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New Criterion Releases

December 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Truth be told, besides my recent purchase of the Limited Edition of the Complete Harry Potter (I know I should have waited), I have not purchased too many video disks lately. Most of my home cinema viewing has been courtesy of Netflix and DVRed programming from cable.

But this week I decided to take a look and see what the Criterion Collection has on offer in the way of upcoming releases. Of this list, a couple of titles stood out as ‘possible’ purchases, including:

 

A Night to Remember (1958) directed by Roy Ward Baker. It is a ‘straight to the acts’ yet still dramatic retelling of the fateful maiden voyage of the Titanic. When I first saw this film I was taken with the fact that there is no real star; it attempts to tell the story in almost a documentary style. This makes sense, because the film is based on a book that documented the first hand accounts of passengers who were aboard the ship. Release Date: March 27 2012

 

 

Box Set: David Lean Directs Noël Coward. This set looks awesome. It contains four movies including: Brief Encounter (1945, a personal favorite of mine), In Which We Serve (1942), This Happy Breed (1944) and Blithe Spirit (1945). Of these titles the one film that I have not seen is This Happy Breed. I am strongly leaning towards making this purchase. Release Date: March 27 2012

 

 

 

An honorable mention goes to the Chris Marker double-bill of La Jetée/Sans Soleil (1963/1983). The noted work for me is the sci-fi film told via a series of stills, La Jetée. This film left such an impression with me when I first saw it in film class while at university; the time travel story was later adapted by Terry Gilliam in Twelve Monkeys. My main reservation when considering purchasing this disk is that the film that interests me most (La Jetée) is only 27 minutes long. That said, the travelogue Sans Soleil may be an interesting watch. Release Date: February 7 2012

 

As is standard, these titles have received the full ‘Criterion Treatment’ – they are chock-full of extras and supplemental materials.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tuesday’s Overlooked Film: Gaslight (1940)

November 15, 2011 By 12 Comments

For this week’s selection of the ongoing series from Todd Mason at Sweet Freedom, I have chosen the British thriller Gaslight from 1940.

The film is based on the play Gas Light / Angel Street (in the United States) by Patrick Hamilton. It is also the film that caught the attention of Hollywood studio MGM, who made the picture 4 years later with director George Cukor and starring Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, Joseph Cotten and Angela Lansbury. In fact, according to reports at the time, MGM attempted (unsuccessfully, obviously) to get all negatives of the original version destroyed, for fear that it would compete with their bigger budget adaptation.

While I did enjoy the MGM production, I feel that the British version also has a lot going for it. For one, it is not as melodramatic as the American version. There is a coldness, sterility and greater sense of peril present in this version; especially in the way the actors interpreted their roles. I pay particular notice of the portrayal of Paul/Gregory (Anton Walbrook and Boyer, respectively) and my response to them and their actions. When the big “reveal” happens, I found myself not as surprised that Boyer’s character could go to such lengths – in fact I do not see Boyer batting not giving his action a second thought. But in the case of Anton Walbrook, it is made all the more surprising.

*While this article is not entirely dedicated to an analysis of Gaslight, it provides a solid background to the film.

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Veterans Day Pick

November 11, 2011 By 2 Comments

This video recommendation is in honor of all those veterans who served, including my father, the late Cpt. James B. Dawson, ASM BSM.

For those who have not seen The Best Years of Our Lives I highly recommend it. It is a film that no matter how many times I see it never gets tiresome. Yes, it is a glossy Hollywood production, but it is also so much more. It is also one of the first films that really looked at the real affect war had on those who came home. Through the challenges and obstacles each of our main characters faced, their heroism is elevated and humanized.

This was due in great part to the portrayal of Homer Parish, as portrayed by Harold Russell, had in the film. Harold Russell (1914-2002) was a WWII veteran who lost both hands in a botched training exercise. The Best Years of Our Lives gave us a glimpse into this world of a long, hard emotional and physical recovery.

We also had the portrayal of the ‘fly-boy’ hero Fred Derry (Dana Andrews) whose life comes crashing down all around him upon his return home. On top of that he is suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome, as signified by his terrifying nightmares, which cause him to break out into night sweats and screams.

Our third vet, Al Stephenson, as portrayed by Frederic March, finds re-adjusting to his middle class life a bit too unsettling and turns to the bottle for some relief and ‘sanity.’

