the jungle.

Not as big a hit as Cabaret, but successful enough. 9 Oscar nominations, including Picture, Fosse for Director and Screenplay, Scheider for Actor and also for Cinematography. 4 Oscars, including Art Direction and Editing. In fact, it one the first 4 awards announced at the 1980 ceremonies. Don't know why they didn't start with a Supporting Category like in other years. But after that, the Kramer vs. Kramer steamroller commenced, and All That Jazz's commercial momentum slowed. It also won Fosse the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival.

One can argue what was the first standout, live action movie musical of this decade. Whether you think its Moulin Rouge, or Rob Marshall's Chicago, or the new Sweeney Todd. But the last great live action musical before any of them was All That Jazz. That's right, over 20 years and maybe more. Come and see why. Saturday the 29th would be perfect. Let's do this one, folks.

BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974)- Sat Dec 29 at Midnight- Landmark Sunshine Cinema- E. Houston St. between 1st and 2nd Ave- An offbeat choice that doesn't fit in with the others. Like I care. The remake came and went last year, the little said the better. Audiences staying away in droves speaks volumes I believe. Actually, I believe the Landmark Sunshine Cinema's website came up with a better description then I could, so I'll cut and paste this:

"A new 35mm print. For one ordinary, remote sorority house, the holiday season is going to bring an unwanted visitor, and many of the girls will be going home for Christmas—dead. Margot Kidder (Superman), Olivia Hussey (Romeo & Juliet) and Andrea Martin (SCTV) are among the students in danger; John Saxon leads the cops trying to close in on the enigmatic killer. Arguably the first holiday-themed "slasher" thriller ever made (predating Halloween by four years), Black Christmas (a.k.a. Silent Night, Evil Night) is still one of the best, with stylistic touches and a creepy overtone matched by very few horror movies since. Like the ads said, if this movie doesn't make your skin crawl...it's on too tight! Keir Dullea (2001: A Space Odyssey) co-stars. Ironic but true: director Bob Clark would revisit Christmas territory nine years later with the warm and lovable movie A Christmas Story!"


LENNY- Tues Jan 1 at 8:30- Walter Reade theater- Part of the Bob Fosse retrospective. Consider this the last film lesson on this post. A studio archive print. If you're reading this and your under the age of thirty four, you've probably never heard of this. In fact, if you're under 60 and you know this film, that probably means you're a film buff, or your a relative of Fosse, or one of the two leads, Dustin Hoffman or Valerie Perrine. Now's the time to correct this by catching one of the best bio-pics ever made. It's easy to dismiss flicks like Ray and Walk The Line as mild entertainments, when you catch a film like this.

PaShot in the same faux-documentary style Fosse would later employ in Star 80, and shot in gorgeous black and white by Bruce Surtees (Dirty Harry, The Shootist, Beverly Hills Cop). Hoffman plays stand-up comedian Lenny Bruce, whose style of social commentary and free use of language, that all stand-ups from the 70s to the present take for granted today, handed Bruce into a legal morass he never lived to see end. Just before he left office, former NY governor Pataki gave Bruce a posthumous pardon for the indecency convictions he got. This also covers Bruce's relationship with his mother (stage mother wannabe), his marraige to a stripper (Perrine, never more beautiful and who never had a better role), and his slow descent into drug addiction. But perhaps because it was directed by Fosse, a pill popper himself at one time if you pay attention to All That Jazz, he still found empathy for Bruce, while showing the damage it did in terms of on-stage performance, and premature death.

Fosse and Hoffman supposedly had a difficult relationship. In one of their early meetings (again, according to the Fosse biography, Razzle Dazzle), Hoffman said he came up with a walk for Lenny Bruce, to which Fosse supposedly replied (I'm partially paraphrasing) "Your last 3 roles were fucking walks!". Not the greatest of starts. But Fosse's desire to get every detail right no matter how many takes, blended perfectly with Hoffman the perfectionist, who always seemed to want one more take to get something small right. The two neuroses fed each other, and we, the audience benefit. An excellent performance from Hoffman that never seems to get the credit it deserves.

