DeathOnHoliday

Inside Outside

2020-04-11T15:37:00.001-04:00

Hi Everyone

Week 3 at home and although i'm working from home, I feel like i'm getting worked over at home. But I have made some time to put together some suggestions for both feature and television shows that you may or may not want to watch.

Once again, i'm not going to add a blurb about any of the films, as much as I'd like to submerge you with my cinema knowledge...that may only be useful for the occasional Trivial Pursuit game...but anyhow:

I'm just going to do the Title of Film, Year of Release and Director's Name and i also will add (documentary) to the title if the film is a documentary.

Most of the films i'm suggesting can be found on HBO, Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, Kanopy and most importantly for me The Criterion Channel (sometimes even on multiple sites).

First things first...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOSHIRO!!

One of my favorite actors Toshiro Mifune turned 100 recently and if i may I'd like to present 5 films of his that i love, all of them directed by Akira Kurosawa
1. Stray Dog 1949 Akira Kurosawa -discourse-
2. High & Low 1963 Akira Kurosawa -review-
3. Seven Samurai 1954 Akira Kurosawa -trailer-
4. Yojimbo 1961 Akira Kurosawa -trailer-
5. Sanjuro 1962 Akira Kurosawa -trailer-
All excellent films & all available on The Criterion Channel.

Now....
A24 Films: The Studio Behind All Your Favorite Movies -

Anyway my showcase this time around is for a film studio operating today...A24 and they really do have a finger on the pulse of CINEMA...(versus movies...i agree with Scorcese by the way).
I wanted to mention a handful of their films that should be explored and a few that are coming up soon.
A24:
The Last Black Man in San Francisco 2019 Joe Talbot -trailer-
Eighth Grade 2018 Bo Burnham -featurette-
Heriditary 2018 Ari Aster -trailer-
Midsommar 2019 Ari Aster -trailer-
The Farewell 2019 Lulu Wang -trailer-
The Lighthouse 2019 Robert Eggers -trailer-
Uncut Gems 2019 Josh & Benny Safdie -trailer-
The Spectacular Now 2013 James Ponsoldt -trailer-
The Green Room 2016 Jeremy Saulnier -trailer-
First Cow 2020 Kelly Reichardt -trailer-

UPCOMING FILMS FROM A24
Saint Maude TBA2020 Rose Glass -trailer-
Zola TBA2020 Janicza Bravo -interview-
The Green Knight TBA2020 David Lowery -trailer-

Back to my suggestions...It's a bit mixed up but so am I.

Casablanca 1942 Michael Curtiz
The Lives of Others 2007 Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Gilda 1946 Charles Vidor
Kafka 1991 Steve Soderbergh
The Guard 2011 John Michael McDonagh
Wild Strawberries 1957 Ingmar Bergman
Wings of Desire 1987 Wim Wenders
*
DOUBLE FEATURE
Y Tu Mama Tambien 2001 Alfonso Cuaron -trailer-
Gas Food Lodging 1992 Allison Anders -trailer-
*
Hedwig & the Angry Inch 2001 John Cameron Mitchell
The King of Kong 2007 Seth Gordon (documentary)
Rushmore 1997 Wes Anderson
Sexy Beast 2000 Jonathan Glazer
*
DOUBLE FEATURE
Donnie Darko 2001 Richard Kelly
Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse 2019 Peter Ramsey, Bob Persichetti, Rodney Rothman
*
The Good the Bad and the Ugly 1966 Sergio Leone
There Will Be Blood 2010 Paul Thomas Anderson
Eagle vs Shark 2007 Taika Waititi
Stop Making Sense 1984 Jonathan Demme (documentary)
The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley 2019 Alex Gibney
(documentary)
Dog Day Afternoon 1975 Sidney Lumet
*
DOUBLE FEATURE
What We Do In the Shadows 2015 Taika Waititi + Jemaine Clement -trailer-
The Favourite 2018 Yorgos Lanthimos -trailer-
*
Beauty and the Beast 1946 Jean Cocteau
Bed and Board 1970 Francois Truffaut
Blackboard Jungle 1955 Richard Brooks
Boy’s Don’t Cry 1999 Kimberly Pierce
The Last Picture Show 1971 Peter Bogdanovich
Life is Sweet 1990 Mike Leigh
Lord of the Flies 1963 Peter Brook
The Lure 2015 Angieszka Smoczynska
*
DOUBLE FEATURE
Big Trouble in Little China 1986 John Carpenter -trailer-
Thor: Ragnarok 2018 Taika Waititi -trailer-

*
Working Girl 1988 Mike Nichols
The Usual Suspects 1995 Bryan Singer
The Killing Fields 1984 Roland Joffé -trailer-
Blade Runner: The Final Cut 1982 (2007) Ridley Scott
The Dark Knight 2005 Christopher Nolan
Ex Machina 2014 Alex Garland
*
DOUBLE FEATURE
A Fistful of Dollars 1964 Sergio Leone
For a Few Dollars More 1965 Sergio Leone

