The article by Frank Grimes about Den the possible source for Saw continues to create debate. This time on the Killer POV podcast over at Geek Nation. Hosts Rob Galluzzo (FEARNET, Icons Of Fright), Rebekah McKendry (Fangoria) and Elric Kane (Inside Horror) begin their show with a discussion of the article and how earlier works of art influence later ones. Its a great talk and if you liked the piece you'll want to hear the talk. The talk can be found here. (I'll embed the talk once I sort out some technical issues)
Showing posts with label updates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label updates. Show all posts
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Sunday, January 8, 2012
DB's Sunday Nightcap 1/8/12
DB here.
It's late on Sunday, and I've been under the weather all day. As I get ready to head off its time to prattle on a few things.
First up a few reminders of things here in the New York.
The Jewish Film Festival starts Wednesday at Lincoln Center. It has a good number of good looking films. I'll be going to a couple of screenings over the two weeks it runs. Reports will follow. Details can be found here.
This is the final few days of the Ghibli retrospective at The IFC Center. It all ends Thursday. Details can be found here.
(And I won't go into details of the KCS screenings because I know you're sick of it)
I've been busy seeing some films some of which will be getting some write ups here and some which won't.
Yesterday I went to the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan to see The Prince of the Himalayas. It's a version of Hamlet set in ancient Tibet. It was filmed in Tibet and stars all Tibetan actors.
The pre-film talk said that the film got lost when it was released in 2006 because there were two Chinese versions of Hamlet released at the same time. I say the film got lost because outside of the music and photography it isn't very good.
The two major problems with the film come first from an editing style that is similar to Hong Kong action film. I was reminded of John Woo films or some of the fluid Johnnie To directed sequences. It seemed out of place here. The other more serious problem is that the film plays like an extended trailer for the story. Almost half way in I was kind of at a loss as to what I was seeing. Who was who and what was what? I couldn't tell from the film, rather I had to keep thinking back to Shakespeare to know which way was up.
Halfway in I walked out. Sorry, but it wasn't worth the effort. There was nothing to keep my interest, even the sex scene was making me giggle. I started to watch the lady sitting two tables over fighting to stay awake and not hit her head on the table.
The film looks great, I want the music, but its a crappy movie otherwise.
As an addendum, outside of the theater is the Tibet in Comics display. Not to mice words it's possibly one of the most useless exhibitions I've ever seen.Unless you know nothing about comics, it's utterly useless (and even then it's still not worth the effort).
Basically it's some displays of books like The Third Eye,Lost Horizon, The Secret Doctrine and the Morning of the Magicians, which are some fiction and non-fiction books which are tied to Tibet on one side of the room where the displays say they really didn't. One the other side of the room are some comic character figures in boxes (Yeti, Bugs Bunny,Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Doctor Strange, Tin Tin)with a note saying that these characters were in comics set in Tibet. Then there are some comics in bound books where the stories are in Tibet. There is little in the way of explanation, just the comics with a most cursory blurb at the front.
Its a waste. It told me nothing I didn't know. Odds are it wouldn't tell you anything either.
After walking out I saw, as did several other Unseen Film friends and writers, the Madhouse produced anime Redline. Its a wild and weird science fiction race film,that is just so wonderfully over the top I can't recommend it enough. At some point the film will be getting a write up.
Also getting a write up will be the Oscar front runner A Separation. This is a wonderful domestic drama that turns into a court room drama. It is the front runner for the Best Foreign Language film and while I may not think it's the best, I won't be unhappy if it wins. Truthfully it's so nice to have a film that everyone tells me is great actually turn out to be. A fuller review is coming tomorrow night.
Not likely to get a write up, by me at least, is The Descendants. This is the George Clooney film by Alexander Payne the director of About Schmidt and Sideways. The short review is that if you liked those films, you'll like this and if not you won't. I didn't and didn't.
Up coming here at Unseen will be a week of random films. I'm guessing that The week will be supplemented by reports on several other films such as A Separation, Flowers of War (The Chinese Oscar entry),the new Jet Li/Tsui Hark film, and a few others which I have lined up for viewing.
After that we have a week of Buster Keaton films, our Chinese New Year piece, a look a cinematic getaways and then who knows. I am working on a series of posts for March I'm calling Spaghetti West Weekends,which is the result of getting two sets of Spaghetti Westerns that had 64 films between them.
Keep reading 'cause we'll keep posting.
And remember we are on Twitter and we do take requests- just email me.
It's late on Sunday, and I've been under the weather all day. As I get ready to head off its time to prattle on a few things.
First up a few reminders of things here in the New York.
The Jewish Film Festival starts Wednesday at Lincoln Center. It has a good number of good looking films. I'll be going to a couple of screenings over the two weeks it runs. Reports will follow. Details can be found here.
This is the final few days of the Ghibli retrospective at The IFC Center. It all ends Thursday. Details can be found here.
(And I won't go into details of the KCS screenings because I know you're sick of it)
I've been busy seeing some films some of which will be getting some write ups here and some which won't.
Yesterday I went to the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan to see The Prince of the Himalayas. It's a version of Hamlet set in ancient Tibet. It was filmed in Tibet and stars all Tibetan actors.
The pre-film talk said that the film got lost when it was released in 2006 because there were two Chinese versions of Hamlet released at the same time. I say the film got lost because outside of the music and photography it isn't very good.
The two major problems with the film come first from an editing style that is similar to Hong Kong action film. I was reminded of John Woo films or some of the fluid Johnnie To directed sequences. It seemed out of place here. The other more serious problem is that the film plays like an extended trailer for the story. Almost half way in I was kind of at a loss as to what I was seeing. Who was who and what was what? I couldn't tell from the film, rather I had to keep thinking back to Shakespeare to know which way was up.
Halfway in I walked out. Sorry, but it wasn't worth the effort. There was nothing to keep my interest, even the sex scene was making me giggle. I started to watch the lady sitting two tables over fighting to stay awake and not hit her head on the table.
The film looks great, I want the music, but its a crappy movie otherwise.
As an addendum, outside of the theater is the Tibet in Comics display. Not to mice words it's possibly one of the most useless exhibitions I've ever seen.Unless you know nothing about comics, it's utterly useless (and even then it's still not worth the effort).
Basically it's some displays of books like The Third Eye,Lost Horizon, The Secret Doctrine and the Morning of the Magicians, which are some fiction and non-fiction books which are tied to Tibet on one side of the room where the displays say they really didn't. One the other side of the room are some comic character figures in boxes (Yeti, Bugs Bunny,Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Doctor Strange, Tin Tin)with a note saying that these characters were in comics set in Tibet. Then there are some comics in bound books where the stories are in Tibet. There is little in the way of explanation, just the comics with a most cursory blurb at the front.
Its a waste. It told me nothing I didn't know. Odds are it wouldn't tell you anything either.
After walking out I saw, as did several other Unseen Film friends and writers, the Madhouse produced anime Redline. Its a wild and weird science fiction race film,that is just so wonderfully over the top I can't recommend it enough. At some point the film will be getting a write up.
Also getting a write up will be the Oscar front runner A Separation. This is a wonderful domestic drama that turns into a court room drama. It is the front runner for the Best Foreign Language film and while I may not think it's the best, I won't be unhappy if it wins. Truthfully it's so nice to have a film that everyone tells me is great actually turn out to be. A fuller review is coming tomorrow night.
Not likely to get a write up, by me at least, is The Descendants. This is the George Clooney film by Alexander Payne the director of About Schmidt and Sideways. The short review is that if you liked those films, you'll like this and if not you won't. I didn't and didn't.
Up coming here at Unseen will be a week of random films. I'm guessing that The week will be supplemented by reports on several other films such as A Separation, Flowers of War (The Chinese Oscar entry),the new Jet Li/Tsui Hark film, and a few others which I have lined up for viewing.
After that we have a week of Buster Keaton films, our Chinese New Year piece, a look a cinematic getaways and then who knows. I am working on a series of posts for March I'm calling Spaghetti West Weekends,which is the result of getting two sets of Spaghetti Westerns that had 64 films between them.
Keep reading 'cause we'll keep posting.
And remember we are on Twitter and we do take requests- just email me.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy New Year!
DB here.
As we close out the first day of 2012 I’m going to take this time to look forward to whats ahead and to comment on some things that you may have seen commented on via Twitter.
First thank you for your patience with the New Years Trailers experiment. It was something that was kicked around by a couple of us here at Unseen. When we talked about it it was a seemingly good idea, but I'm not sure it was wholly successful.
The death this past week of writer/director/actor Don Sharp was a loss. Sharp was a director who helped set the tone for what we think of as the Mod British 1960’s with work on Hammer films (and later the TV series) such as Rasputin the Mad Monk, The Christopher Lee Fu Manchu films, and TV show the Avengers. In the 70’s he did action films like Callan, Hennesy, a version of the 39 Steps (which spawned a TV Show) and Bear Island before moving on to things like A Woman of Substance. His films were never the best of the best, but they were almost always enjoyable popcorn fare. He will be missed.
Also reported on Twitter was the glee I got from seeing Arthur Christmas. This is a great Christmas film about one of Santa’s son’s who goes to great lengths to make sure no one is forgotten. Its warm and funny and certain to become a classic once everyone gets a chance to find it when it hits home video (though it’s still playing in the odd matinee so if you can go see it.)
As you already know by the inclusion of the film on my Worst of the Year list as a Dishonorable Mention, I was not particularly happy with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Yes, it has some great action set pieces, but the film is soulless and lacking in anything resembling characters. It’s a film that exists purely for the big action sequence. I am completely perplexed at how Brad Bird, a man responsible for some of the best character driven films of the last 15 years could make a film so empty. By the half way point in Dubai I was bored by it all.