Not the big hit Cabaret was, but Lenny managed to find an audience. Oscar nominations helped. 6 nominations in all, for Picture, Fosse for Director, Hoffman for Actor, Perrine for Actress (Lost to Ellen Burstyn, but did win Best Actress for this at Cannes), Cinematography and Screenplay Adaptation. But Lenny ran into the Oscar juggernaut that was The Godfather Part 2, plus there was Chinatown and The Conversation getting a lot of attention. This little film didn't have a shot in hell.

Now in case you haven't noticed, I'm saying, let's go to this. I'm really sorry I can't come up with a better day and time, but it's the best I can do.

My push is for City Lights and for the Fosse films. I might have more felxibility in terms of when to catch the Chaplin film, but not from Wed-Fri night and at the expense of any of the Fosse times I listed. My Fosse order of preference, if I must choose, is All That Jazz, Cabaret, Lenny and Star 80. But anything I can catch is good. For those who know me, if you lock me into a time regarding one of the Fosse flicks, I can get the tickets ASAP, 24-48 hours before the scheduled perf. Let me know. Later all. And Happy Festivus.

December revivals: first half

Mike here with what to catch in the first half of December. Sorry it's a little late. Three reasons for that. One, busy schedule on my end, which eliminates certain films and times for me. Two, once I knew I couldn't do Salo at the Walter Reade this past Sunday and Monday, I knew there was no rush. Three, a small list to begin with. I'm most interested in the first two, ok but not running for the others. Here we go:

I'M NOT THERE- Fri Dec 7 at 6:45, 9:30 and Midnight, Sat Dec 8 at 9:30 and Midnight, Tues Dec 11 and Wed Dec 12 at 6:45 and 9:30 at the Film Forum (other dates TBA)- Again, not a revival or a re-release. But the Dylan bio-pic is something I want to catch. Yes, it's playing in other theaters, but I prefer to frequent the non-profit Forum than a commercial theater, so you can look up those times at other theaters on your own. Don't know how much longer it will play at the Forum beyond Thurs Dec 13, but I intend to go there. I'm even up for a midnight screening if possible.

ERASERHEAD- Fri Dec 7, Sat Dec 8, Tues Dec 11, Fri Dec 14 at 7:55 and 9:55; Fri Dec 7, Sat Dec 8 and Sat Dec 15 at 12:05AM; Wed Dec 12 at 11:35am, 1:40, 3:45, 5:50, 7:55, and 9:55, and Thurs Dec 13 at 5:50- IFC Film Center- W. 4th and 6th Ave.- I forgot. Another reason for the delay in posting all of this: it's taken IFC Film Center forever to post times for the 30th anniversary restoration of Eraserhead. I have a real beef with these people and their lack of scheduling skills. First they couldn't (can't?) plan weeks in advance, so sometimes it's easy to forget the theater even exists when the weekend or Monday rolls around. Then, unless it's a midnight or 12noon film, they can't figure out when to post times for their revivals; you're not guarding state secrets people. It's some movies you're working hard at keeping people from making plans to see. Look, you have a very comfortable venue to watch films in, but some of your skills suck.

Why I'm I taking so much time writing about the venue instead of David Lynch's first film? Because I wrote about and pitched it back in January, so you can go back to the archives for this one. In fact, this might be the same restoration that Lynch personally worked on, that was screened at MOMA back in Jan. Can't tell, since the Film Center is useless for info along these lines. But, it's playing through Dec 19, and I'd really like to make an effort to catch this. I'd even do a midnight screening. Make it feel like how it might have been back in the late 70s and early 80s. Get a cup of David Lynch Signature Coffee and it's perfect. Actually it is pretty good, but they only sell it by the tiny cup and not in venti, or even by the pound so you can take it home. Again IFC, what the hell people?!?!?! Anyway, let's come out to watch this. Not for those who have to have their films linear or spelled out for them, but come nevertheless.