*
M 1931 Fritz Lang
Man Bites Dog 1992 Remy Belvaux -trailer-
Masculin feminine 1966 Jean-Luc Godard
Metropolis 1927 Fritz Lang
The Naked Kiss 1964 Samuel Fuller
Neighbours 1952 Norman Mclaren (short film)
Night of the Living Dead 1968 George A Romero
*
DOUBLE FEATURE
Fittzcaraldo 1982 Werner Herzog -trailer-
Burden of Dreams 1982 Les Blank (documentary) -trailer-
*
Night on Earth 1991 Jim Jarmusch -trailer-
The Daytrippers 1996 Greg Mottola
Dead Man 1995 Jim Jarmusch
Down By Law 1986 Jim Jarmusch
Bed and Board 1970 Francois Truffaut -trailer-
Grizzly Man 2005 Werner Herzog (documentary)
Grey Gardens 1976 Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Ellen Hovde, Muffie Meyer (documentary)
Crumb 1995 Terry Zwigoff (documentary)
*
DOUBLE FEATURE
The Godfather 1972 Francis Ford Coppola
The Godfather Part 2 1974 Francis Ford Coppola
*
AND SOME TELEVISION that includes Limited Series
Tiger King (docu-series)
Screwball (docu-series)
How to Fix a Drug Scandal (docu-series)
The Wire
The Larry Sanders Show
Mr Show
Arrested Development
The Sopranos
Cheers
I Love You, Now Die (docu-series)
McMillions (docu-series)
Fleabag
Watchmen
The Deuce
Chernobyl
Dirty Money [S2 E Slumlord Millionaire(docu-series)]
Babylon Berlin
Meateater (docu-series)
The Morning Show
Atlanta
Insecure
My Brilliant Friend
Succession
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Picard
Ramy
Better Call Saul
Sherlock
Fishing With John (docu-series)

And I could keep writing but i think this is enough for now.

5 Years...And a Virus later...A Film Post

2020-03-14T20:00:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone.
Times are shaky and most of us are locked in at home so i wanted to present some suggestions for things to watch and listen for.
All my suggestions should be able to be found on either Criterion Channel, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and/or Disney+.
If you can't find it there DM me and I can likely figure out a way for you to watch it. Likely. Also to get this posted sooner than later i'm not adding my rating/commentary...just know that they are all worth watching.

With all the fear and fervor of today...here is a list to help fan the flames and to cool em down...Let me start with a focus on Frances McDormand...my favorite actor living today.
As per usual film title then year it was released then directed by.

Blood Simple 1984 Joel & Ethan Coen

Raising Arizona 1987 Joel & Ethan Coen

Mississippi Burning 1988 Alan Parker

Darkman 1990 Sam Raimi

Miller’s Crossing 1990 Joel & Ethan Coen

Short Cuts 1993 Robert Altman

Fargo 1996 Joel & Ethan Coen

Lone Star 1996 John Sayles

Laurel Canyon 2002 Lisa Cholodenko

Moonrise Kingdom 2012 Wes Anderson

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 2017 Martin McDonagh

Isle of Dogs 2018 Wes Anderson

Now let's get a bit theme-y shall we?