My first film of the year was the critical hit Drive with Ryan Gosling. This is the second film I saw this year with the same title and with a similar philosophical bend in a 12 month period. The earlier film was by Japanese director Sabu and was so much better. As I said the film plays like an existential remake of The Transporter but with a low brow 80's soundtrack and bland performance by Gosling (that's not acting, its staring). I know its based on a novel, but it seems more like a riff on similar 70's and 80's films like Two Lane Blacktop, Vanishing Point, To Live and Die in LA, not to mention the similar titled The Driver from Walter Hill. Its not a bad film, as such, it's just that I think the people who are praising it haven't seen the earlier, better films in the genre. To me it's the one film that the critics have praised from 2011 that has left me wondering what film they saw.
I should remind you that tomorrow night I’ll be posting the film finds of the year. I’m following that up with my picks for the best/favorites on Tuesday night.
What’s coming up beyond that? This week are five mind bending films that make you go WTF was that. The week after is some really good random titles I had been meaning to get to and finally have. That will be followed by a week of Buster Keaton films, then nine days, and I'm still not sure how many titles, for Chinese New Year. Mr C is oranging it all and is still tinkering so you'll have to keep reading to see what shows up. From there we’ll have a week of Tarzan films, Women in Prison films, Alien invasion documentaries and lots of other goodies. (I have plans into June so don't expect anything to stop any time soon)
A new year means that the film festival season is starting all over again.
Look for extensive coverage of the Korean Cultural Service screenings which start on the 10th. The line up of the first four weeks is incredible, with two already having played New York at the New York Asian Film Festival in 2009 and 2010. These are group of films you really should see if you haven’t already. Details can be found here. Full reviews of every film will run a few days before each screening.
I have tickets for a couple of screenings for the New York Jewish Film Festival at Lincoln Center. There is a ton of good stuff this year and I’m hoping to get to more than the three films I have tickets to. The trouble this year is that the job that pays the bills has gotten complicated so I’m still not sure if I can take off for all I’d like to do.
I have tickets to see Haywire the Steven Soderbergh action film on January 17. It’s a sneak preview with the director and star in attendance. (Follow this link for details for both Haywire and the Jewish Film Festival).
For those who want to know what else is coming up at Lincoln Center you maybe interested to know that after the Jewish Film Festival there will be a Dance on Film series, the Complete Bela Tarr series and a look back at the work of Raquel Welch. In between will run assorted goodies including the Film Societies continuing look back at the NYFF on Tuesdays and the Family series on weekends.
Tickets go on sale for the BAM Kids Fest Wednesday. This is a winter festival aimed at kids up to ten. Last year I went to the screening of Moomins and the Comet Chase with John, Randi and Bully. The movie was great and the festival looked to be fun if you’re of the right age. Bully is and he had a blast. (We never officially ran a review of The Comet Chase, but don’t worry one has been scheduled)
I want to mention that we are just past the half way point at the Studio Ghibli retrospective at NYC’s IFC Center. This is all of the feature films from Nausicaa to Ponyo. Even if you have seen the films, but only on home video you really should go see them BIG. If you don’t live in New York you are in luck since G Kids is touring the retrospective around the country.
As for Gkids, their New York International Children's Film Festival runs from March 2 to 25. I'll let you know when tickets go on sale.
Just to remind you that we will take requests. Just email me with your ideas and we’ll give’em a go (just be patient about our posting the reviews)
I think that's it for now. Time to shuffle off to bed and get ready for the day job in the morning. I hope the holidays were good for you. Thanks for reading.
As we close out the first day of 2012 I’m going to take this time to look forward to whats ahead and to comment on some things that you may have seen commented on via Twitter.
First thank you for your patience with the New Years Trailers experiment. It was something that was kicked around by a couple of us here at Unseen. When we talked about it it was a seemingly good idea, but I'm not sure it was wholly successful.
The death this past week of writer/director/actor Don Sharp was a loss. Sharp was a director who helped set the tone for what we think of as the Mod British 1960’s with work on Hammer films (and later the TV series) such as Rasputin the Mad Monk, The Christopher Lee Fu Manchu films, and TV show the Avengers. In the 70’s he did action films like Callan, Hennesy, a version of the 39 Steps (which spawned a TV Show) and Bear Island before moving on to things like A Woman of Substance. His films were never the best of the best, but they were almost always enjoyable popcorn fare. He will be missed.
Also reported on Twitter was the glee I got from seeing Arthur Christmas. This is a great Christmas film about one of Santa’s son’s who goes to great lengths to make sure no one is forgotten. Its warm and funny and certain to become a classic once everyone gets a chance to find it when it hits home video (though it’s still playing in the odd matinee so if you can go see it.)
As you already know by the inclusion of the film on my Worst of the Year list as a Dishonorable Mention, I was not particularly happy with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Yes, it has some great action set pieces, but the film is soulless and lacking in anything resembling characters. It’s a film that exists purely for the big action sequence. I am completely perplexed at how Brad Bird, a man responsible for some of the best character driven films of the last 15 years could make a film so empty. By the half way point in Dubai I was bored by it all.
My first film of the year was the critical hit Drive with Ryan Gosling. This is the second film I saw this year with the same title and with a similar philosophical bend in a 12 month period. The earlier film was by Japanese director Sabu and was so much better. As I said the film plays like an existential remake of The Transporter but with a low brow 80's soundtrack and bland performance by Gosling (that's not acting, its staring). I know its based on a novel, but it seems more like a riff on similar 70's and 80's films like Two Lane Blacktop, Vanishing Point, To Live and Die in LA, not to mention the similar titled The Driver from Walter Hill. Its not a bad film, as such, it's just that I think the people who are praising it haven't seen the earlier, better films in the genre. To me it's the one film that the critics have praised from 2011 that has left me wondering what film they saw.
I should remind you that tomorrow night I’ll be posting the film finds of the year. I’m following that up with my picks for the best/favorites on Tuesday night.
What’s coming up beyond that? This week are five mind bending films that make you go WTF was that. The week after is some really good random titles I had been meaning to get to and finally have. That will be followed by a week of Buster Keaton films, then nine days, and I'm still not sure how many titles, for Chinese New Year. Mr C is oranging it all and is still tinkering so you'll have to keep reading to see what shows up. From there we’ll have a week of Tarzan films, Women in Prison films, Alien invasion documentaries and lots of other goodies. (I have plans into June so don't expect anything to stop any time soon)
A new year means that the film festival season is starting all over again.
Look for extensive coverage of the Korean Cultural Service screenings which start on the 10th. The line up of the first four weeks is incredible, with two already having played New York at the New York Asian Film Festival in 2009 and 2010. These are group of films you really should see if you haven’t already. Details can be found here. Full reviews of every film will run a few days before each screening.
I have tickets for a couple of screenings for the New York Jewish Film Festival at Lincoln Center. There is a ton of good stuff this year and I’m hoping to get to more than the three films I have tickets to. The trouble this year is that the job that pays the bills has gotten complicated so I’m still not sure if I can take off for all I’d like to do.
I have tickets to see Haywire the Steven Soderbergh action film on January 17. It’s a sneak preview with the director and star in attendance. (Follow this link for details for both Haywire and the Jewish Film Festival).
For those who want to know what else is coming up at Lincoln Center you maybe interested to know that after the Jewish Film Festival there will be a Dance on Film series, the Complete Bela Tarr series and a look back at the work of Raquel Welch. In between will run assorted goodies including the Film Societies continuing look back at the NYFF on Tuesdays and the Family series on weekends.
Tickets go on sale for the BAM Kids Fest Wednesday. This is a winter festival aimed at kids up to ten. Last year I went to the screening of Moomins and the Comet Chase with John, Randi and Bully. The movie was great and the festival looked to be fun if you’re of the right age. Bully is and he had a blast. (We never officially ran a review of The Comet Chase, but don’t worry one has been scheduled)
I want to mention that we are just past the half way point at the Studio Ghibli retrospective at NYC’s IFC Center. This is all of the feature films from Nausicaa to Ponyo. Even if you have seen the films, but only on home video you really should go see them BIG. If you don’t live in New York you are in luck since G Kids is touring the retrospective around the country.
As for Gkids, their New York International Children's Film Festival runs from March 2 to 25. I'll let you know when tickets go on sale.
Just to remind you that we will take requests. Just email me with your ideas and we’ll give’em a go (just be patient about our posting the reviews)
I think that's it for now. Time to shuffle off to bed and get ready for the day job in the morning. I hope the holidays were good for you. Thanks for reading.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
The Artist in brief PLUS Links, Updates and Other Nonsense
It's been a while since I've posted some links, and I'll do so shortly. First I want to just make a few notes before we get to the end of the year.
First up earlier this week I finally saw The Artist. This is the silent film from France that many people have picked as a shoe in for this year's Oscar for Best Picture. I was supposed to see the film at the New York Film Festival, however a familial emergency prevented it.
I'm not going to go into great detail on the film right now. I may at some later time do so, but for now know the film is good. I didn't connect to it the way many critics and many people in the audience have. My reservations come from my feeling it's more someone's idea of what a silent film should be rather than what a silent film is or was. Its a homage to a by gone era, done in a style that never existed. It also has the wonky story construction that is similar to some French comedies (which ultimately is what this is.)
Don't get me wrong, the film is most certainly worth seeing in a theater. I saw it at New York's Paris Theater and sat up in the balcony, imagining I was in an old movie palace. The joys of the film are best summed up in a numerous small moments, including one that had me tearing up, and another laughing at a joke that can only work in a silent film.
See the the film, just don't believe the hype.
And Now some notes and some links....
The second series of family films at Lincoln Center starts the day before Christmas and runs through February. There are some goodies here so do check them out:
Fantastic Voyages
December 26 – February 26
A Trip to the Moon + Other Shorts
Georges Méliès, France, 1902, Digital; approx. 80m
A special chance to see the wondrous, playful movies featured in the recent film Hugo (based on the critically acclaimed book The Invention of Hugo Cabret). Former magician Georges Méliès was the wizard of early cinema with his magical creations of spacemen, fairies, magicians, and mermaids. Silent with recorded music.
