You can tell I'm a film studies major/cinephile when I watch three movies in a span of 24 hours. It's true, I confess.
It Happened One Night (1934) Directed by Frank Capra
I watched this for my film history class and will be writing a paper on it.
If I remember correctly, there was an excessive use of wipes, with some fades and enough intercuts to keep the audience in on the action. But if you're not film studies, you don't care. Fact is, a friend or two had raved about this movie, and now I know why. Romantic comedy at its finest. The main characters are involved in a love-hate relationship with each other and both undergo changes as they fall in love. As far as I'm concerned, this was a classier version of Spaceballs (1987).
Belle et la bête, La (1946) aka "Beauty and the Beast" Directed by Jean Cocteau
I watched this one because it played for another class.
Excessively dramatic but that was perhaps to correlate with the enchanted theme of the movie. At the beginning of the movie, the director puts a note that children will believe whatever we tell them, so please return to a child-like state of mind for this movie. And one has to, or the movie becomes laughable and overly-romantic. The costuming, as far as Belle or her sisters are concerned, is very intriguing. The Beast, well, he's a beast, and a furry one at that. The enchanted elements of the castle were at first-sight very creepy and definitely fit. When one compare it to the Disney version, this one is a nice change.
Escape from Crime (1942) Directed by D. Ross Lederman
in class viewing for film history.
This film is notable for it's super-fast-paced editing and mile-a-minute montages. One just has to accept the inconsistencies that may appear in the film between plot and real-life, as it is obvious that some of the action isn't really likely to occur in real life, such as the fact that our main character is released on parole for no reason. The film is completed in about an hour. Professor said it was a B pic. One minute walk-on by Jackie Gleason at the very beginning.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Monday, September 18, 2006
Barnyard (2006), Foreign Correspondent (1940), Weekend (1967), Laura (1944), Digging to China (1998)
A very interesting mix, I know, but when it rains, it pours.... movies!
Barnyard (2006) Directed bySteve Oedekerk
Saw this with the nephews and a friend.
My major grief with this film is that the main characters were male...and were cows. As if children needed to be misled anymore. This film was teeming with an overwhelming amount of adult humor. Milk was substituted for alcohol and the film relied on a multitude of stereotypes to carry the characters through. The wise old donkey was voiced by Danny Glover and the wise cow who was the main FEMALE cow's sidekick was voiced by Wanda Sykes. It seems as if computer animation, excuse me.... computer animated animals... is the only way to make a children's film these days. One technology has replaced another, provingthat children alwasy love talking animals that tell too many adult-targeted jokes. But never fear...there is a TV series of Barnyard in pre-production["Barnyard" (2007) TV Series]. Oh, I can barely contain myself. All I can say, is mothers....teach your children the reality of cows and udders before they become udderly misled....
Foreign Correspondent (1940) Directed byAlfred Hitchcock
Saw with a classmate for my class on Short Shelf-Life Actresses.
If ever one didn't believe that it's possible to fall in love in a minute flat, this movie should set you straight again. The feminist in me was slightly disturbed that the male character sent the female love notes 10 minutes after meeting her.... one of which read "Do you believe in large families?" The lead female was a little too naive for my tastes and it was obvious why the actress, Laraine Day, didn't make it as a big star from this role.... the character was flat and a pushover. The majority of the film (all but the first five minutes) took place in Europe but the last minute and a half was gung-ho American to the extreme, a call to action for the U.S. to get their butts in gear and get involved in the war.
Week End (1967) Directed byJean-Luc Godard
solo viewing for film director class
This movie, to put it a little more politely, is a major mind-screw. I know it is supposed to be a political and social condemnation of the deteriorating French society, but what with all the burning car wrecks, plotting murder, Alice in Wonderland shtick and cannibalism, I wasn't sure quite how to handle it. I hope you are more intelligent than I am and can figure out all of the references that Godard makes to multiple works of literature, cinema and then-contemporary events.
Laura (1944) Directed byOtto Preminger
in-class viewing for short shelf-life actress class
A mind twister, a whodunit to the extreme. It's hard to give any details without going into the plot, but it did feature too many May-December romances for my taste. The lead female was involved in at least three romantic entanglements. If only every person was that irresistible.... we might have a lot more problems on our hands. A film noir. That means look at the use of shadows....among other things
Digging to China (1998) Directed byTimothy Hutton
solo viewing to research Cathy Moriarty for above class
Cathy Moriarty yet again plays the woman who smokes and drinks too much. Guess what? She dies less than a third of the way through the movie. The movie is about her two supposed daughters, specifically the youngest, Harriet and her befriending of Kevin Bacon playing a mentally handicapped man in the 1960s. I wonder how many actors and actresses hope to gain some recognition by playing this ever-intriguing role. The film relies on the misunderstandings most people had or have about the mentally handicapped. It was nice to see that some characters were not as judgemental of Bacon's character Ricky. The film is nothing extremely special, but a nice uplifting cutesy movie to watch on a popcorn night.