Fear

Contagion 2010 Steve Soderbergh

28 Days Later 2002 Danny Boyle

Zombieland 2009 Ruben Fleischer

Brazil 1984 Terry Gilliam

Double Feature: La Jetee 1962 Chris Marker + 12 Monkeys 1995 Terry Gilliam

Midsommar 2019 Ari Aster

Dr Strangelove 1964 Stanley Kubrick

Nosferatu 1922 F.W. Murnau

The Cabinet of Dr Caligari 1920 Rober Wiene

Silence of the Lambs 1991 Jonathan Demme

Spoorloos 1988 George Sluizer

Videodrome 1983 David Cronenberg

Swimming with Sharks 1994 George Huang

Double Feature: The Blob 1958 Irvin S Yeaworth Jr + Get Out 2017 Jordan Peele

Delicatessen 1991 Jean-Paul Jeunet et Marc Caro

The Seventh Seal 1957 Ingmar Bergman

Marathon Man 1976 John Schlesinger

Politics and Perspectives

Catch-22 1970 Mike Nichols

Wag the Dog 1997 Barry Levinson

Rashoman 1950 Akira Kurosawa

The Graduate 1967 Mike Nichols

The Player 1992 Robert Altman

A Man for All Seasons 1966 Fred Zinnemann

Alphaville 1965 Jean-Luc Godard

Harlan County USA 1976 Barbara Kopple

The Thin Blue Line 1988 Errol Morris

The Great Dictator 1940 Charlie Chaplin

La Haine 1995 Mathieu Kassovitz

The Times of Harvey Milk 1984 Robert Epstein

The Other Side of Hope 2017 Aki Kaurismäki

The Rules of the Game 1939 Jean Renoir

The Lighter Side of Things

For All Mankind 1989 Al Reinert

Amarcord 1973 Federico Fellini

Nights of Cabiria 1957 Federico Fellini

This is Spinal Tap 1984 Rob Reiner

Time Bandits 198 Terry Gilliam

The Royal Tenenbaums 2001 Wes Anderson

City Lights 1931 Charlie Chaplin

Groundhog Day 1993 Harold Ramis

Some Like it Hot 1959 Billy Wilder

Ghostbusters 1984 Ivan Reitman

Double Feature: Total Recall 1990 Paul Verhoeven +

Starship Troopers 1997 Paul Verhoeven

Running Man 1987 Paul Michael Glaser

Office Space 1999 Mike Judge

Hans Christian Anderson 1952 Charles Vidor

Double Feature: Masculin Feminin 1966 Jean-Luc Godard + ChungKing Express 1994 Wong Kar Wai

The Beatles: A Hard Day’s Night 1964 Richard Lester

Down By Law 1986 Jim Jarmusch

Hopscotch 1980 Ronald Neame

Double Feature: Yojimbo 1961 + Sanjuro 1962 by Akira Kurosawa

Shadows in Dreams

Stalker 1979 Andrei Tarkovsky

In the Mood for Love 2000 Wong Kar Wai

Orlando 1992 Sally Potter

2015 Television Shows (a handful)

2015-12-19T00:52:00.000-05:00

To Watch or Not to Watch…

The best storytelling informs us and acknowledges some of life's harder truths in an entertaining way - it tells a tale with urgency and sincerity clothed in colors and hues that dazzle us and make us want to experience more.
As I learned the past year about the subtle and not so subtle differences between television writing and feature film writing...I was assigned to catch up and get to know today’s often ‘binge’ serials of modern TV viewing (this includes Primetime, European/International Television, Netflix, Amazon and Cable channels).

Right now we are, supposedly, in the midst of the new Golden-Age of Television and now there is a lot of work (and good work) coming out of this medium. At UCLA, I began to tackle television's story programming and methodology in order to better understand certain ideas and approaches to this medium.

With that said…

Here are, primarily, shows that I have watched or am watching.

There is no ‘best of’ here…just mild spanking.

RATINGS:

5 – Watch it right now. Drop the assets investigation, your booty call, or your job app. It’s worth it because the writing, casting, directing and all above and below the line aspects are on spot.

4 – Definitely check it out. Put it on your list...it's good...with only a couple of glitches.

3 – Intrigued but not spell bound. It's worth checking out but...There is something off about the show...could be a miscast role that takes away from the series, or a faulty or rushed storyline arc, or when character motivations are turned into plot devices because the story isn't coming together as planned.

2 – Not for everyone…or I should say, not for me. You can watch it. Or not watch it. The Universe doesn’t care either way.

1 – You’re in a coma and the RN thinks that putting anything on in front of you is worthwhile…
an
asterisk only "*" means I am currently watching the series.

Shows currently ‘on the air’ and with future seasons likely:

(Note: Because Fargo and True Detective feature a different cast and premise every season I will be looking at each season separately.)

Transparent

Amazon

Family Drama (I could say comedy-drama but isn't family that anyhow?)
Two Seasons

The writing for this show is on par with the best out there. Like The Wire it feels like you are listening in, invisible-like, to a world that is both familiar and foreign. This family’s attempt to find their identity is sparked by their father's admission of his/her gender truth and this truth leads all of them into a world of confusion in different ways.

Ash vs Evil Dead

Starz

Comedy Horror
One Season

Blood gore vomit and the genius stupidity of Bruce Campbell’s character, Ash, has provided what I can easily say is the most FUN I’ve had watching a series in forever. The casting is good...(with the exception of one actor I go back and forth on)...but the verve of the show is ecstatic. The ‘bro’ humor is smart and the characters are bad-ass. The season finale is this Sunday and I’m SO excited to see how it ends. *PostScript...I watched the finale...and I look forward to the 2nd Season.

With Bob & David

Netflix

Absurdist Surreal Dark Comedy
One Season

As a fan of their earlier monster called Mr. Show (HBO) I've been excited to watch this new series by Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. As per usual there are better sketches/episodes than others but overall it’s a sharp and mental comedy program that is fun to watch.

Top of the Lake

BBC

Mystery / Crime Drama**
One Season

Slow burn but fascinating landscape and characters create a spin on the detective series by allowing us to examine “real” personalities as they clash through the investigation of a young girls pregnancy and possible violations. Holly Hunter is illuminating and Elisabeth Moss is solid alongside a menacing Peter Mullan.

Better Call Saul
AMC
4
Crime Drama / Black Comedy
One Season
I'm a fan. It's a different vibe, different pace than Breaking Bad...it's slower and focuses on the life of one character versus an ensemble...but that one is the fantastic Bob Odenkirk who gleefully carries the morphing soul of "Jimmy" McGill toward a new identity and a fiery future.