All ages.
Dec 31 & Jan 1: 2pm
Explorers
Joe Dante, U.S., 1985, Digital; 109m
In this delightful 1980s caper, three restless boys find a way to journey into outer space using the latest in technology — an Apple //c. Science fiction fan Ben (Ethan Hawke), boy genius Wolfgang (River Phoenix), and bored buddy Darren (Jason Presson) travel in a cool see-through space bubble, make contact, and find out an eternal truth: aliens love television. Featuring kids who talk like kids, and a real sense of play, director Joe Dante (Gremlins, Innerspace) gets what it’s like to be a kid and, just sometimes, go intergalactic. Rated PG.
Rated PG
Jan 1 & 7: 11am
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Robert Stevenson, U.S., 1971, Digital; 139m
Restored Roadshow Version!
Three English children are evacuated from war-torn London to live in a quite village—with a trainee witch (played by Angela Lansbury). To ensure the children keep her secret, she gives them a magic bedknob that allows them to travel anywhere they wish on a flying bed! Featuring the eye-popping scene on the Isle of Naboombu using a delightful mix of live and animated characters.
Rated G
Dec 31 & Jan 8: 11am
The Incredible Journey
Fletcher Markle, U.S./Canada, 1963, Digital; 80m
How else could you describe a 200-mile journey by three house pets if not as fantastic? Two dogs and a cat get lost on a family vacation and must make their perilous way home. Shot on location in the Canadian wilderness, the story is told by the plucky animals themselves. If you only know the title from the 1993 remake, this is the one to see!
Rated G
Jan 14 & 22: 11am
Jason and the Argonauts
Don Chaffey, U.K., 1963, Digital; 104m
In order to claim his throne, Jason must bring back the Golden Fleece from the distant land of Colchis. Even with the help of Hercules and the protection of the goddess Hera, their foes are daunting: a cyclops, harpies, an army of skeletons, and the seven-headed hydra. This is a great introduction to the special-effects genius of Ray Harryhausen and a truly mythic adventure.
Rated G but can be scary for those under 5
Jan 15 & 21: 11am
Time Bandits
Terry Gilliam, UK, 1981, Digital; 110m
A young boy meets a restless band of little people through a time hole in his closet. He joins them on their escape from their employer (the Supreme Being) after “borrowing” his map of the universe’s time holes to hunt for treasure. They run through different periods of history before encountering the Fortress of Ultimate Darkess where evil lives and must be defeated. Terry Gilliam’s lovingly crafted adventure is a funny, rambunctious delight (featuring, along the way, John Cleese, Sean Connery, and Michael Palin).
Rated PG
Feb 4 & 12: 11am
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
Nathan Juran, U.S./Spain, 1958, Digital; 88m
In another great Ray Harryhausen adventure, Sinbad and his shipmates first encounter the island of Colossa and the mythic beasts that populate it while sailing home. They are tricked by a magician into stealing the cyclops’ magic lamp and only just manage to escape. Back in Baghdad Sinbad marries his princess but the evil machinations of the wizard force a return trip to the island...
Not rated.
Feb 5 & 11: 11am
Body Troopers aka Chasing the Kidneystone
Jakten på nyresteinen
Vibeke Idsöe, Norway, 1996, Digital; 91m
Eight-year-old Simon shrinks himself down to travel into his grandfather’s body to fight the kidney-stone that is making him sick. With the help of a white blood cell, he meets the Secretions Agent and Bile Duct among others on their way to try to stop the evil Calcium Crystals who are building a stone in Grandpa’s bladder. Note: English subtitles will be read aloud.
12 and under
Feb 19: 2pm
Feb 26: 11am
Manuelita
Manuel García Ferré, Argentina, 1999, Digital; 86m
Based on a famous Argentinian children’s song, Manuelita is a young turtle who gets lost from home in a runaway balloon. On her trip she makes new friends and discovers a talent for hat-making. A simple story with sweet songs, it’s perfect for the youngest viewers (and rarely seen on the big screen!).
Rated G
Feb 19 & 25: 11am
Mary Poppins
Robert Stevenson, U.S., 1964, Digital; 139m
Share the rollicking Disney musical with a new generation, as umbrella-toting super-nanny Julie Andrews reinvents child care with the help of a little magic and a lot of fun. When Mary Poppins appears, the Banks family of London finds an answer to the misbehaviour of young Jane and Michael. As fresh and lively as ever, the film’s tuneful, airborne delights are supported by a charming Dick Van Dyke as a chimneysweep, among others, as well as a beautiful flight into an animated Sunday paradise. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, indeed: this one’s a classic for a reason!
Rated G.
Dec 24 – 30: 10:30am & 2pm daily
(and no the Film Society doesn't pay me to promote their stuff they just send me press releases)
Andrew Bird, subject of Andrew Bird:Fever Year which screened at the New York Film Festival is touring this spring if you want to see what all the shouting is about.
The first animated Tin Tin feature can be found here. Its from 1947. We're going to be running a review of the new one before it opens on the 21st.
The Rubin Museum in New York is running a film that is called Prince of the Himalayas. Its a version of Hamlet in Tibet. I'm planning on going as soon as Bully returns from his super secret mission to find a stolen egg salad sandwich recipe. Details can be found here.
Because we like to plan way ahead, The Museum of Art and Design in New York in screening a series on the Argentos, Dario and Asia in the spring. In formation on that series and their other cinematic offerings can be found here.
Wim Wenders on 3D
Slant Magazine on the best horror films of the last ten years is here
The story behind Arsenic and Old Lace is here.
Lost Snow White Lyrics.Something about being banned in Boston.
Aliens on Ice
In other news the music sidebar that we were hoping to get up and running has been put on the back burner. Its not for lack of interest, its simply that there is way to much going on in our lives to make a go of it. Its still on the boards, but the promised before years end deadline is going to wooosh past.
One of the things that is distracting us, or me is trying to see if I can get this multi-media nightmare up for New Years Eve. It's something I've been delaying since the summer and it's either going to work or crash and burn. I'll know in a week or so if it's going to work.
I'm not ready to move into 2012 just yet but do keep in mind that tickets for the New York Jewish Film Festival, BAM Kids Fest, The New York International Children's Film Festival will be going on sale soon. Also Wim Wenders Pina opens on Christmas.
And while we at Unseen have been kind of quiet on some of the more recent releases reviews of some of the major non-festival films from the fall will be appearing here and there over the next few weeks. Trust me there is a ton of good stuff coming and I should know since I'm having to dance around a schedule that now stretches into the end of May.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Ken Russell has died and the world gets a little less fun
I woke up to the news that director, occasional actor and frequent bad boy Ken Russell has died at 84. This is a great loss because when he was serious and actually making a serious film there was no one better.
Russell had always been one of my favorite directors, having made a series of films (Tommy, The Devils, Liztomania, Altered States) that pushed everyone's buttons. While he made a film or two that among the very worst I've seen (Fall of the Louse of Usher anyone?), he managed to make some of my favorites as well (Altered States and The Devils) simply because the films made you stop and think about things in a new way.
He will be missed.
(Reviews of The Devils and a few other Russell films are in the cue so keep an eye out)
Russell had always been one of my favorite directors, having made a series of films (Tommy, The Devils, Liztomania, Altered States) that pushed everyone's buttons. While he made a film or two that among the very worst I've seen (Fall of the Louse of Usher anyone?), he managed to make some of my favorites as well (Altered States and The Devils) simply because the films made you stop and think about things in a new way.
He will be missed.
(Reviews of The Devils and a few other Russell films are in the cue so keep an eye out)
Friday, November 25, 2011
Congratulations John and Randi
For those who don't know Unseen Films writers and all around great people John and Randi got married earlier today.
And there was much rejoicing.....
I was was there and I assure you thy really did take the plunge.
Much love and well wishes from everyone here at Unseen Films.
And there was much rejoicing.....
I was was there and I assure you thy really did take the plunge.
Much love and well wishes from everyone here at Unseen Films.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Lots of great movies this week and next all coming to a theater near you
This week is Thanksgiving and while we're doing a week of bad films as our regular posts that doesn't mean you should have to suffer watching turkeys. To be honest this is the start of the holiday movie season and there are tons of great films coming to a theater near you.
First off there is a ton of great stuff if you're in New York.
Edward Yang is getting a retrospective at Lincoln Center. This will include the first theatrical run of A Brighter Summer Day which I reviewed about two weeks ago. Its a stunning coming of age film that will knock your socks off. As one person at a press screening for another film said "I didn't expect to like it. I went because I had nothing going on that day. But I instantly fell into it and all I can say is its one of the most amazing films I've seen all year". Yes yes it is.
BAM is running 2001 on Thursday and Friday and Tarkovsky's Solaris on Saturday and Sunday. If you've never seen them on a BIG screen it's worth schlepping into Brooklyn.
The New York International Children's Film Festival continues their weekly screenings at the IFC Center with two films with some winners over the next couple of weeks.
This weekend, starting Thursday is one of my favorite all time films ever any where period the end. Nocturna is a Spanish animated film that is beyond wonderful and marvelous. Its the story of a little boy in an orphanage who has to travel across the city late one night to find out why the stars are going out. Its a film that explains what happens at night when we are asleep. You MUST see this film. How great is this film? Its the first film that was ever reviewed here at Unseen Films.
While not as good as Nocturna, Oblivion Island is also one of the early reviews here at Unseen. the film concerns a young girl who travels to the land of discarded items to get something she lost back. There are some magical moments here and it's worth seeing when it runs the first weekend in December.