SCARFACE (1932)- Fri Dec 14 at 6:30- MOMA- Sub-titled "The Shame Of A Nation", it's actually pretty effective for a gangster film from 1932. Co directed by Howard Hawks and Richard Rosson, Paul Muni stands out so well in the title role, he could give Pacino's version of the character (Italian in the original, Cuban in the remake) a run for his money. With George Raft and Boris Karloff. One of those that perhaps helped usher in The Production Code a little sooner then planned. Based loosely on the crime career of Al Capone, who supposedly had his own copy made. When it comes to brushing up on your early gangster films, start with Little Caesar, go to The Public Enemy, and move straight into this. Or just start by seeing this.

ARMY OF DARKNESS- Fri Dec 14 at Midnight- Landmark Sunshine Cinema- E. Houston St. bet. 1st and 2nd Ave.- The second sequel to The Evil Dead, but for those who are not into horror flicks, don't worry. This stays away from that, and goes more for sword and sorcery, with tongue firmly planted in check. Director Sam Raimi's favorite leading man, Bruce Campbell, plays his character as possibly the most macho, and the stupidest version of Han Solo you've ever seen. So far as I know, this is the 81 minute theatrical release, as opposed to the 96 minute directors cut.

The order I want to see these films is coincidentally the order I have them. Go figure. On the next list, unless there's something unforeseen, the only films I'll have on the list will have Mickey Mouse, Charlie Chaplin, or be directed by Bob Fosse. Hard to say no to most of them. Let me know about this one first. Later all.

November revivals: second half

Hey all. Mike here with what to catch for the rest of November. Before that, you still have a few days to catch Diva at the Film Forum. In short, part of this action/romance drama-comedy with opera scenes is what The Jason Bourne films want to be, but isn't. The major romance is not as developed as in American films, but it doesn't need to be considering how little they know each other. Their scene in Paris as it reaches dawn seems inspired by a similar scene in Woody Allen's Manhattan, but it works on their own. And the subplot (one of many) between the mysterious mercenary-type guy and his underage Vietnamese Girl Friday/sex slave would need a lengthy explanation and condemnation in an American film. But in Diva, it just is, they're fine with each other and that's all they're needs to be. I'm trying not to reveal too much, I want you to enjoy this on your own. You have through Tuesday the 20th. And don't forget; if you haven't done Blade Runner: The Final Cut, you still have some time left as well.

Enough about previous films, we have others to get to. Here we go:



THE RED BALLOON and WHITE MANE- Fri Nov 16, Mon Nov 19- Wed Nov 21 at 6 and 7:40 and Sat Nov 24 at 1 and 2:40- Film Forum- 209 W Houston St.- A unique double feature: 2 shorts from director Albert Lamorisse. Both are kid-friendly. First, The Red Balloon. An enjoyable short from 1956, where a little boy (Pascal Lamorisse, the director's son) bonds with his newest pal, a large red balloon. From there, they go on an adventure all over Paris, or it seems that way. Trust me, it's a lot better than it sounds. A short that pulled off the unexpected at awards time; it won the Palm d'Or at Cannes and it won a Best Original Screenplay Oscar. Definitely unexpected for something that might be 36 minutes long at most and with minimum dialogue, and therefore, minimum subtitles. Seeing the trailer recently reminds me how well it holds up.

Double featured with White Mane, director Lamorisse's earlier short from 1952. Never seen it, so I can't talk alot about it. Basically, a young boy feels a bond for the title horse, the alpha male of a group of wild horses. The difficulties come from the horse that doesn't want to be tamed, and the ranchers ready to break the horse for their own needs. Two shorts for one admission, a combined 72 minutes. Not too shabby.



DIVORCE - ITALIAN STYLE - Fri Nov 16, Mon Nov 19 and Wed Nov 21 at 9:20- Film Forum- Another chance to catch this Marcello Mastroianni dark comedy. But only at 9:20 at night. Go figure. A new 35mm print.