Fargo

3 season 1

* season 2
Crime Drama / Black Comedy
Two Seasons

Season 1 was interesting but had some missteps in it’s storytelling that annoyed me. But Season 2, the first 5 episodes I’ve seen, is REALLY GOOD. Ted Danson is absolutely fantastic as he shows ability to play the humor and the drama without missing a step and the costume/set design is the tops alongside great casting, great characters and a fun story. They paid attention to detail in Season 2 and it shows.

Sherlock
BBC
4
Mystery / Crime Drama
This show is exciting and fun and smart and funny and sometimes a little to full of itself but gloriously entertaining.

Game of Thrones

HBO

Fantasy Drama
Five Seasons

What can I say…? I should give it a 5 not because it’s ‘perfect’ but because the challenge of what they are doing and the fact that they’ve handled it well - gives them a much deserved ‘how the HELL you pull this off?’ praise. But things haven't been perfect with pacing and casting. BUT overall they have deftly dealt with the writing, casting, directing pretty darn well and now starting with this upcoming season, they are on their own because they must further this story without a finished novel from GRR Martin...and I'm thrilled.

Louie
FX
4
Dark Comedy / Satire
Five Seasons
His stand-up...hmm. But his show is fun and the satire is sharp with some heft behind it.

Broadchurch

BBC

Mystery / Crime Drama**
Two Seasons

David Tennant is a favorite of mine these days and his performance bleeds the conflicts that eat his character up, the lead detective, as he struggles to locate a murderer in a small coastal town with a police force who's officers want nothing to do with him. The music for the show is nicely atmospheric, it darkly aids the broken journey we take with the characters as they try and understand the chain of events that exposes their once private lives to the news hungry public. NOTE: I have only watched Season 1.

Bloodline

Netflix

Mystery / Family Drama
One Season

An amazing cast...(SISSY SPACEK!!!) in a modern murderous Shakespearean drama off the coast of Florida. I’ve only seen the first two episodes but it looks promising. Ben Mendelsohn brings the nervous fear and fatal ennui that he excels in. So good...so far.

Jessica Jones

Netflix

Marvel Universe – Mystery Supernatural Thriller Crime Drama
One Season

I’d like to note that I have ONLY watched the first two episodes so I’m intrigued by the characters and the theme but the pacing and plotting seem a bit…slow.

Daredevil

Netflix

Marvel Universe – Legal Crime Drama
Two Seasons

Another disclaimer…I’ve only watched the first 4 episodes. Well-written, smart and funny. I’m going to keep watching although their casting choice for Foggy Nelson feels off.

Narcos
Netflix
3
Biopic
One Season
Overall i was impressed but the last few episodes felt like they weren't sure how to end the season...so it was a great run but they stumbled near the end. The casting...is good, really good but I'm not crazy about how Steve and Connie Murphy are played, it's too much and too little at times.

Ray Donovan

Showtime

Crime Drama / Family Drama
Three Seasons

You could probably call this show, "The West Coast Sopranos". I enjoy the characters but the showrunners seems to trip up the last three episodes of every season…rushing plot and turning the characters into plot devices just to make the story “work”.

The Man in the High Castle

Amazon

Alternative Reality Thriller
One Season

Only 2 episodes in but like True Detective (season 1) this show has created a mood that is catchy. The casting for the leads fail me though...They’re not bad, they’re just not good. Especially not as good as the thought and intensity that is behind this show’s morose theme: What if Hitler had won…?
With the revelations about the NSA and our current political refugee and xenophobic attitudes led by a silver-spoon hair piece with lips…this show is a reflection of America that could have been…and worriedly can still be.
“When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.”- Sinclair Lewis

True Detective

HBO

4 - season 1

1 - season 2
Crime Drama / Mystery
Two Seasons

As Rick James said on Chappelle…cocaine is a hell of a drug. The 2^nd season of True Detective seemed heavily inspired by that white powder, as if the casting and the story were created and decided upon by the babbling brook of terrible thoughts that this drug can create.
But Season 1 was inventive, challenging, engaging and darkly entertaining with the deft hand of Cary Fukunaga and McConaughey’s performance. 1st Season flirted with an inspired Lovecraftian atmosphere that was bewitching and seductive that the 2nd season was lacking.

Twin Peaks

ABC

4 - season 1

3 - season 2

Mystery / Supernatural Thriller
Two Seasons

Today’s “golden age” of TV had a seed planted by Mark Frost and David Lynch’s story creation set in the Northwest revolving around the mysterious and dead Laura Palmer. A new season is in the works…which is why it's in this section.

Shows that are done...but I’d like to mention because WHY NOT?