Mid December through mid January the NYICFF and the IFC Center will be running all of the Ghibli feature films up to 2008 in subtitled and dubbed versions. If you've never seen things like Porco Rosso or Howl's Moving Castle or any of the others on the big screen this is your chance. (For those outside of New York the NYICFF now has the theatrical rights to all of the films and they will be releasing them to theaters around the country)
December 9th at the Museum of Art and Design in Manhattan My Beautiful Girl Mari will screen. Another one of my favorite films of all time the chance to see this on a big screen is a treat. Here is more proof that Disney, Pixar and Ghibli are not the only ones cranking out classic animation.
As for those of you around the country the next two weeks brings some heavy hitters to screens near you.
Hugo, A Dangerous Method and My Week With Marilyn and The Artist all open this week. All are worth your time and money to see them.
Next Week we get the good but wildly over rated Shame, with a great performance by Carry Mulligan.Also opening is the off kilter film from Beat Takashi Outrage. Both films aren't all they should and could be but both offer enough that they are worth seeing if they tickle your fancy.
As you can see there is plenty of reason to get out and see a great film.
First off there is a ton of great stuff if you're in New York.
Edward Yang is getting a retrospective at Lincoln Center. This will include the first theatrical run of A Brighter Summer Day which I reviewed about two weeks ago. Its a stunning coming of age film that will knock your socks off. As one person at a press screening for another film said "I didn't expect to like it. I went because I had nothing going on that day. But I instantly fell into it and all I can say is its one of the most amazing films I've seen all year". Yes yes it is.
BAM is running 2001 on Thursday and Friday and Tarkovsky's Solaris on Saturday and Sunday. If you've never seen them on a BIG screen it's worth schlepping into Brooklyn.
The New York International Children's Film Festival continues their weekly screenings at the IFC Center with two films with some winners over the next couple of weeks.
This weekend, starting Thursday is one of my favorite all time films ever any where period the end. Nocturna is a Spanish animated film that is beyond wonderful and marvelous. Its the story of a little boy in an orphanage who has to travel across the city late one night to find out why the stars are going out. Its a film that explains what happens at night when we are asleep. You MUST see this film. How great is this film? Its the first film that was ever reviewed here at Unseen Films.
While not as good as Nocturna, Oblivion Island is also one of the early reviews here at Unseen. the film concerns a young girl who travels to the land of discarded items to get something she lost back. There are some magical moments here and it's worth seeing when it runs the first weekend in December.
Mid December through mid January the NYICFF and the IFC Center will be running all of the Ghibli feature films up to 2008 in subtitled and dubbed versions. If you've never seen things like Porco Rosso or Howl's Moving Castle or any of the others on the big screen this is your chance. (For those outside of New York the NYICFF now has the theatrical rights to all of the films and they will be releasing them to theaters around the country)
December 9th at the Museum of Art and Design in Manhattan My Beautiful Girl Mari will screen. Another one of my favorite films of all time the chance to see this on a big screen is a treat. Here is more proof that Disney, Pixar and Ghibli are not the only ones cranking out classic animation.
As for those of you around the country the next two weeks brings some heavy hitters to screens near you.
Hugo, A Dangerous Method and My Week With Marilyn and The Artist all open this week. All are worth your time and money to see them.
Next Week we get the good but wildly over rated Shame, with a great performance by Carry Mulligan.Also opening is the off kilter film from Beat Takashi Outrage. Both films aren't all they should and could be but both offer enough that they are worth seeing if they tickle your fancy.
As you can see there is plenty of reason to get out and see a great film.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Chun-Yi Hsieh's Braid wins a DGA Student Film Award
I have some fantastic news to report. Chun-Yi Hsieh' film Braid won one of the DGA's Student Film Awards.
You remember Braid don't you?. This was the short film I missed at Tribeca when I walked out on a collection of not very good short films. Unfortunately I walked out on before Braid screened.
I only ended up seeing the film because it's director emailed me to say he thought I should see it. He was right I should have seen it because even now six months on it's still a film that haunts me and is solidly on my list as one of the best films of 2011.
Here is the DGA Press release on the awards.
And here is the Variety piece on the awards.
A huge round of applause from everyone here at Unseen Films for a well deserved award.
For those who want a taste of Braid here is the trailer:
And for those who want more proof for how good the director is here is a lipstick commercial that is posted on his website. Its a commercial but you'll see just how good his eye is:
More videos can be found on on his Vimeo channel including the really good documentary Joyce Agape and the short film Toyman (which proved to me that Braid was no fluke)
For all things Chun-Yi Hsieh go to his website here.
ADDENDUM
Braid also one the Best Student Short Film at the Traverse FIlm Festival in July (I missed that one).
I've had a nice email conversation with Chun-Yi Hsieh since this posted and I wanted to say that he has several future projects in the works including a new short film that is post production and three possible feature projects and a new documentary that are in the planning stages. Basically this means we haven't heard the last of Mr Hsieh yet (thank god).
You remember Braid don't you?. This was the short film I missed at Tribeca when I walked out on a collection of not very good short films. Unfortunately I walked out on before Braid screened.
I only ended up seeing the film because it's director emailed me to say he thought I should see it. He was right I should have seen it because even now six months on it's still a film that haunts me and is solidly on my list as one of the best films of 2011.
Here is the DGA Press release on the awards.
And here is the Variety piece on the awards.
A huge round of applause from everyone here at Unseen Films for a well deserved award.
For those who want a taste of Braid here is the trailer:
Braid 辮子(Bian Zi) Trailer from Chun-Yi Hsieh 謝駿毅 on Vimeo.
And for those who want more proof for how good the director is here is a lipstick commercial that is posted on his website. Its a commercial but you'll see just how good his eye is:
Lipstick Commercial, 口紅廣告 from Chun-Yi Hsieh 謝駿毅 on Vimeo.
More videos can be found on on his Vimeo channel including the really good documentary Joyce Agape and the short film Toyman (which proved to me that Braid was no fluke)
For all things Chun-Yi Hsieh go to his website here.
ADDENDUM
Braid also one the Best Student Short Film at the Traverse FIlm Festival in July (I missed that one).
I've had a nice email conversation with Chun-Yi Hsieh since this posted and I wanted to say that he has several future projects in the works including a new short film that is post production and three possible feature projects and a new documentary that are in the planning stages. Basically this means we haven't heard the last of Mr Hsieh yet (thank god).
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Puppets, John Landis and Science Fiction at BAM
This is a quick post to make you aware that the Brooklyn Academy of Music is running some great film series over the next month.
First up the weekends of the 12th through the 14th and then again the 18-20th they will be running puppet films. These will not only be things like the Muppets and Sesame street but also the truly amazing, you must see it because it will blow your mind film Legend of the Sacred Stone. This is a martial arts epic but done entirely with puppets. I can’t say enough about the film other than if you want to see a real treat see the film.
For details on the series look here.
They are also running a retrospective of John Landis films the week before Thanksgiving. Its an amazing group of films like The Blues Brothers, Animal House and American Werewolf in London. If you have never seen Landis’ early films on a big screen it is worth the trip to Brooklyn to do so…and as an added bonus the man himself will be there for some shows. Full details are here.
Lastly BAM is doing a great pairing of science fiction classics Thanksgiving weekend. Thursday and Friday they are running 2001. If you’ve never seen it on a BIG screen you must go see it. That Saturday and Sunday they are running Andre Tarkovsky’s Solaris. It’s a head trip film that you may know as an earlier version of the film with George Clooney. If you think the Clooney version is strange you have to see the original. A masterpiece and then some. Details can be found here.
First up the weekends of the 12th through the 14th and then again the 18-20th they will be running puppet films. These will not only be things like the Muppets and Sesame street but also the truly amazing, you must see it because it will blow your mind film Legend of the Sacred Stone. This is a martial arts epic but done entirely with puppets. I can’t say enough about the film other than if you want to see a real treat see the film.
For details on the series look here.
They are also running a retrospective of John Landis films the week before Thanksgiving. Its an amazing group of films like The Blues Brothers, Animal House and American Werewolf in London. If you have never seen Landis’ early films on a big screen it is worth the trip to Brooklyn to do so…and as an added bonus the man himself will be there for some shows. Full details are here.
Lastly BAM is doing a great pairing of science fiction classics Thanksgiving weekend. Thursday and Friday they are running 2001. If you’ve never seen it on a BIG screen you must go see it. That Saturday and Sunday they are running Andre Tarkovsky’s Solaris. It’s a head trip film that you may know as an earlier version of the film with George Clooney. If you think the Clooney version is strange you have to see the original. A masterpiece and then some. Details can be found here.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Family Films at Lincoln Center between now and Christmas
This weekend and through early December Lincoln Center is screening some classic family films.
The Witches
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Matilda
Fabulous Mr Fox
James and the Giant Peach
This is fantastic stuff here and if you've never seen any of them on the big screen you ought to....and leave the kids at home and just go see them yourself...they probably won't appreciate what wonderous things they are.
Details can be found here.
The Witches
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Matilda
Fabulous Mr Fox
James and the Giant Peach
This is fantastic stuff here and if you've never seen any of them on the big screen you ought to....and leave the kids at home and just go see them yourself...they probably won't appreciate what wonderous things they are.
Details can be found here.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Congratulations Ken, a few last words on the NYFF and Comicon plus links and other things.
There is a bunch of business I need to attend to and instead of giving you a series of small posts I’m going to mash them all together in one larger post.
First and foremost everyone here at Unseen Films wants to wish our very own Ken hearty congratulations on getting engaged. I’m sure both he and the lovely Kat will be very happy.
Despite it being a kind of tradition after a film festival to do a wrap up post I find that I’m at a loss for words when it comes to this years New York Film Festival. It was not a bad experience, frankly I had a blast, but at the same time there really isn’t much to sum up after posting reviews for over 40 films.
Actually there are two things I am taking away from the festival:
First as it’s been the last couple of years the truly exciting stuff is not on the main slate but in the side bars where things like The 99 Unbound, The Ballad of Mott the Hoople and Patience (After Sebald) delighted with their unexpected charm and wonder. These were films that should have gone to the main slate and played the big room. I would like to request that whomever is doing the Special Events be given the Main Slate next year.