A wonderful supporting cast including personal favorites Myrna Loy and Teresa Wright aided to the story. One pleasant surprise for me was Virginia Mayo in the role of Marie, Fred’s pin-up wife, who also has to re-take stock of her life after her hero husband returns to the civilian ranks.

Fast-forward roughly 50 years later, and to the romantic drama A Walk in the Clouds, which touched upon the challenges of returning to post-WWII America, and you will see many elements of that story may have been “borrowed” (or at least have in its DNA) The Best Years of Our Lives.

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Tuesday’s Overlooked Film: Rope (1948)

November 8, 2011 By 11 Comments

This week I have chosen to talk about Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope from 1948.

At the film’s start, we see a murder taking place in an apartment. After ‘disposing’ of the body in a less-than-discreet place, our antagonists, Brandon Shaw (John Dall) and Phillip Morgan (Farley Granger) are in throws of preparing for a dinner party. Among the guests to this party are the victim’s fiance, father and former romantic rival. Rounding out the guest list is the pair’s former teacher and mentor, Rupert Cadell, portrayed by James Stewart.

As the evening transpires, the conversation becomes increasingly morose; and James Stewart’s Rupert begins to piece together that something is just not right. As the party dies down, Rupert makes the shocking and unimaginable discovery.

Rope has many layers to it. For one, the story is based on a play, which in turn was ‘inspired’ by the real life case of Leopold and Loeb, who were convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a 14 year old boy. It also deals with the intellectual exercise of executing the ‘perfect murder’ (presumably one where the perpetrators do not get caught). Another debate the characters have in the film is about the philosophical concept of Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche‘s Übermensch (Superman) and the notion of one man’s superiority to another.

Rope is well regarded in film circles and among Hitchcock fans, but is not as well known to the general public. Among the film’s various accomplishments are:

  • it is the first of Hitchcock’s Technicolor films
  • it takes place in real time
  • it was edited so as to appear as a single continuous shot through the use of long takes. This was achieved by panning, closeups and dissolves, among other techniques. (Source: Wikipedia)

This piece of cinema represents Hitchcock at his most experimental and daring. The idea of Hitchcock being an experimental filmmaker seems antithetical to the impression often associated with him – that is he is often characterized as a controlling taskmaster who methodically laid out all the scenes from his films shot-by-shot. It is worth seeing for this alone.

* For another Hitchcock recommendation this week, go to Flixchatter and read  Ruth’s take on 1945′s Spellbound

* Also be sure to go to Todd Mason’s blog for more Overlooked Films


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Just Had to Share …

November 2, 2011 By 4 Comments

I will make this short and sweet; please view this commentary of one of my all-time favorite film noirs, Detour (1945) presented by A.O. Scott of The New York Times:

My father recommended this film to me several years ago, just as I was cutting my teeth in the genre. As with any B-movie, the production values (or lack thereof) may deter some people who are not used to the genre’s conventions. But in my mind’s eye that makes it even more of an exciting cinematic venture.

Note that this film is in the public domain and can easily be found online.

Let me know what you think.

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Tuesday’s Overlooked Film: Whip It (2009)

November 1, 2011 By 9 Comments

Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut is very much how I see her – quirky, a bit rough around the edges, but at the end of the day a very fun experience. I really enjoyed this film and was disappointed that this film was not more commercially successful.

Whip It is the tale of a Texas teenager who shirks the beauty-pageant influence of an overbearing mother (Marcia Gay Harden) and goes on another course – a roller derby course, to be exact. There is much more to the story, specifically dealing with the cascading effect of Bliss’ joining the Hurl Scouts and what it means for her family relationships, friendships and potential love interests.

Of course much of the credit for making this a good viewing experience goes to Ellen Page, who seems to have the knack for playing fish out of water parts with a charm that is both grounded and endearing.

The cast also features a pre-Bridesmaids Kristen Wiig, Drew Barrymore, Eve, Daniel Stern and Juliette Lewis as leader of the rival roller derby team.

Another thing that I like about the film is in spite of it being set in the present, it has that nostalgic, 70′s feel to it. I think that this is due in part to the grain in which the film is shot. On a personal note, when I think of roller derbies, I think of the 1970′s for some reason. So maybe that mental association is at work in this instance.

In the end, this film clearly demonstrates the potential Drew Barrymore has a director. Hopefully in the future, she will continue to choose and direct projects as fun, inspiring and entertaining as this one.