The Wire

HBO

5
Crime Drama
Five Seasons

A contemporary Greek tragedy set in the streets of Baltimore, MA that dealt with individuals swallowed by the institutions that have been built to service our society. I will simply state this: The Wire is THE greatest show ever written and is one of the most important shows ever put together about America and it’s policies toward race, economics, politics and the Drug War, in particular. The acting, the dialogue, the motions of it all are overwhelmingly fantastic. The characters…Stringer Bell, Marlo, the Bunk, McNutty, Bubs, Kima, Bodie, Slim Charles, OMAR THE TERRIBLE (“I got the shotgun and you got the briefcase…it’s all in the game though, right?”) are just a handful of amazing characters with strong performances and dialogue that sounds like they took put a microphone on real people and copied it verbatim (Seriously, season 4 and the kids…how they do that?) Each season had an arc that represented a different aspect of the drug trade/war with new and old characters weaving this rich tapestry.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

HBO

Comedy
Eight Seasons

Seinfeld without the Network’s oversight…Larry David is amazing…His humor is based on miscommunications and/or misreading of our emotions and desires, and these butterfly wings always fan bonfires that alight both friends and strangers.

The Civil War
PBS
5
History
Documentary Mini-Series
Anyone and everyone should watch this epic telling of a war that butchered the hearts of men and women and ended the practice of slavery but not the blight.

Jazz
PBS
5
History
Documentary Mini-Series
And another Ken Burns film that explores the roots of America's glorious rhythm and blues alchemy.

Oliver Stone’s: Untold History of the United States

Showtime

History
Documentary Mini-Series

A fascinating look at America narrated by the former Vietnam Vet who became a film director, Oliver Stone and co-written by the historian Peter J. Kuznick and Matt Graham.

Cheers

NBC

Comedy
Nine Seasons

I am still blown away by how good this show is. S T I L L. It was a sly comedy with depth…aided by the outstanding performances of it’s cast.

The Bridge (American version)

*
Crime Drama
Two Seasons

I loved it until I didn’t…they made a casting choice/story choice that RUINED IT for me later in the season. But…it's still worth watching and it’s background theme is very timely with our current state of affairs along the border. Demian Bicher is a standout and Diane Kruger takes on a very challenging role in a series where I have only watched the first season.

Homicide: Life on the Streets

NBC

Police Procedural
Seven Seasons

This series is a police procedural…but it is based on a book of the same name by David Simon, the creator of The Wire, who began his TV writing chops on this show. Star note: One episode from the 2nd Season, written by Simon, stars Robin Williams...and has Jake Gyllenhaal playing his 13 year old son. (I believe Gyllenhaal's dad directed that particular episode.)

Shows that are worth mentioning BUT I have not seen.

Bron/Broen (aka The Bridge-Denmark/Sweden)

Master of None

Mr. Robot

Borgen
The Fall

Steven Universe

Halt & Catch Fire

La Retourné

The Hour
Bojack Horsemen
Black Mirror

Southland

The Red Riding Trilogy

I noticed a splurge of shows starting in 2011 that are crime drama/mysteries that focus on the victim's family and friends...with the emphasis on how people react to violence and less about the whodunit sleuthing. Primarily from BBC and EU based broadcasting were the ones crafting these shows (although AMC picked up and remade The Killing for U.S. audiences.) and I think it's a smart choice.

. . .

A’ight.

FJP

My Monthly Dose: A Daily Prescription of Films. March 2011

2011-03-06T04:42:00.001-05:00

My Monthly Dose: A Daily Prescription of Films. March 2011

This month I wanted to focus and completely dedicate to the Criterion Collection, a company that has done a remarkable job archiving/preserving/heralding a bevvy of films that are usually...amazing.

Good news for those who have Hulu-Plus because the Criterion Collection have made a deal with them to showcase a bulk of their films. (Netflix does have a good handful of Criterion films, FYI).
This month also gives a glance at mockumentaries, Jim Jarmusch and Wes Anderson.