The second thing that the Film Festival did, was it very clearly showed why 3D needs to be used sparingly. The joys of 3D were revealed in Wim Wenders marvelous Pina. It was a film that clearly showed when and how to use the effect. At the same time the screening of Martin Scorsese’s Hugo clearly showed how the effect can even trip up a master filmmaker when the 3D doesn’t have a real point. Yes it’s a great film, and yes the 3D looks great, but the story is sacrificed for the effect in a couple of places. Worse when the film runs without the 3D its going to look awfully strange at times.
For those keeping track of such things the best worst and surprises of the Festival are as follows:
BEST
The Ballad of Mott the Hoople
My Week With Marilyn
Pina
This is Not a Film (I should mention that director Jafar Panahi has been sent to prison as his sentence has been upheld)
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
A Colt is My Passport
La Havre
Patience (After Sebald)
The middle section of Dreileben
WORST
Policeman
Miss Bala
Susan Orlean's non-discussion of Rin Tin Tin
Mud and Soldiers
Woman with Red Hair
Corpo Celeste (If you don't read the press notes)
FINDS
The 99 Unbound
444 Last Day of the Earth
We Can't Go Home Again
As with the NYFF so goes with Comicon. I had a blast there but because of things happening in and around it I can’t fully sum up other than to say I’ll be back next year.
Speaking of next year or leading into next year I want to mention that we're trying to see if we can get a special series on music together. We're still working it out but if it goes it should be close to years end.
Lastly here are a few links I've been collecting
Moving stills
William Friedkin on Comic Book movies
Who Killed 3D?
Fiona Shaw's brain while performing
Keaton and gravity
On the documentary Senna
More decaying theaters
John Carpenter's The Thing from the Monster's point of view.
On the notion of film as dare and the inability to see every film ever made
First and foremost everyone here at Unseen Films wants to wish our very own Ken hearty congratulations on getting engaged. I’m sure both he and the lovely Kat will be very happy.
Despite it being a kind of tradition after a film festival to do a wrap up post I find that I’m at a loss for words when it comes to this years New York Film Festival. It was not a bad experience, frankly I had a blast, but at the same time there really isn’t much to sum up after posting reviews for over 40 films.
Actually there are two things I am taking away from the festival:
First as it’s been the last couple of years the truly exciting stuff is not on the main slate but in the side bars where things like The 99 Unbound, The Ballad of Mott the Hoople and Patience (After Sebald) delighted with their unexpected charm and wonder. These were films that should have gone to the main slate and played the big room. I would like to request that whomever is doing the Special Events be given the Main Slate next year.
The second thing that the Film Festival did, was it very clearly showed why 3D needs to be used sparingly. The joys of 3D were revealed in Wim Wenders marvelous Pina. It was a film that clearly showed when and how to use the effect. At the same time the screening of Martin Scorsese’s Hugo clearly showed how the effect can even trip up a master filmmaker when the 3D doesn’t have a real point. Yes it’s a great film, and yes the 3D looks great, but the story is sacrificed for the effect in a couple of places. Worse when the film runs without the 3D its going to look awfully strange at times.
For those keeping track of such things the best worst and surprises of the Festival are as follows:
BEST
The Ballad of Mott the Hoople
My Week With Marilyn
Pina
This is Not a Film (I should mention that director Jafar Panahi has been sent to prison as his sentence has been upheld)
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
A Colt is My Passport
La Havre
Patience (After Sebald)
The middle section of Dreileben
WORST
Policeman
Miss Bala
Susan Orlean's non-discussion of Rin Tin Tin
Mud and Soldiers
Woman with Red Hair
Corpo Celeste (If you don't read the press notes)
FINDS
The 99 Unbound
444 Last Day of the Earth
We Can't Go Home Again
As with the NYFF so goes with Comicon. I had a blast there but because of things happening in and around it I can’t fully sum up other than to say I’ll be back next year.
Speaking of next year or leading into next year I want to mention that we're trying to see if we can get a special series on music together. We're still working it out but if it goes it should be close to years end.
Lastly here are a few links I've been collecting
Moving stills
William Friedkin on Comic Book movies
Who Killed 3D?
Fiona Shaw's brain while performing
Keaton and gravity
On the documentary Senna
More decaying theaters
John Carpenter's The Thing from the Monster's point of view.
On the notion of film as dare and the inability to see every film ever made
Sunday, October 9, 2011
NYFF 2011: Marilyn, Bela and whats coming up- Unseen Films Centerpiece post.
The New York Film Festival is half over chronologically. The Festival began on September 30th and ends next Sunday. As you've seen we've been chugging along with reviews from even before it started. By my estimate we've seen 40 films and posted reviews for most, with more to come all through the next week.
How is it been? A tough slog. There has been a great deal of motion to and from the screenings, our day jobs,illness and some family obligations to deal with. The movies have been as you've seen.
I feel like Captain Willard in Apocalypse Now, looking for a mission at the start but hoping never to get another one by the end...it's purely the exhaustion talking, because once you get past the tiredness it's been a blast, even when the movies have been less than spectacular.
There is more coming and as this final week starts and our schedule heats up I want to say a few things about whats coming.
First off early yesterday I went to the press screening of My Week With Marilyn, the story of what happened when Marilyn Monroe went to England to make the Princess and the Show Girl. I am going to write this up for Tuesday, but for right now you need to know that this is one of the best films of the Festival. It has a stellar performance by Michelle Williams as Monroe and a small, but brilliant turn by Emma Watson, who looks like she'll be the one to go super nova out of all the Harry Potter stars. I'll explain when I do the full review. Right now just put this on your must see list.
Wednesday I'll be writing up Bela Tarr's Turin Horse. Its another love it or loath it film from Tarr that had some screaming with joy while others were heading for the exits. I liked it on some level, but I don't love it. Check back really late on Wednesday to see what I have to say.
Tomorrow night I'll be reporting on the special Work In Progress sneak preview that everyone is talking about at the festival. They haven't said what it is though the speculation has been rampant (Girl with a Dragon Tattoo? Tin Tin? War Horse? Hugo? J Edgar?). The answer will be revealed tomorrow.
Also tomorrow we may have a report on Paradise Lost 3. I'm trying to find someone to cover this since I'm planning on going to the counter programmed preview.
After that we've got a few more press screening, plus Mott The Hoople, Abel Ferrara, Wim Wenders and Buckaroo Bonzai with the cast and Kevin Smith in the house. Reviews will posted as they happen...(and subject to conflicts like Comicon)
We're tired but we're soldiering on... Keep reading...and if possible go to a few things, This is Not a Film, My Week With Marilyn , Pina and some other great films are still to screen...
Monday, October 3, 2011
We interupt coverage of the NYFF to talk about SCARY MOVIES
As of right now there is no second post of a New York Film Festival film tonight. We have more posts coming, but we're taking the night off to chill and decompress...
...or we were until the press release for this years Scary Movies at Lincoln Center arrived in our mailbox...
What you're not impressed? You should be since last years festival not only gave us a bunch of great old films, but also the new classics or near classic films Stake Land, Village of Shadows and Black Death.
This year has lots of potential with a chance to revisit Reanimator with the director and star in attendance, Dark Waters one of the best horror films you never heard of (trust me this is a great film), plus a rare chance to see one of the Roger Corman Poe films on a big screen.
I can't wait.
For those who are interested I give you the good parts of the press release:
SCARY MOVIES 5
October 27-31
FSLC’s popular Scary Movies film series returns with a collection of hair-raising premieres and fright classics. The schedule of films includes highlights such as the first New York showings of Ben Wheatley’s genre-crossing KILL LIST, Ti West’s supernatural caper THE INNKEEPERS, Scott Leberecht’s fresh take on vampirism MIDNIGHT SON, and the deliciously grotesque multiple-director omnibus THE THEATRE BIZARRE, as well as Mariano Baino’s 1993 nunsploitation film, DARK WATERS.
Scary Movies will also offer a very rare live-stage performance in concert with the films screened, as FSLC presents a special live performance of “Nevermore,” Jeffrey Combs’s one-man portrayal of the Father of Gothic Horror, Edgar Allan Poe, directed by Stuart Gordon and written by Dennis Paoli. The performance will mark the first-ever staging in New York City. The presentation of “Nevermore” will help kick off a Halloween dedicated Poe, including screenings of Stuart Gordon’s “The Black Cat” from the Masters of Horror season 2, as well as the Roger Corman/Vincent Price gem HOUSE OF USHER.
Finally, “The Black Cat” will be part of a trio of feline terror within the Scary Movies series, including the North American premiere of the brand-new K-Horror film THE CAT and a rare showing of the 1969 film EYE OF THE CAT, starring Michael Sarrazin and Eleanor Powell.
Combs and Gordon will also be on hand to introduce a screening of their gore classic RE-ANIMATOR. And last but certainly not least will be the screenings of two masterpieces of the occult and the supernatural: THE SEVENTH VICTIM and POLTERGEIST.
Scary Movies 5 was programmed by Laura Kern & Gavin Smith.
Films, Descriptions and Schedule
THE CAT (2011) 106min
Director: Byun Seung-wook
Country: South Korea
Following the mysterious death one of her clients, young pet groomer So-hee (an very engaging Park Min-yeong) temporarily inherits the deceased woman’s cat, whose presence proceeds to open the door to a ghostly past. Koreans have been known to categorize cats as wicked creatures, but this quietly creepy tale cannot be accused of animal cruelty. In fact, it manages to serve as something of revenge for those that have been abandoned and mistreated.
THE CAT screens at the Walter Reade Theater on Thursday, October 27 at 7:00PM and Friday, October 28 at 4:15PM.