BOTTLE ROCKET- Fri Nov 16 and Sat Nov 17 at Midnight- Landmark Sunshine Cinema- 143 East Houston St- The first film of writer-director Wes Anderson, co-writer/co-star Owen Wilson and lead Luke Wilson gets a midnight screening. An action-comedy-drama mix, where a bunch of friends go on the road to start a crime spree. But they seem to resemble The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight more than any competent crew. With a small but key role played by James Caan. When the film first came out, Caan was credited by some credits as giving the only professional performance. By 2000, those critics were shut up, and the Wilson brothers have received their just due. Not the biggest hit of all Anderson's films, but an all-time favorite for some of his fans.


THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD- Sun Nov 18 at 4:30 (Robin Hood)- AMMI in Astoria- 35th Ave at 36th St- Part of a retrospective of films that were first screened and developed using 3 color/3 strip Technicolor. Basically, it allows the filmmakers to play with hues and shadows in the editing process. At least that's how I remember it being explained to me. Anyone who has better info on this than me, please let me know. Anyway, I've caught films on screen that used this process: Singin In The Rain and The Godfather Part 2. I also these films in cleaned up video copies. To quote comedian Larry Miller, it's the difference between shooting a bullet and throwing it. It's as close as we'll get to seeing how the filmmakers originally intended their film to be seen. To quote from the Museum of the Moving Image's website:

"Like Dorothy waking up over the rainbow in the Land of Oz, Hollywood discovered a vivid new world of color in the 1930s with the introduction of three-color Technicolor. The Museum has received an extremely rare three-strip Technicolor camera; this important artifact will be unveiled in Behind the Screen on November 17. To celebrate the occasion, this series includes a selection of landmark films made with the richly expressive Technicolor process."

The Adventures of Robin Hood isn't the first Technicolor film featured in the retrospective. But it is the first I want to see. A restored 35mm print will be screened. Dashing Robin Hood (Errol Flynn) steals from the oppressive rich, gives to the poor, thumbs his nose at authority he doesn't respect and tries to get jiggy with, I mean, MAKE TIME with Maid Marian (Olivia de Havilland - sigh . . .). Oscar nominee for Best Picture, it won for Art Direction, Editing, and Original Score. The most difficult of the Technicolor films to make work up to that point, and the most successful for its time. And, most importantly, fun for all ages.

The highlight for me is the sword fight between Flynn and Basil Rathbone. 2 swordsmen at their best, just like in Captain Blood. Like I said before to others, I never seen better on-screen duelists then Flynn-Rathbone, unless the characters are named either Darth Vader and/or Luke Skywalker.

Not that I'm saying all others stink on ice. I certainly wouldn't say that about Chow Yun-Fat and the cast of "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon". This film plays before Robin Hood at 2pm. You can see both for one admission. I don't have time for Crouching Tiger, but would love to make the time for Robin Hood.


I'M NOT THERE- Wed Nov 21, Fri Nov 23, Sat Nov 24 and Mon Nov 26- Thurs Dec 4 at 1:00, 1:15, 3:45, 4:00, 6:30, 7:00, 9:15, 9:30, plus 11:45 and Midnight screenings on Fri and Sat, Nov 23, Nov 24, Nov 30 and Dec 1- Film Forum- NOTE: THE 7PM SCREENING ON WED NOV 21 IS SOLD OUT.- Not a revival or even a re-release. But since it's playing at the Forum and I've seen the trailer, I want to give this a shot.

I enjoyed Behind The Music when it premiered on VH1 way back when, before it became a reality TV network. It followed a certain pattern, of rise, fall, then either redemption or death. You could watch it, learn something, then move on. Quick, good and mostly disposable. But when they make feature length versions of Behind The Music, and people push the idea that these are great films, boy that pisses me off. I like the lead performances of both Ray and Walk The Line, but they follow the same bullshit pattern that VH1 used to do, and I refuse to drink the Kool-Aid on this. 30-60 years from now, these films will be mocked just like I'll mock the Woodrow Wilson biopic in a few paragraphs from now. In fact, we only have to wait for December for the mocking to begin, when Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story comes out.