The Great Dictator (1938) Charlie Chaplin. - Chaplin takes on Hitler and Mussolini in a very funny film that also warned us of World War II, a year before it even happened. It deals with a barber who is mistaken for a very evil ruler.
Something Wild (1986) Jonathan Demme. - If you’ve ever wondered why Melanie Griffith was ever worth talking about...then watch this film. Her, Jeff Daniels and Ray Liotta literally light up the screen in this wonderfully twisted film that begins as a comedy and ends as a thriller. Plus it shows us Manhattan in the the mid-80’s and has some David Byrne vox and John Waters for good measure.
Silence of the Lambs (1991) Jonathan Demme. - Demme tackled “Lamb” with a lot of gusto and some ideal casting. This is an amazing film where all I feel I need to say is...watch it now.
Bande à part. Band of Outsiders (1964) Jean-Luc Godard. - Quirky, funny, violent and sexy...as per usual Godard gives us a film that explodes with energy...and one that breaks the film conventions of it’s time in order to pave ground for “new storytelling”.
Do the Right Thing (1989) Spike Lee. - Lee hits his mark with a film that sparkles with humor and anger, intensified by the validity of it’s vision and the wonderfully apt cast. Plus, John Turturro is always great to watch...even when he’s playing a racist fuck.
Spoorloos. “The Vanishing” (1988) George Sluizer. - A dark and desperate film that gives us a view of what conscious “evil” is. I felt creeped out when the film ended and it’s bleakness left me hollow inside...But it’s a fascinating view of ethos and mores and how we interpret those views.
This Is Spinal Tap (1984) Rob Reiner. - 11 anyone? This film doesn’t age...those bands still exist, they just have different distortion pedals or haircuts. Probably one of the greatest mockumentaries ever made.
Videodrome (1983) David Cronenberg. - When you add James Woods and Cronenberg into a filmic mix the result is appropriately “uber” creepy.
Stranger than Paradise (1984) Jim Jarmusch. - A charming and slowly paced black & white film that follows the lives of three lonely young adults who search, longingly, for “something more”. This was Jarmusch’s first feature and it set up the standard for the new independent film-making movement that was finding it’s way in the mid-80’s.
The Harder They Come (1972) Perry Henzell. - Jimmy Cliff stars in this violent ‘realist’ film based on a real-life Jamaican criminal from the 1940’s. The story of a man who wants to make music his life but has to turn to selling drugs in order to get by (sound familiar?).
Robocop (1987) Paul Verhoeven. - Verhoeven is one of the film worlds great satirist...he bites accordingly using future technology/sci-fi as a means of commenting on society’s brainwashing by the world’s not-so-invisible oligarchy. [The one time he tried to apply his wit using the “real world” in Showgirls (1995), most people missed the ironic commentary he so lovingly applies to his work.] I suppose his knives cut better in the Galaxy X42 than they do in Las Vegas, NV.
喋血雙雄. “The Killer” (1989) John Woo. - bang bang bang...then add some of the worst white jazz possible...andsomehow Woo still had a decent film. Probably because of Chow-Yun Fat, the coolest of all Hong Kong heroes, plays the role of a hit-man who accidentally blinds a pretty singer while doing a hit. The good guy that he is wants to make up for the accident...and that of course requires ONE MORE HIT to get the money for the eye surgery...
C'est arrivé près de chez vous. “Man Bites Dog” (1992) Rémy Belvaux. André Bonzel. Benoit Poelvoorde. - This Belgian mockumentary is both funny and vicious. For those of you who can read French, the film’s English title is not a direct translation (It Happened in Your Neighborhood) but is an apt title for this film. The opening scene felt so real that it took me a while to shake off that this was only a movie...
Night On Earth (1991) Jim Jarmusch. - Jarmusch tells the tale of 5 taxi’s around the world and what happens in those cabs. LA, NYC, Paris, Rome and Helsinki are the cities where the stories take place. My favorite is Roberto Benigni’s performance as the taxi driver in Rome who pretty much says all the wrong things you can say to a priest.
Short Cuts (1993) Robert Altman. - America’s greatest short-story writer was Raymond Carver, a man who late in his life found success by honing his craft with razor precision...Altman, who also found success later in life with M.A.S.H. must have identified with Carver...not just as a late-bloomer but also as an artist who’s focus was on basic human desires and weaknesses.
My Own Private Idaho (1991) Gus Van Sant. - I didn’t realize this when i first saw this film but Van Sant adapted a novel called City of Night and Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part 1,2 and Henry the V into a contemporary tale of death, fellatio, loss and narcolepsy. River Phoenix and Keaunu Reeves play the hustling leads in a gorgeously photographed film.