Barnyard (2006) Directed bySteve Oedekerk
Saw this with the nephews and a friend.
My major grief with this film is that the main characters were male...and were cows. As if children needed to be misled anymore. This film was teeming with an overwhelming amount of adult humor. Milk was substituted for alcohol and the film relied on a multitude of stereotypes to carry the characters through. The wise old donkey was voiced by Danny Glover and the wise cow who was the main FEMALE cow's sidekick was voiced by Wanda Sykes. It seems as if computer animation, excuse me.... computer animated animals... is the only way to make a children's film these days. One technology has replaced another, provingthat children alwasy love talking animals that tell too many adult-targeted jokes. But never fear...there is a TV series of Barnyard in pre-production["Barnyard" (2007) TV Series]. Oh, I can barely contain myself. All I can say, is mothers....teach your children the reality of cows and udders before they become udderly misled....
Foreign Correspondent (1940) Directed byAlfred Hitchcock
Saw with a classmate for my class on Short Shelf-Life Actresses.
If ever one didn't believe that it's possible to fall in love in a minute flat, this movie should set you straight again. The feminist in me was slightly disturbed that the male character sent the female love notes 10 minutes after meeting her.... one of which read "Do you believe in large families?" The lead female was a little too naive for my tastes and it was obvious why the actress, Laraine Day, didn't make it as a big star from this role.... the character was flat and a pushover. The majority of the film (all but the first five minutes) took place in Europe but the last minute and a half was gung-ho American to the extreme, a call to action for the U.S. to get their butts in gear and get involved in the war.
Week End (1967) Directed byJean-Luc Godard
solo viewing for film director class
This movie, to put it a little more politely, is a major mind-screw. I know it is supposed to be a political and social condemnation of the deteriorating French society, but what with all the burning car wrecks, plotting murder, Alice in Wonderland shtick and cannibalism, I wasn't sure quite how to handle it. I hope you are more intelligent than I am and can figure out all of the references that Godard makes to multiple works of literature, cinema and then-contemporary events.
Laura (1944) Directed byOtto Preminger
in-class viewing for short shelf-life actress class
A mind twister, a whodunit to the extreme. It's hard to give any details without going into the plot, but it did feature too many May-December romances for my taste. The lead female was involved in at least three romantic entanglements. If only every person was that irresistible.... we might have a lot more problems on our hands. A film noir. That means look at the use of shadows....among other things
Digging to China (1998) Directed byTimothy Hutton
solo viewing to research Cathy Moriarty for above class
Cathy Moriarty yet again plays the woman who smokes and drinks too much. Guess what? She dies less than a third of the way through the movie. The movie is about her two supposed daughters, specifically the youngest, Harriet and her befriending of Kevin Bacon playing a mentally handicapped man in the 1960s. I wonder how many actors and actresses hope to gain some recognition by playing this ever-intriguing role. The film relies on the misunderstandings most people had or have about the mentally handicapped. It was nice to see that some characters were not as judgemental of Bacon's character Ricky. The film is nothing extremely special, but a nice uplifting cutesy movie to watch on a popcorn night.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Unknown White Male (2005), Heat Lightning (1934), and The Rules of the Game (1939)
Yes, there are three today...hold onto your hats! (Barely a week and I've reached a total of 7 movies! Craziness indeed!)
Unknown White Male (2005) by Rupert Murray
for fun, with friends Laurel and Desiree'
This was an interesting documentary that examines the memory loss of the director's friend. He came to on the subway from his fugue(sp?...which is a dreamlike state prior to amnesia) with only a phone number and a British accent. This film employs an interesting use of fisheye lenses and interesting camera angles to portray the frightening sensation of having no memory and no idea where one is. A disturbing and intriguing concept.
Heat Lightning (1934) by Mervyn LeRoy
viewed in film history class. the last existing print! no vhs or dvd copies!
As my professor says: filmmaking is like writing on water.
The filling stating in the isolation of the desert is the location for this story of love lost, thievery and deception. The film also addresses indirectly the status of women and immigrants within society as well as other class issues. There is a use of shallow and deep focus, panning, tracking, fades, etc. The film is commendable for its strong sense of feminism, as two sisters are the owners/mechanics for the filling station/cabin/diner oasis in the desert.