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Tuesday’s Overlooked Film: Death at a Funeral (2007)

October 25, 2011 By 12 Comments

For many of my fellow countrymen, when they hear the title Death at a Funeral, it may conjure up this image:

At least that is what I imagine – working in Times Square I can remember vividly with some shock and horror staring at the massive poster on an afternoon of lunchtime errands. I thought to myself – how could they remake a film that was perfectly adequate and really did not need ‘Americanizing.’ (*Full disclosure – I did not see this version, so I will try to refrain from making any comparisons to the finished products).

A remake, you say? Yes indeed this long awaited pairing of Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence is a remake. I am not sure about the word of mouth promotion of the Neil LaBute 2010 offering but I suspect that there may have been mention of the British comedy of the same name released three years prior.

Well that is the version that I am here to talk about …

The 2007 installment is directed by British-born American director-actor (live and voice)-puppeteer Frank Oz. The ensemble cast features many names probably unknown to American audiences. That is, with the exception of Peter Dinklage (who, strangely enough is in BOTH versions) and the frankly underused Alan Tudyk.

The story takes place at an English country house and it is a solemn occasion; a family is gathering for the funeral of its patriarch. Every character we are introduced to brings with them their own sets of issues which will make this otherwise somber event one that you will not forget anytime soon.

What particularly works for me about this film are the performances of the actors. With every absurd and ludicrous turn the story takes, there is an understated deadpan delivery to the material that made my response even more pronounced.

My favorite review of the film comes courtesy of Ruth Stein of the San Francisco Chronicle, in which she states:

in the tradition of those classics, in black-and-white and starring Peter Sellers or Alec Guinness, in which disasters keep piling up, each one more drolly funny than the last.

That’s high praise for “Death,” but no more than it deserves. The humor manages to be simultaneously sophisticated, supremely silly and very dark.

That said, I know that this film will not work for everyone, especially, as can be extrapolated by Stein’s review, people who are not fans of (or unfamiliar with)  the Ealing Studio comedies of the 1940s-and 50s which often featured Alec Guinness. If you do not like those films (Lavender Hill Mob, Kind Hearts and Coronets, etc.), then you may want to give this one a miss.

Has anyone seen the 2010 version? the 2007 version? Both? Let me know in the comments below.

* be sure to check out Todd Mason’s blog to read more contributions from some great bloggers.

Filed Under: Fun Stuff, Recommendation

Tuesday’s Overlooked: the Hughes Brothers

October 18, 2011 By 5 Comments

At the time (the 1990′s to be exact), the Hughes’ Brothers were considered a part of the ‘new crop of emerging black filmmakers.’ Nearly 20 years on their collective output has been rather light – their body of work consists of four features and a documentary. I have previously posted a link to a video about the brothers as seen by the critic Mark Kermode. For the record, the one feature I have not seen is the documentary American Pimp (1999) that he mentions in his video.

I chose to feature them today in my overlooked segment because I feel there work is deserving of praise  and worthy of  some attention (0r at least further critical examination), especially considering they cut their filmmaking teeth in rap videos and made their feature film debut at the ripe old age of 21.

Known for raw and patently violent depictions in their films, their movies may not be suited to everyone’s personal tastes. However when you strip away this violence you will find homages to classic cinema; for example,  Menace II Society (1993) owes a great deal, at least in its narrative structure, to another film set in the City of Angels – Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard (1950).

Released within a couple of years of John Singleton’s Boyz N The Hood (1991), the comparisons between the two films were inevitable. At the time, I chose not to compare the films and as saw them instead as similar told different ways. In retrospect, I see them as ends of a spectrum. At the time there is no doubting that Boyz was groundbreaking in the tale that it told – life in South Central Los Angeles from the perspective of those who lived there. But for me, time has not been kind to this movie. It seems to play too much like a message film that you would see in an afterschool special. On the other hand, Menace has held up as a grittier, tougher film, with and more grounded sense of the place and time its inhabitants occupy.

Following the critical success of Menace, they made Dead Presidents, which is equally disturbing to watch due to its depiction of violence; but if you can get through it, it does tell a tale that even my Vietnam veteran father was able to relate to on some level. I have previously mentioned my liking From Hell (2001) ; so it does not bear my repeating what I liked about the film here. In fact, it is that post which got me to look more closely at the brothers’ filmography.