Nóż w wodzie. “Knife in the Water” (1962) Roman Polanski. - Polanksi had three actors and a boat...and he was able to delight and entertain me with this twisted tale of desire and societal standing. Mysterious and haunting visuals flow well with the minimal sounds and music.
The Ice Storm (1997) Ang Lee. - I had read the book before I had seen the film...but I must say that this is a great adaptation and it is superb on every level including the casting, the cinematography, the directing and the production (the film, if you can believe it, was shot in summer...not winter...so look at how amazing the production was...)
Lord of the Flies (1963) Peter Brook. - I saw this film for the first time in High School...Brutal, primal and haunting this film tackles the novel of the same name and (almost) does it justice.
Time Bandits (1981) Terry Gilliam. - This film is fun. This film is funny. This film is great to look at. This is Terry Gilliam’s first feature and you can see all the years he did animation for Monty Python blossomed into a fertile world of cinematic wonderment. P.S the trailer is pretty funny.
Schizopolis (1996) Steven Soderbergh. - A strange wacky wild and at times frustrating film...The story of the films inception, which I got first hand, is that Soderbergh wanted to break out of the rut he felt he was in and to let loose...Which he did. There are some absolutely golden moments in this film while there are some areas where you may want to fast forward...but be patient and let it play.
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) Wes Anderson. - I enjoy Wes Anderson and his brother’s inventive cinema. This particular film is the synergistic result of everything they must have learned about film making and story telling in their previous films (Rushmore, Bottle Rocket). The color palette the characters the costumes the story all fit in what I consider a too perfect film. Plus who can ignore a film in which Alec Baldwin narrates?
Rushmore (1998) Wes Anderson. - This film was an amazing vehicle for Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzmann. It also showcases Anderson's ability to provide the dark angle of human desire into a comedic story of a child who wants to be a man and a man who wants to be a child. My main critique on this film is that I felt it should have ended when the remote control planes were flying...
Bottle Rocket (1996) Wes Anderson. - I love the idea of robbing a book store. What can I say?
The Darjeeling Limited (2007) Wes Anderson. - I love looking at this film. I’m happy to turn the volume off and look at the setting and the colors...oh, the colors! And yeah, the actors do a good job too.
Burden of Dreams (1982) Les Blank. - Werner Herzog is a hero of mine and this documentary captures him when he was making Fitzcarraldo...a movie about a crazy guy who wanted to bring opera to South America...by sneaking a boat over a hill...which Herzog literally did. Watch it to see a true artist at work and the life threatening danger his art puts himself and everyone around him at.
Ace in the Hole (1951) Billy Wilder. - Kirk Douglas plays bad (bad meaning asshole, not bad bad) along with Billy Wilder’s film that deals with what the media will do to have a story of their own. In regards to it's subject matter on truth in media and the twisted hunger our society has for disasters this film is just as important now as it was then.
F For Fake (1973) Orson Welles. - Orson Welles takes us on a semi-documentary ride by questioning everything and everyone for every reason you’d think. And this is what Welles wants, for us to think about the information that we are given and to think about how we embrace or deny that information. Welles should know, he broke into the American consciousness by faking a news report about Martians attacking Earth.
Harlan County, USA (1976) Barbara Kopple. - A documentary film that covers the story of how members of a coal mining group try to unionize in the South and how they were trounced upon by their companies violent reactions against them. Shocking to see the goon squads that openly threatened and attacked the union members...goes to show you how savvy they were not about cameras back then.
Fishing With John (1991/1998) John Lurie. - There are some great episodes where the musician/actor John Lurie takes some of his friends fishing (Jim Jarmusch, Dennis Hopper, Tom Waits, Matt Dillon, Willem Dafoe). My favorite episodes are with Jarmusch and Hopper.
Mystery Train (1989) Jim Jarmusch. - Jarmusch weaves tales in the South...in Atlanta, Georgia. Several stories weaved together with an ensemble cast around a hotel, (whose night clerk is the one and only Screamin’ Jay Hawkins) this film has some great moments that lead up to an explosive finale featuring Joe Strummer (yes, from The Clash) and Steve Buscemi.