The very early buzz on that film is mixed. But I'd like to see a very good musical biopic. Will I'm Not There be that film? Not a clue, but I'll give it a shot. With a director like Todd Haynes, it shouldn't follow the typical biopic path. After all, he made Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story using Barbie dolls. Haynes angered the Carpenter family enough that they used the music rights issue as an excuse (allegedly) to have the film essentially blocked from viewing. And with "Velvet Goldmine", he managed to skirt away from any potential lawsuit from David Bowie, to give us the gist of 70s British Glam Rock. So I have high hopes.

So when you have actors of different ages, genders and races playing Dylan, you've got a shot. Christian Bale, Heath Ledger and potential Oscar nominee Cate Blanchett are among the different Bobs. Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams are the different women in Bob's life. It will play for slightly over two weeks exclusively at the Film Forum only in NYC. So with my membership, it's worth going now. And better to see this in a non-profit as opposed to battling others at an AMC for example.


SABOTEUR and WHO IS NORMAN LLOYD?- Fri Nov 23, Sat Nov 24, and Tues Nov 27- Thurs Nov 29 at 6:10 (Saboteur), 8:15 (Lloyd), 9:45 (Saboteur)- plus Midnight screenings of saboteur on Fri Nov 23 and Sat Nov 24- Q&A with Norman Lloyd, director Matthew Sussman, and producers Michael Badalucco and Joseph Scarpenito, following the 8:15 show on Friday Nov 23- A week long tribute to Norman Lloyd, an actor, producer, director. His films have ranged from Spellbound, to Dead Poets Society to In Her Shoes. He's best known for his role on St. Elsewhere; he's guest-starred on TV series as varied as G.E. Theater, Kojack, Murder She Wrote, The Practice and Star Trek: The Next Generation. He also produced and/or directed varying episodes of Omnibus, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Name of The Game and Columbo.

To quote from the Film Forum website: "Born in Jersey City 93 years ago and raised in Brooklyn (he took elocution lessons to remove the accent), Lloyd is undoubtedly the only person, living or dead, who can claim to have worked with Hitchcock, Renoir (The Southerner), Chaplin (Limelight) and Welles (Lloyd is one of three surviving members of Welles’s Mercury Players), as well as Elia Kazan, Joseph Losey, Jules Dassin, Bertolt Brecht, Martin Scorsese and Cameron Diaz." So basically, this documentary, Who Is Norman Lloyd?, documents this living history of show business, complete with stories from the man himself. Also interviews with Lloyd's friend Karl Malden, Ray Bradbury and Diaz, among others. After the 8:15 screening on Friday Nov. 23, there will be Q and A with the film's director Matthew Sussman, the film's producers Joseph Scarpenito and Michael Badalucco (who met Lloyd when they worked on Badalucco's The Practice) and Lloyd himself.

Playing with this tribute to Lloyd is Hitchcock's Saboteur. Lloyd makes his film debut as one of the villains. Robert Cummings is an everyman, going around the country looking for the people who framed him for a fire/murder. Arsenic and Old Lace's Priscilla Lane (a forgotten B-level leading actress I like) plays the spunky heroine. But the film is remembered by buffs because of the climatic scene on the Statue of Liberty. Also, keep an eye out for an uncredited Robert Mitchum. Consider this kind of story (co-written by Dorthy Parker) as a further development of The 39 Steps, which would be further developed by the superior North By Northwest. But this is still pretty good Hitchcock.


MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS and/or THE WIZARD OF OZ and/or SINGIN' IN THE RAIN- Sat Nov 24 at 2 (St. Louis) 4:30 (Oz) and 7 (Singin)- AMMI in Astoria- 3 more films from the Museum of the Moving Image's retrospective of 3 strip Technicolor films. All 3 family films can be seen on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend for one admission.

First, Meet Me in St. Louis, with possibly the only happy family ever depicted on film. Second happiest if you count Leatherface's family from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Directed by Vincente Minnelli, we see a family enjoying their last days of togetherness, before a potential move to New York. A restored 35mm print will be screened.

Yes, the film is a color feast for the eye; otherwise it wouldn't be in this retrospective. But this film should be considered the best showcase of Judy Garland's talents. Is it her best performance? Probably not. That would be the last film on this list. Her most memorable performance? No, that would be the next film on the list. But for the full package, catch Judy here. With The Maltese Falcon's Mary Astor as the loving mother, Margaret O'Brien as the scene stealing kid sister, and Leon Ames as the epitome of the loving patriarch.