DARK WATERS (1993) 94min
Director: Mariano Baino
Country: Russia/Italy/U.K.
A woman returns to the island of her birth to investigate a convent her father had been financially supporting and discovers it houses a group of deadly nuns at the service of a demon cult. The film stars Louise Salter.
DARK WATERS will screen Friday, October 28 at 6:30PM.
Director Mariano Baino will attend and participate in a post-screening Q&A.
EYE OF THE CAT (1969) 102min
Director: David Lowell Rich
Country: U.S.
A mod rarity with Michael Sarrazin as an estranged nephew who resurfaces just in time to try to make it into his sick aunt’s will. Following a scheme concocted by an alluring stranger (Gayle Hunnicutt), the feline phobic moves into the house, unaware that his aunt redefines the term “cat lady.” A twisty, stylish thriller with a fun score by Lalo Schifrin, costumes by Edith Head, and stunning San Francisco locations.It also features human catfights and co-stars Eleanor Parker.
EYE OF THE CAT screens Sunday, October 30 at 4:45PM.
HOUSE OF USHER (1960) 79min
Director: Roger Corman
Country: U.S.
Corman’s classic treatment of the Poe story focuses on Phillip who has arrived at the Usher mansion to discover that his loved one, Madeline and her brother have been afflicted with a family curse. The film stars Vincent Price.
HOUSE OF USHER will screen Sunday, October 30 at 1:15PM and Monday, October 31 at 4:30PM.
THE INNKEEPERS (2011) 102min
Director: Ti West
Country: U.S.
Two hotel employees scheduled to work during the hotel’s final weekend in business decide to explore the place and investigate whether or not the place is haunted. The film stars Sara Paxton and Kelly McGillis. THE INNKEEPERS is a Magnet Releasing film.
THE INNKEEPERS screens on Friday, October 28 at 9:00PM.
Director Ti West will attend and participate in a post-screening Q&A.
KILL LIST (2011) 95min
Director: Ben Wheatley
Country: U.K.
Ben Wheatley’s follow up to DOWN TERRACE focuses on a war veteran suffering through a long and stressful period of unemployment coaxed into joining an old army buddy to perform a series of hits for pay in order to support his wife and little boy. However, the deeper they delve into their “kill list”, the deeper they descend into the clutches of a murderous cult. The film stars Neil Maskell and MyAnna Buring. KILL LIST is an IFC Films release.
KILL LIST screens at the Walter Reade Theater on Thursday, October 27 at 9:15PM.
MASTERS OF HORROR: “The Black Cat” (2007) 58min
Suffering from writer’s block and short on cash, Edgar Allan Poe (played by Jeffrey Combs) is tormented by a black cat that will either destroy him or inspire him to write one of his greatest works.
With..
“Nevermore – An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe” 90min
Director: Stuart Gordon
Live stage performance of Jeffrey Combs’ critically acclaimed one-man show/portrayal of Edgar Allan Poe. The production is a dramatic re-creation of the readings that Poe performed during the final years of his short life. Set in 1848 a year after the death of his beloved young wife Virginia, and at the height of his fame as the author of “The Raven,” we watch as he is undone by his own self-destructive tendencies, or in his words: “the imp of the perverse.”
MASTERS OF HORROR: “The Black Cat” and the live stage performance of “Nevermore – An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe” will be presented on Monday, October 31 at 6:30PM.
MIDNIGHT SON (2011) 88min
Director: Scott Leberecht
Country: U.S.
A young man with a rare skin disorder that gives him an insatiable appetite for blood and sensitivity to light meets and falls in love with a beautiful bartender with secrets of her own. The film stars Zak Kilberg, Maya Parish and Tracey Walter.
MIDNIGHT SON will screen Sunday, October 30 at 7:00PM.
Director Scott Leberecht, producer Matt Compton and Jo D. Jonz (from the cast) will attend and participate in a post-screening Q&A.
POLTERGEIST(1982) 114min
Director: Tobe Hooper
Country: U.S.
Produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Tobe Hooper, the classic thrill-ride of a horror film focuses on a family that discovers they share their home with a host of malevolent ghosts.
POLTERGEIST will screen Saturday, October 29 at 5:15PM.
RE-ANIMATOR (1985) 86min
Director: Stuart Gordon
Country: U.S.
A dedicated student at a medical college and his girlfriend become involved in bizarre experiments centering around the re-animation of dead tissue when an odd new student arrives on campus.The film stars Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott and Barbara Crampton.
RE-ANIMATOR screens Sunday, October 30 at 9:30PM.
Director Stuart Gordon and Jeffrey Combs will attend and introduce the screening.
THE SEVENTH VICTIM (1943) 71min
Director: Mark Robson
Country: U.S.
A woman in search of her missing sister uncovers a Satanic cult in New York's Greenwich Village, and finds that they may have something to do with her sibling's random disappearance.The film stars Kim Hunter, Tom Conway and Jean Brooks.
THE SEVENTH VICTIM screens Sunday, October 30 at 3:00PM.
THE THEATRE BIZARRE (2011) 114min
Directors: Douglas Buck, Buddy Giovinazzo, David Gregory, Karim Hussain, Jeremy Kasten, Tom Savini & Richard Stanley
Country: U.S./France
A young woman is obsessed with what appears to be a long abandoned theatre. Sneaking inside, she discovers a show unlike any other being performed for hosted by an eerie human puppet. The mechanical MC proceeds to introduce six tales of horror for her “entertainment”. The film starsUdo Kier, Tom Savini and Debbie Rochon. THE THEATRE BIZARRE is a Severin Films release.
THE THEATRE BIZARRE screens Saturday, October 29 at 7:30PM.
Udo Kier and directors Douglas Buck, Buddy Giovinazzo, David Gregory and Jeremy Kasten will attend and participate in a post-screening Q&A.
Screening Schedule for SCARY MOVIES 5
Screening Venue:
The Film Society of Lincoln Center – Walter Reade Theater
165 West 65 Street, between Broadway & Amsterdam (upper level)
Thursday, October 27:
7:00PM THE CAT(106min)
9:15PM KILL LIST (95min)
Friday, October 28:
4:15PM THE CAT (106min)
6:30PM DARK WATERS (94min)
**screening followed by Q&A with director Mariano Baino
9:00PM THE INNKEEPERS (102min)
**screening followed by Q&A with director Ti West
Saturday, October 29:
5:15PM POLTERGEIST (114min)
7:30PM THE THEATRE BIZARRE (114min)
**screening followed by Q&A with Udo Kier and Buddy Giovinazzo, Douglas Buck, David Gregory and Jeremy Kasten as well as a post-screening reception
Sunday, October 30:
1:15PM HOUSE OF USHER (79min)
3:00PM THE SEVENTH VICTIM (71min)
4:45PM EYE OF THE CAT (102min)
7:00PM MIDNIGHT SON (88min)
**screening followed by Q&A with director Scott Leberecht, producer Matt Compton and Jo D. Jonz from the cast
9:30PM RE-ANIMATOR(86min)
**screening will be introduced by Stuart Gordon & Jeffrey Combs
Monday, October 31:
4:30PM HOUSE OF USHER (79min)
6:30PM MASTERS OF HORROR: “The Black Cat” (58min) +
Live Performance of “Nevermore – An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe” (90min)
**screening and live stage performance will be followed by reception
Thursday, September 8, 2011
New Yorker Festival and New York Film Festival tickets on sale soon plus Shut Up Little Man
Three quick notes
Tickets for this year’s New Yorker Festival go on sale at noon tomorrow. This is a grand annual festival with talks, films and performances in a wide range of subjects. You should check the site for details, but you should know that Steve Martin and David Cronenberg will be speaking and the films Anonymous and Coriolanus will be screening with the directors in attendance. Those not in the NYC area should be interested since several of the events will be streamed on the web. We at Unseen will be attending as many things as we can score tickets for and manage to get to when not dashing from this years New York Film Festival.
Speaking of which tickets for the NYFF go on sale Monday at 10am for the general public (they are on sale for members already). Yes I know it’s pricey, but there is a great deal of good stuff going on, especially in the special events and directors dialogs (Abel Ferrara and Wim Wenders are speaking). I suggest checking out the website and making plans getting tickets to anything that interests you. One piece of advice skip the galas and the open, closing and centerpiece films. They are a great deal of money for films that are coming out with in a couple of days or weeks of the festival.
Unseen will be covering the festival with a little less vigor than I had hoped. Mostly I had to reign myself in when I realized that I couldn’t afford the time or tickets for all of the events I wanted to see. Not to worry we’re still going to see a majority of the films so by the end you’ll have a good idea as to what’s worth your time and what isn’t.
Lastly I want to point out that the film Shut Up Little Man! Is playing on pay per view and is going to be hitting movie screens starting this week. This is the story of what happens when two young guys move to San Francisco and end up living next to two career alcoholics who fight all the time. They end up recording the bouts and passing them around between friends creating an underground sensation. A funny and enlightening documentary, it’s a look at the tapes, the people involved and the whole notion of audio verite. I’m working on a long review which will run after the NYFF, but for now, with the film about to be in theaters and now on pay per view I had to say go see the film.
Tickets for this year’s New Yorker Festival go on sale at noon tomorrow. This is a grand annual festival with talks, films and performances in a wide range of subjects. You should check the site for details, but you should know that Steve Martin and David Cronenberg will be speaking and the films Anonymous and Coriolanus will be screening with the directors in attendance. Those not in the NYC area should be interested since several of the events will be streamed on the web. We at Unseen will be attending as many things as we can score tickets for and manage to get to when not dashing from this years New York Film Festival.
Speaking of which tickets for the NYFF go on sale Monday at 10am for the general public (they are on sale for members already). Yes I know it’s pricey, but there is a great deal of good stuff going on, especially in the special events and directors dialogs (Abel Ferrara and Wim Wenders are speaking). I suggest checking out the website and making plans getting tickets to anything that interests you. One piece of advice skip the galas and the open, closing and centerpiece films. They are a great deal of money for films that are coming out with in a couple of days or weeks of the festival.