Règle du jeu, La (1939) aka "The Rules of the Game" by Jean Renoir
movie shown for the french film class that i'm not taking...but why would Little Miss Cinema pass up an opportunity for a free movie?!
This movie screams infidelity. It's a view at the well-to-do and their weekend at the country mansion for game-hunting, where the rich and their servants partake in charades and adultery. There is a great commotion of men running amok fighting for the affection of their wives, but the movie has a serious ending, causing me to consider it a 'tragicomedy'.
Unknown White Male (2005) by Rupert Murray
for fun, with friends Laurel and Desiree'
This was an interesting documentary that examines the memory loss of the director's friend. He came to on the subway from his fugue(sp?...which is a dreamlike state prior to amnesia) with only a phone number and a British accent. This film employs an interesting use of fisheye lenses and interesting camera angles to portray the frightening sensation of having no memory and no idea where one is. A disturbing and intriguing concept.
Heat Lightning (1934) by Mervyn LeRoy
viewed in film history class. the last existing print! no vhs or dvd copies!
As my professor says: filmmaking is like writing on water.
The filling stating in the isolation of the desert is the location for this story of love lost, thievery and deception. The film also addresses indirectly the status of women and immigrants within society as well as other class issues. There is a use of shallow and deep focus, panning, tracking, fades, etc. The film is commendable for its strong sense of feminism, as two sisters are the owners/mechanics for the filling station/cabin/diner oasis in the desert.
Règle du jeu, La (1939) aka "The Rules of the Game" by Jean Renoir
movie shown for the french film class that i'm not taking...but why would Little Miss Cinema pass up an opportunity for a free movie?!
This movie screams infidelity. It's a view at the well-to-do and their weekend at the country mansion for game-hunting, where the rich and their servants partake in charades and adultery. There is a great commotion of men running amok fighting for the affection of their wives, but the movie has a serious ending, causing me to consider it a 'tragicomedy'.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Contempt (1963) and Blood of a Poet (1930)
Mépris, Le (1963) aka "Contempt" by Jean-Luc Godard
This film was for my Film Directors class. It is the story of the deteriorization of a marriage among the context of a movie about making a movie. There is an extensive use of pans, which signifies very long shots (ie, not many cuts...the action just plays out). The camera acts as a witness to the action, as it follows around one character or another, sometimes turning a circle around the room. The famous director Fritz Lang plays himself as one who attempts to direct the story of Ulysses. He has to deal with an ignorant American producer (Jack Palance) who has a habit of combatting opposition by whipping out a literal little book of wisdom. The main cause of the action is the insistance of the husband Paul, to find out why his wife, Camille, does not love him anymore. There is a parallel between the movie production of Ulysses and that of the couple's situation.
Sang d'un poète, Le (1930) aka "The Blood of a Poet" by Jean Cocteau
This film was viewed for my Film History class. Hot off the press...I just finished watching this film not too much more than a half hour ago. If you are expecting a narrative, don't look to this film. One can only imagine what the film is, especially when it is proceeded by a note from Jean Cocteau, that basically says, "I'm a mad genius, and if you don't get my poetry on the screen, it's not my fault." The film is a presentation of art mixed with surrealism, yet it all mingles together in less than than an hour's worth of film. If one attempts to follow a storyline involving the young man in the first two episodes, it nearly becomes obscured by the introduction of other characters in later episodes. One would be extremely disappointed if searching for a plot. Take with this viewing, the realization that poetry is usally one of the harder forms of literature to understand, so that poetry on film would follow suit. As I try to make sense of it, I wonder if my mind is the empty void to which Cocteau refers.
This film was for my Film Directors class. It is the story of the deteriorization of a marriage among the context of a movie about making a movie. There is an extensive use of pans, which signifies very long shots (ie, not many cuts...the action just plays out). The camera acts as a witness to the action, as it follows around one character or another, sometimes turning a circle around the room. The famous director Fritz Lang plays himself as one who attempts to direct the story of Ulysses. He has to deal with an ignorant American producer (Jack Palance) who has a habit of combatting opposition by whipping out a literal little book of wisdom. The main cause of the action is the insistance of the husband Paul, to find out why his wife, Camille, does not love him anymore. There is a parallel between the movie production of Ulysses and that of the couple's situation.