Away from the silver screen, there have also been a couple of forays into television, notably the U.S. adaptation of the British crime drama/mystery Touching Evil.

Nearly a decade after From Hell, the brothers were back in 2010 with the release of the apocalyptic The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman. Seen by many not as a total return to form, Eli received mixed reviews but in the end accumulated a worldwide box office totaling $157,107,755 (Source: Box Office Mojo).

According to IMDB, the next project in the pipeline is the neo-noir Broken City. According to the credits, Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe and Catherine Zeta Jones are attached to the project that is scheduled for release in 2014. Also according to the credits, Allen Hughes will solely be directing this film.

* Be sure to check out Todd Mason’s blog for more Overlooked Films from the various contributors.

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Tuesday’s Overlooked Film: The Hitch-Hiker

October 11, 2011 By 2 Comments

Chalk up another entry for Todd Mason’s ongoing blogging series, “Tuesday’s Overlooked Films.” This week’s selection is a classic noir from Anglo-American actress and (this time) DIRECTOR Ida Lupino.

As the opening sequences state, this film is based on a true story of two average guys, who pick up a mysterious hitch-hiker on their way to Mexico, where they a relaxing weekend of fishing. What they get unfortunately is something totally unexpected that puts their lives in imminent danger.

There may be some dispute as to whether or not this is the first film noir made by a woman; one thing is for certain: you cannot argue that this is one of the more solid offerings of the genre. As many noirs are, Hitch-Hiker is a low-budget B-film. So if you look at “bang for the buck” this film really delivers.

I also selected this film because for many filmgoers, they may not know who Ida Lupino is. She was born in the United Kingdom to a famous acting dynasty and studied at RADA. The silver screen came calling and she headed to Hollywood, where by my estimation her talent was on full display in films such as On Dangerous Ground, High Sierra and Road House. According to Wikipedia, for turning down a film role, she was placed on suspension which lead her to take a stab at directing.

As a director, the subject matter for his films was somewhat cutting edge for the time. Other films of note are The Bigamist, Hard Fast and Beautiful and Outrage.

Even if you are not interested or able to catch any of her films, I urge you to take a look at Ida Lupino simply as a biography and history of pioneers in cinema’s history.

One final note: in 1998, The Library of Congress of the United States’ National Film Registry seleted this film as cultural, historical or aesthetically significant.

 

Main Cast:

  • Edmond O’Brien as Roy Collins
  • Frank Lovejoy as Gilbert Bowen
  • William Talman as Emmett Myers
  • José Torvay as Captain Alvarado

Sources: Wikipedia, National Film Registry

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Tuesday’s Overlooked Film: An Affair of Love (1999/2000)

October 4, 2011 By 3 Comments

An Affair of Love* is a French language film from 1999 (distributed in the US in 2000) directed by Belgian Frédéric Fonteyne and starring Nathalie Baye and Sergi Lopez in the title roles of ‘Her’ and ‘Him’.

‘Her’ and ‘Him’ meet via a personal ad in a magazine.They are both seeking an anonymous liaison; they do not know each other’s name (as has been agreed upon). However, over the course of the affair, it becomes obvious to the couple as well to the audience that what was supposed to be a series of ‘encounters’ has become something a bit more complicated. The question then becomes what will happen next?

I will not completely ‘spoil’ the rest of the plot in hopes that you will check out this film; but I suspect that many of you will be able to figure it out to varying degrees.

The irony of the French title is that there is nothing pornographic about this film. In fact, quite the opposite is true: it is a tender tale of two people who are faced with the decision as whether or not to act upon their love for each other.

I like to think of this film as sort of a companion piece to another tale of love that is (maybe) not fully realized – Noel Coward’s Brief Encounter. In Brief Encounter, we have a pair of adults whose love is present but never fully expressed (their one attempt falls haplessly apart). In An Affair of Love there is the full expression of the act of love which develops into a real love – but it is similar to Brief Encounter in that the love is somehow incomplete and not fully realized to a conventional satisfaction.

In both movies, the end result can (may) leave the audience feeling alienated and unfulfilled. But because An Affair of Love is handled properly – through its adept directing and acting – the audience leaves the film understanding. In my opinion, there must be a level of accomplishment in having achieved that.

* French Title: Une Liaison Pornographique

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