Unseen will be covering the festival with a little less vigor than I had hoped. Mostly I had to reign myself in when I realized that I couldn’t afford the time or tickets for all of the events I wanted to see. Not to worry we’re still going to see a majority of the films so by the end you’ll have a good idea as to what’s worth your time and what isn’t.
Lastly I want to point out that the film Shut Up Little Man! Is playing on pay per view and is going to be hitting movie screens starting this week. This is the story of what happens when two young guys move to San Francisco and end up living next to two career alcoholics who fight all the time. They end up recording the bouts and passing them around between friends creating an underground sensation. A funny and enlightening documentary, it’s a look at the tapes, the people involved and the whole notion of audio verite. I’m working on a long review which will run after the NYFF, but for now, with the film about to be in theaters and now on pay per view I had to say go see the film.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
The Beaver and Brighton Rock in brief, plus NYFF info and some links
As August ends and September begins I want to talk about two movies you may want to keep an eye out for, talk about our plans for the New York Film Festival and to give you a few links.
First up quick word on two movies I saw to day, one that's on DVD and one that's in theaters. One if not both will get full reviews later.
Jodie Foster's film The Beaver was to be the come back film for Mel Gibson. The trouble was Gibson's life exploded and no one wanted to see the film... or so Hollywood pundits would tell you. The real story is that even if Gibson hadn't imploded no one would have gone to the film, its simply too dark a film to be a popular hit.
The Beaver may not be popular hit material, however it is probably one of the best films of the year. This is a dark but often funny and frequently uncomfortably heartbreaking film. There is hope, but mostly this is 90 minutes in a dark place.
At it's center is a performance from Mel Gibson that should have been an Oscar lock but will be completely over looked. You've never seen anything like this...Its award worthy but has been completely over looked.
I'm going to write this film up properly shortly but for know know you really should see this film. It's out on DVD and pay per view and worth your time (though be warned its a dark film)
Brighton Rock is a based on an a Graham Greene novel. Its the story of a young thug who marries a waitress to help cover up a murder. However his cohorts begin to have doubts about him and things begin to get out of control.
An earlier film version starred Richard Attenborough and wad his break through performance. This time out the role of Pinkie Brown is played by Sam Riley who looks good but is shown up by his co-stars Helen Mirren, John Hurt and Andy Serkis. Actually the whole film has a better look than the story requires with the result the film's look overwhelms the gritty story. The result is a neo-noir film that seems to be playing dress up.
Currently out in theaters here in the US and on IFC in Theaters pay per view the film is worth seeing---however I would go pay per view since it's gonna be a cheaper.
There is just a month until the start of the New York Film Festival and this year there is too many good things in the cue. Worse with the new film center open it's going to be really hard to see everything since almost everything conflicts with something else. If you're going you are going to have to pick and choose. Even with Bully, John and myself having press passes we're going to have to struggle to see a large number of the films. There just is too much going on.
As always since films should be seen with an audience of real people we're making plans to see films with the general public (I am dying to see the reaction for Paradise Lost 3). As things stand right now we have tickets for about 9 public screenings and special events and we're trying to work out how to see more. I'm also working on getting reports on a few more from friends we're pressing into service.
If you thought our Tribeca and NYAFF coverage was detailed, there is a really good chance our NYFF is going to be equally insane.
I should point out that despite this years Film Festival overlapping both the New Yorker Festival and New York Comicon, we'll be doing our best to bring you reviews of most of the films screening...plus cover the other two events as well...
I hope you like our "real time" coverage because we're going to be flooding you with it.
Okay enough serious stuff, time for fluffy stuff. Here are a bunch of links from Randi, IMDB and elsewhere.
Harsh Words between filmmakers.
The Muppets Sing.Follow links on the page for more songs.
A BBC discussion of to determine what film music to use on a live broadcast on film music is found here. Joining Mark and Simon are critic Andrew Collins, singer Paloma Faith, orchestra boss Richard Wigley and conductor Robert Ziegler who all talk about their favourite film scores.
Off topic and very off color is Craig Ferguson on the Nerdist Podcast (This is not work safe)
Posters in B Movie Style
Tom Waits=Cookie Monster
Star Wars done real old school.
How Pixar wishes someone a Happy Birthday
A Great Collection of Lobby Cards
The real Picture of Dorian Gray
Terry Gilliam Teaches Animation
First up quick word on two movies I saw to day, one that's on DVD and one that's in theaters. One if not both will get full reviews later.
Jodie Foster's film The Beaver was to be the come back film for Mel Gibson. The trouble was Gibson's life exploded and no one wanted to see the film... or so Hollywood pundits would tell you. The real story is that even if Gibson hadn't imploded no one would have gone to the film, its simply too dark a film to be a popular hit.
The Beaver may not be popular hit material, however it is probably one of the best films of the year. This is a dark but often funny and frequently uncomfortably heartbreaking film. There is hope, but mostly this is 90 minutes in a dark place.
At it's center is a performance from Mel Gibson that should have been an Oscar lock but will be completely over looked. You've never seen anything like this...Its award worthy but has been completely over looked.
I'm going to write this film up properly shortly but for know know you really should see this film. It's out on DVD and pay per view and worth your time (though be warned its a dark film)
Brighton Rock is a based on an a Graham Greene novel. Its the story of a young thug who marries a waitress to help cover up a murder. However his cohorts begin to have doubts about him and things begin to get out of control.
An earlier film version starred Richard Attenborough and wad his break through performance. This time out the role of Pinkie Brown is played by Sam Riley who looks good but is shown up by his co-stars Helen Mirren, John Hurt and Andy Serkis. Actually the whole film has a better look than the story requires with the result the film's look overwhelms the gritty story. The result is a neo-noir film that seems to be playing dress up.
Currently out in theaters here in the US and on IFC in Theaters pay per view the film is worth seeing---however I would go pay per view since it's gonna be a cheaper.
There is just a month until the start of the New York Film Festival and this year there is too many good things in the cue. Worse with the new film center open it's going to be really hard to see everything since almost everything conflicts with something else. If you're going you are going to have to pick and choose. Even with Bully, John and myself having press passes we're going to have to struggle to see a large number of the films. There just is too much going on.
As always since films should be seen with an audience of real people we're making plans to see films with the general public (I am dying to see the reaction for Paradise Lost 3). As things stand right now we have tickets for about 9 public screenings and special events and we're trying to work out how to see more. I'm also working on getting reports on a few more from friends we're pressing into service.
If you thought our Tribeca and NYAFF coverage was detailed, there is a really good chance our NYFF is going to be equally insane.
I should point out that despite this years Film Festival overlapping both the New Yorker Festival and New York Comicon, we'll be doing our best to bring you reviews of most of the films screening...plus cover the other two events as well...
I hope you like our "real time" coverage because we're going to be flooding you with it.
Okay enough serious stuff, time for fluffy stuff. Here are a bunch of links from Randi, IMDB and elsewhere.
Harsh Words between filmmakers.
The Muppets Sing.Follow links on the page for more songs.
A BBC discussion of to determine what film music to use on a live broadcast on film music is found here. Joining Mark and Simon are critic Andrew Collins, singer Paloma Faith, orchestra boss Richard Wigley and conductor Robert Ziegler who all talk about their favourite film scores.
Off topic and very off color is Craig Ferguson on the Nerdist Podcast (This is not work safe)
Posters in B Movie Style
Tom Waits=Cookie Monster
Star Wars done real old school.
How Pixar wishes someone a Happy Birthday
A Great Collection of Lobby Cards
The real Picture of Dorian Gray
Terry Gilliam Teaches Animation
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Congratulations to FilmsRruss on the passing the one year mark
I need to point out something that most of you are not aware of.
There is a great little blog that just passed the one year mark called FilmsRruss.
Its a great film blog from the UK that you should be reading. Russ stumbled on to Unseen a ways back and commented which lead me to take a look at his site, and I've been a faithful reader ever since. (Though to be honest I do tend to read the posts in blocks- which is why I'm posting some two weeks late of his actual anniversary)
Yes there is occasional overlap, but mostly Russ goes his own way which is great since I can steal...er... borrow titles based on his selections. Actually we both come up on stuff independent of each other. Mostly I just groan when I realize he's posting on something I have in the cue- like Cowboys and Aliens which We'll be doing during our Comics and Commentary film series in October.
Truth be told I love when he posts on something I'm doing or have done because I find what he has to say so on target that even when I disagree with him I have to respect what he has to say. Actually I love when he talks about films I haven't seen because I find he's a great way of stumbling on to things I never considered or to move me faster toward seeing something I've been delaying in seeing.
Seriously go read his stuff. I suggest you start with his best of the past year post which is his favorite films from the past year and then you can work your way out from there...just do me a favor and back here when you're done.
Once again Congratulations to a great movie blog on it's one year anniversary.
There is a great little blog that just passed the one year mark called FilmsRruss.
Its a great film blog from the UK that you should be reading. Russ stumbled on to Unseen a ways back and commented which lead me to take a look at his site, and I've been a faithful reader ever since. (Though to be honest I do tend to read the posts in blocks- which is why I'm posting some two weeks late of his actual anniversary)
Yes there is occasional overlap, but mostly Russ goes his own way which is great since I can steal...er... borrow titles based on his selections. Actually we both come up on stuff independent of each other. Mostly I just groan when I realize he's posting on something I have in the cue- like Cowboys and Aliens which We'll be doing during our Comics and Commentary film series in October.
Truth be told I love when he posts on something I'm doing or have done because I find what he has to say so on target that even when I disagree with him I have to respect what he has to say. Actually I love when he talks about films I haven't seen because I find he's a great way of stumbling on to things I never considered or to move me faster toward seeing something I've been delaying in seeing.