Sang d'un poète, Le (1930) aka "The Blood of a Poet" by Jean Cocteau
This film was viewed for my Film History class. Hot off the press...I just finished watching this film not too much more than a half hour ago. If you are expecting a narrative, don't look to this film. One can only imagine what the film is, especially when it is proceeded by a note from Jean Cocteau, that basically says, "I'm a mad genius, and if you don't get my poetry on the screen, it's not my fault." The film is a presentation of art mixed with surrealism, yet it all mingles together in less than than an hour's worth of film. If one attempts to follow a storyline involving the young man in the first two episodes, it nearly becomes obscured by the introduction of other characters in later episodes. One would be extremely disappointed if searching for a plot. Take with this viewing, the realization that poetry is usally one of the harder forms of literature to understand, so that poetry on film would follow suit. As I try to make sense of it, I wonder if my mind is the empty void to which Cocteau refers.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
The Collector (1965)
Last night's movie, courtesy of my friend Collin:
The Collector (1965) by William Wyler
The movie did not feautre any out-of-the-ordinary camerawork, but the underlying soundtrack was key in portraying the mood of the film. As Collin put it, the film would be nothing without the music. The movie was a UK production that featured the "I'll-kidnap-you-until-you-fall-in-love-with-me" theme (something I recently saw in a more upbeat telling: ¡Átame!(1990) by Pedro Almodóvar). Slightly frustrating to me were the several overlooked opportunities for the heroine's escape. Obviously, there would have been no movie if she would have escaped in the first five minutes of her capture. After the introduction of the neighbor, I kept hoping he would come back to rescue her, but unfortunately for her....that never happened. The movie gives off a general uneasy feeling as well it should. Yay for psychos.... perhaps we can all learn how to escape from them by watching movies like this.
The Collector (1965) by William Wyler
The movie did not feautre any out-of-the-ordinary camerawork, but the underlying soundtrack was key in portraying the mood of the film. As Collin put it, the film would be nothing without the music. The movie was a UK production that featured the "I'll-kidnap-you-until-you-fall-in-love-with-me" theme (something I recently saw in a more upbeat telling: ¡Átame!(1990) by Pedro Almodóvar). Slightly frustrating to me were the several overlooked opportunities for the heroine's escape. Obviously, there would have been no movie if she would have escaped in the first five minutes of her capture. After the introduction of the neighbor, I kept hoping he would come back to rescue her, but unfortunately for her....that never happened. The movie gives off a general uneasy feeling as well it should. Yay for psychos.... perhaps we can all learn how to escape from them by watching movies like this.
Friday, September 08, 2006
The Mambo Kings (1992)
Greetings, all! As I continue on my still-new venture into the world of cinema, I have discovered that my week is comprised of many movies, whether on the screen or in my head. I've decided to take this journey with whomever is willing, and so.... it shall be done. Here is where you will come to keep up with my movie-watching-ness..... very professional, I know. I will try my best to provide a catalog of the movies I am watching from here on out.....
Tonight's movie: The Mambo Kings dir. by Arne Glimcher
I watched this movie to examine Cathy Moriarty, the topic of my research paper for one of my classes (The class is about short shelf-life actresses).
The movie had the typical twists and turns of a story of its class. And by this, I refer to every story that presents the troubles that befall two brothers looking to make it big in the music world, love entanglements included. The soundtrack is delightful, if you like Cuban music. The celebrity cameos are also a kick, if you know anything about Latin music at all. Tito Puente, Celia Cruz and Dezi Arnaz Jr. playing the role of his father. The montage scenes were slightly entertaining. I wasn't quite sure if they were meant to be cheesy, but one could definitely sense the use of green screen for the sequence.
With a tried and true storyline and redeeming music, this film is so-so. But don't take my word for it. (Cue Reading Rainbow)
In the future, I will try to actually have posts that are more worthy of my "film studies student" status. Someday, you'll see my name in lights. Get my autograph while you can.
Peace.
Tonight's movie: The Mambo Kings dir. by Arne Glimcher
I watched this movie to examine Cathy Moriarty, the topic of my research paper for one of my classes (The class is about short shelf-life actresses).
The movie had the typical twists and turns of a story of its class. And by this, I refer to every story that presents the troubles that befall two brothers looking to make it big in the music world, love entanglements included. The soundtrack is delightful, if you like Cuban music. The celebrity cameos are also a kick, if you know anything about Latin music at all. Tito Puente, Celia Cruz and Dezi Arnaz Jr. playing the role of his father. The montage scenes were slightly entertaining. I wasn't quite sure if they were meant to be cheesy, but one could definitely sense the use of green screen for the sequence.
With a tried and true storyline and redeeming music, this film is so-so. But don't take my word for it. (Cue Reading Rainbow)
In the future, I will try to actually have posts that are more worthy of my "film studies student" status. Someday, you'll see my name in lights. Get my autograph while you can.
Peace.
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