4 Nominations for Meet Me: for Screenplay (based on the stories written by Sally Benson about her and her family), Score, Color Cinematography (It lost to a film about Woodrow Wilson?!?!? A film that is only seen by 10 people a year on Fox Movie Channel), and for Song (The Trolley Song- "Clang Clang Clang Went The Trolley . . .". Shot in one take!) Also featuring the holiday favorite "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".

Next, The Wizard of Oz. A flop or box office disappointment (depending on who you ask) in its day, a classic thanks to decades of screenings on CBS. Before the Sci-Fi channel comes out with some annoying "re-imagining" of this story ( I don't remember the name because it seems annoying), you can catch the most popular version. In the top 10 of both AFI Top 100 lists. Oscar nominated for Best Picture, Art Direction, Color Cinematography (losing in these categories to Gone With The Wind) and Special Effects. Won Oscars for Original Score and for the song "Over The Rainbow". You might have heard of this song. Call it a hunch.

Now some of you will tell me you've already seen The Wizard of Oz on the big screen when it was re-released back in 1998. That releases' poster is on the blog. Incidentally, it was the last film to play in 1998 in Forest Hills (in Queens for those outside the borough) at both the Continental Twin (before it was refurbished into the 21st Century and became the Brandon.) and the very comfortable Forest Hills theater (before that was unfortunately turned into a Duane Reade.). Sorry, I digressed. The point I was trying to bring up is, this print of Oz at AMMI will be a 35mm IB Tech print. A brighter, more two-dimensional print of the film then what came out in 98 and what came out on DVD a few years back.

And finally, there's Singin' In The Rain. When it came out, it was successful, but ignored. Yes it was nominated for it's score, and the only actor nominated from this was not Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds or Donald O'Connor, but Jean Hagen as the funny, bitch-on-wheels diva. But it was dismissed as fluff, and people moved on. People in 1952 wanted to go on and on about Ivanhoe, John Huston's Moulin Rouge, Son Of Paleface, and the Oscar winner for Best Picture, The Greatest Show On Earth (considered by some to be the biggest mistake the Academy ever made in that category). But when people ever bring up quality films released in the U.S. back in 1952, it's High Noon, Rashomon, Singin' In The Rain, and that's it. OK, maybe The Quiet Man, but you'd have to be Irish and drunk to do that.

Now I don't have to see this particular print, since I caught it back in 04 I believe. But since I'd already be there to catch one of the earlier films, I'd catch this again. How much do I like this film? Let me put it this way: Before I caught it on the big screen, I respected it. Once I caught it on a big movie screen, it entered a permanent spot on my personal top 30. If you have the chance to go, go.


A STAR IS BORN (1954)- Thurs Nov 29 at 7 for 6.50- Chelsea Clearview Cinema- W. 23rd and 8th- May or may not be the best version of this story, but one that holds up despite the 11th hour editing chop-shop job done by Warner executives. After the film's premiere, they cut the film down to 2hr, 31 min. This is the version that will be screened on the 29th, as opposed to the 2hr 56 min version, where some of the scenes were restored with a combo of some lost footage and production scenes.

George Cukor's fist musical and first color film, where Judy Garland plays the unknown who becomes a star, and James Mason plays the leading man who discovers her, marries her, and falls apart due to depression and alcoholism. Bogie, Gary Cooper, Brando, Montgomery Clift and Cary Grant all turned down the role; they all apparently didn't want to be perceived as loser has-beens. Garland (singing mostly Ira Gershwin tunes) and Mason were both Oscar nominated, as was the Art Direction, Costume Design, Music and the Gershwin- Harold Arlen song "The Man That Got Away". Would be worth catching, especially for the price.


I just realized how many Garland films I posted. Not my intention. I didn't schedule them, I just post what I like or might be interested in catching. Definite interest in I'm Not There and anything at AMMI. Let me know. Later all.