Seriously go read his stuff. I suggest you start with his best of the past year post which is his favorite films from the past year and then you can work your way out from there...just do me a favor and back here when you're done.
Once again Congratulations to a great movie blog on it's one year anniversary.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Latinbeat: All of Your Dead Ones plus a few updates
Tonight I went to see All of Your Dead Ones at Latinbeat at Lincoln Center. This is a film that got rightly noticed at the Sundance and Rotterdam Film Festivals.
The plot has our hero going out to tend to his fields one Sunday morning. Working his way along a fence with a weedwacker he comes to a big hole in the wire and a path way large enough for a truck, leading back into his corn. Following the path he is horrified to discover that in a clearing are fifty bodies stacked in a pile. He makes his way into town but the mayor is too busy with the election, it's election day, to pay attention, and the police are kind of disinterested. However as he's talking to a radio DJ the police decide to see what he's talking about. When they arrive the question becomes not so much who did it, but how can we cover it up.
This is a darkly funny tale that is the sort of thing that makes you squirm as you're laughing. No one seems to care abut what happened except our hero and his family. This is a film that is set in a world where no one really cares about anything other than their own butts, and the lengths that people will go to cover them is both horrifying and amusing.
One of the more telling things, and something that provides some of the biggest laughs, is the enormity of the situation. No one really understands how many people are dead until they see the pile. The number of people dead is the thing that gives the film it's zing as it were. as a writer at Twitch Film said, if it was only one or two people the film would play out as a small personal tragedy, but seeing so many bodies raises the stakes. It makes you wonder just what the hell is going on. Its the punchline to a sick joke...and yet it's not showing us the crimes of some political entity (The mayor instantly calls a neighboring mayor to ask why the other mayor dumped his bodies in this place. The implication is this happens all the time.)
Not long before the film reached it's conclusion I was thinking that, I really liked the film, and that it was more an intellectual film than an emotional one. Yes, there was tension and uneasiness as the events unfolded, I mean how could you not worry about the fate of our hero?
Then something happened. As the film ended, truly ended, just before the curtain call, something happens, an innocuous shot or two and suddenly I was sitting there feeling like I had been gut punched.
What the hell happened?
I'm still not sure, but something did and I stopped caring about the film as an intellectual exercise and instead was pained by the death of the nameless 50... and for anyone who dies in stupid political violence. As the film moved toward the credits I was simply sitting there staring at the screen.
Talk about a kick in the pants.
I suspect that this will be getting a wider release in the US so do keep an eye out for it.
(A technical aside- the subtitles on the print tonight seemed to be incomplete. Somethings were subtitled and somethings weren't. There was also a couple of misspellings, which I hope will be fixed.)
---
A couple of updates.
God Bless Ozzy Osborne is getting screenings the 24th and 29th as a Fathom Events. If you like Ozzy or Sabbath, go. The film is a blast and one of the highlights of Tribeca.
The flier is out for Lincoln Center for September and October. A couple of quick notes.
Labor Day weekend they are running trilogies. They will be doing The Godfather on the 5th, Back to the Future on the 4th, and Max Max on the 3rd. They will also be doing the Three Colors trilogy of Krzysztof Kieslowski and the Koker Trilogy of Abbas Kiarostami on two days each.
There is a series of Tuesday Weld films, a series of popular Chinese films (some of which played the NYAFF), recent Polish films and they announced that the Scary Movies series runs the Thursday before through Halloween.
They also list the schedule for the Nikkatsu retrospective. It's being done approximately chronologically with the more recent films toward the end (overlapping Comicon, which complicates our going greatly)
It appears Criterion is doing an edition of Godzilla. Depending on what the extras are I may get a third super special edition (to add to the American and BFI ones)
I need to mention that the longest gestating suggested film, Fists in the Pocket has finally been watched and will be reviewed during our week of Criterions in late Fall. (as always you can email us with suggestions- which we will get to- promise- just watch the next couple of weeks and you'll see them starting to appear)
---
Lastly I've gotten a couple of notes recently asking me to put films on to torrent so they could be downloaded.
The short answer is no.
A longer answer is that even allowing that I was set up to be able to do that, I'm not, recent events concerning people a couple of degrees away from me strongly suggest it's not advisable.
If you want to see something and the sources in the sidebar don't provide the film, either leave a comment asking where to get it or email us and we'll try to help you.
I'm sorry.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Unseen Films notes the passing of two film directors Gualtiero Jacopetti and Raul Ruiz.
Two important filmmakers died today.
Raul Ruiz, who's film Mysteries of Lisbon is playing around the country died today from a lung infection. He made 100 films in his 50 year career and was a major force in Chilean and South American film.
The Film Society of Lincoln Center has a few words on his passing here.
I'm not sure how to phrase this but the death of Gaultiero Jacopetti at the age of 91 is culturally a bigger loss. Why would a man who only made a handful of films be the bigger cultural loss? Simply because for better or worse he, along with Franco Prosperi changed the way we see the world through the Mondo Cane films.
The two Mondo Cane films (and pretty much everything they did after it) slowly bent how the world is presented in films and on TV. It would be cliche to say that just the name Mondo Cane changed the world by putting the term Mondo into the vocabulary, however it was more than that. Simply put the way that they presented their documentary subjects gritty down and dirty in your face with a weary knowing narration that was both informative but also cutting (of the subject and of it's audience) is how many shows present the world. In a way the Mondo Cane films were like sitting at the computer for 90 minutes and watching random You Tube clips.
If you don't think his films changed the world start with the Mondo Cane movies and then work out to both the explosion of films of similar nature (including Faces of Death) to the similarly titled films and then trace it into culture and you'll see what a mean.
Jacopetti changed the world, not sure for the better or worse but he altered everything that followed.
Oh yea, and he was a damn fine filmmaker as evidenced by his Africa Addio and Goodbye Uncle Tom.
The New York Times Obit can be found here.
We are a less richer culture with his passing.
Raul Ruiz, who's film Mysteries of Lisbon is playing around the country died today from a lung infection. He made 100 films in his 50 year career and was a major force in Chilean and South American film.
The Film Society of Lincoln Center has a few words on his passing here.
I'm not sure how to phrase this but the death of Gaultiero Jacopetti at the age of 91 is culturally a bigger loss. Why would a man who only made a handful of films be the bigger cultural loss? Simply because for better or worse he, along with Franco Prosperi changed the way we see the world through the Mondo Cane films.
The two Mondo Cane films (and pretty much everything they did after it) slowly bent how the world is presented in films and on TV. It would be cliche to say that just the name Mondo Cane changed the world by putting the term Mondo into the vocabulary, however it was more than that. Simply put the way that they presented their documentary subjects gritty down and dirty in your face with a weary knowing narration that was both informative but also cutting (of the subject and of it's audience) is how many shows present the world. In a way the Mondo Cane films were like sitting at the computer for 90 minutes and watching random You Tube clips.
If you don't think his films changed the world start with the Mondo Cane movies and then work out to both the explosion of films of similar nature (including Faces of Death) to the similarly titled films and then trace it into culture and you'll see what a mean.
Jacopetti changed the world, not sure for the better or worse but he altered everything that followed.
Oh yea, and he was a damn fine filmmaker as evidenced by his Africa Addio and Goodbye Uncle Tom.
The New York Times Obit can be found here.
We are a less richer culture with his passing.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Help the small labels who were hurt in the London warehouse fire
Some of you may know that when the Sony warehouse burned during the recent riots in the UK several small DVD labels were hurt as well. A web page was set up so people could try and help keep them going---because lets face it with out these labels some of these films may not be released--- even in the US which doesn't have some of the films officially released here.
If you want to take a look information is here. The major way to help appears to be downloading films, so if you can you may want to.
If you want to take a look information is here. The major way to help appears to be downloading films, so if you can you may want to.
Monday, August 15, 2011
NYFF announces two Galas, the KCS screening is tomorrow and Riff Trax is Wednesday
A couple of quick notes.
Tomorrow is the KCS screening of Dirty Carnival at the Tribeca Cinemas. Its free. Doors open at 630 for the show at 7. Sadly I think time and tide will keep all of the Unseen correspondents away from yet another screening.
The New York Film Festival has Just announced that the new Pedro Almodovar film The Skin I Live In and the new David Cronenberg film A Dangerous Method will both be getting gala screenings. While I’m thrilled at the prospect of being able to see both films, I wince at the notion of a gala screening since it means it will be pricey. (Remember that even assuming that we at Unseen are allowed to attend the Press Screenings we will also be with you in the trenches for some of the screenings and the cost of all the films come out of our own pockets). Festival News should be coming fast and furious over the next week so keep an eye on their website.
Wednesday night the Riff Trax guys are doing a number on Jack the Giant Killer as a Fathom Event. John, Bully and myself will be attending so expect a report.(and if you’re going get tickets soon. Some of the New York Metro area shows have been sold out for a while now)
Tomorrow is the KCS screening of Dirty Carnival at the Tribeca Cinemas. Its free. Doors open at 630 for the show at 7. Sadly I think time and tide will keep all of the Unseen correspondents away from yet another screening.
The New York Film Festival has Just announced that the new Pedro Almodovar film The Skin I Live In and the new David Cronenberg film A Dangerous Method will both be getting gala screenings. While I’m thrilled at the prospect of being able to see both films, I wince at the notion of a gala screening since it means it will be pricey. (Remember that even assuming that we at Unseen are allowed to attend the Press Screenings we will also be with you in the trenches for some of the screenings and the cost of all the films come out of our own pockets). Festival News should be coming fast and furious over the next week so keep an eye on their website.
Wednesday night the Riff Trax guys are doing a number on Jack the Giant Killer as a Fathom Event. John, Bully and myself will be attending so expect a report.(and if you’re going get tickets soon. Some of the New York Metro area shows have been sold out for a while now)
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