Banksy in LA.

2011-02-16T18:18:00.000-05:00

I found out from the Wooster Collective that Banksy hit Hollywood!!!

Enjoy

FJP

My Monthly Dose: A Daily Prescription of Films - February 2011

2011-02-09T04:58:00.007-05:00

Days of Film – February 2011

This month, the shortest month of the year, will include a few days of...shorts (short films). I am also going to spend 9 days in the Seventies, one of my favorite decade for films.

I will not have a focus on a director this month but I do have my guest reviewer, TJ Marbois.

TJ has worked on and off in the world of film pre and post-production for 14 years. Check out his company, Ojingo Labs, and see how he is going to make the world literally look cooler. Check out his selections and thoughts from the 11th to the 13th.

So, enjoy these selects from this month and stay tuned for next month.

City Lights (1931) Charlie Chaplin. – A moving and always funny Chaplin film where he falls in love with a blind flower girl and does everything he can to raise money for surgery that can give her sight. If the final scene doesn’t bring a tear to your eyes, then you must be blind.
Groundhog Day (1993) Harold Ramis. - I actually didn’t like this film for a while. I have to blame the casting of Andie “Get Outta My Face” MacDowell. It didn’t hit me, until repeated viewings, how dark this film is. Ramis’ direction probably lightened it up enough for that to slip by, but now I am truly impressed by this film (not that I wouldn’t have done a few things differently myself).
Trees Lounge (1996) Steve Buscemi. – Steve Buscemi’s directorial debut featuring Chloe Sevigny. Buscemi stated that he had started writing the film and had to stop because he had lost all vision of where he wanted the story to go. Then, in desperation, he rented all of John Cassavettes films...and so Trees Lounge was written. A good film overall...with a great song by Hayden.
Meet the Feebles (1989) Peter Jackson. – This film is disgusting and absolutely strange...but I’ve watched it 5 times...and I’m not sure why...except it has it’s boyish charm of gross kitsch. Yeah, that’s the ticket.
The Apartment (1963) Billy Wilder. – A gem gem golden fucking crown jewel of Billy Wilder’s films...this film, starring a dazzling Shirley Maclaine and Jack Lemmon, is a masterpiece. It’s everything a “romcom” should be...a dark look into relationships and social hierarchy instigated by the need to climb up social ladders by whoring yourself...for love or for money.
La Cité des Enfants Perdus. “City of Lost Children” (1995) Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro. – This film took 10 years of writing, designing and massive set production planning before it got completed. An absolutely gorgeous piece of cinema with a wildly eccentric cast who help capture a world of vaudevillian fancy.
Heaven Can Wait (1978) Warren Beatty & Buck Henry. – This film is charming (even the link that I found has that word as a description). Okay, get it. It’s funny and cute and playful and dreamy and weighty. Plus it’s got Jack Warden...and Julie Christie...Buck Henry...Dyan Cannon...Charles Grodin...James Mason and god damn they’re all good.
Wordplay (2006) Patrick Creadon. – I have been addicted to playing the NY Times crosswords for the last 3 months...but that said, I really suck. This documentary follows, in parallel fashion, Will Shortz (the man responsible for editing the NYT crosswords)and four people who are the top contenders for the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament that Shortz started in 1978. The film talks briefly with avid crossword fans like Jon Stewart, Bill Clinton, Ken Burns and former Senator Bob Dole alongside the history of crosswords and how they are created for us on a daily basis.
The King of Kong (2007) Seth Gordon. – In the world of video games it appears that Donkey Kong is one of the most difficult. Now then, meet the people who spend their whole f’ing lives playing the god damn game (and other games) in competition. This film showcases an interesting group of heroes & villains all tied into a hippy-dippy world of arcade gaming.
Breaking the Waves (1996) Lars von Trier. – A powerful, passionate film that is imbued with the cold calculation of death...via the sacrifice thru love. Shot in 16mm, this film has the debut of one of my favorite actress Emily Watson...alongside a great supporting cast that includes Stellan Skarsgard and a cold as ice Katrin Cartlidge (RIP).
Le grand bleu - “The Big Blue” (1988) Luc Besson. - A deep blue dream of love and love lost by Luc Besson. Strangely comedic and simplistic glimpse of a world that only Besson can really explain...but be sure you watch the original European cut if you want the full effect. One of Jean Reno's earlier roles that solidified his darkly unique character traits into a very successful acting career. Besson has a fascinating filmic style in my opinion - over the top, larger than life characters and sequencing that occasionally lock together with visual and musical style that you forget you are watching a film - you feel more like you are reading your favorite comic book....it just takes a bit of letting go to really like Besson.
Le locataire - “The Tenant” (1976) Roman Polanski. - Polanski in top form. The perfect midnight lunch. Polanski is like an abstract noir painter with film, slowly guiding you into the same Hitchcockian ( yes its a word? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitchcockian ) story he loves to tell over and over again. The first time I saw this film I had no idea who the main actor was... turns out Polanski can write, direct... and yes....even act. Recommended for anyone that likes Paris and staying up till 4am watching quietly disturbing things take place.
Plein soleil - “Purple Noon” (1960) René Clement. - Alain Delon is one of my favorite French actors. To me Delon is the definitive the cool, calm, criminal...he's what I imagine myself to be if i were to take up the dirty deed of murder. He makes everything seem so easy and even classy. You may recognize the plot in this film - thats because they remade it years later and put Matt Damon into the role that Delon once filled. Damon? Delon?....hrmmph...no comparison....Delon is a guy I would give my last cigarette to. Damon? sorry not a chance...and I don't even smoke.
Jean Luc Godard - short films

Meeting Woody Allen (1986). Jean-Luc Godard
Les sept péchés capitaux. “The Seven Deadly Sins”. Various directors. Only on VHS.
Paris vu par...”6 In Paris”(1965) Var Dir.

I love Godard. But I can’t watch a lot of his films. He is a challenging man at best. But here are a few shorts you can take a bite at. The first is an interview he did with Woody Allen in 1986 and the other two are short films within films (think Paris, Je T’aime if you have to, it being Valentine’s Day and all).

Werner Herzog - documentary shorts

Große Ekstase des Bildschnitzers Steiner - “The Great Ecstasy of the Sculptor Steiner”(1974)
On the Ecstasy of Ski-Flying: Werner Herzog in Conversation with Karen Beckman.(link below)
La Soufriere :Warten Auf Eine Unausweichliche Katastrophe. (1977)
Beobachtungen Zu Einer Neuen Sprache - “How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck” (1976)

Herzog is known for his violent “nature destroys all” films but he is not as well known for the many documentaries he has put together throughout his lifetime (his best known is Grizzly Man). I’ve picked three of his earlier documentaries, shot in the mid 70’s. Download the audio interview for On the Ecstasy of Ski-Flying by clicking here.

La jetée + Sans Soliel (1963) Chris Marker - You can find this combination as a DVD, La Jetée being the short film and Sans Soliel the feature (you can also watch La Jetée on Netflix stream). La Jetée is a miraculously understated masterpiece at 28 minutes in length. The film itself is comprised of purely photographs...and a voice-over. Yet it tells the tale of time-travel and science fiction without the slightest special FX. Brilliant even for today, La Jetée will always beat Terry Gilliam’s remake of it, Twelve Monkeys.
New York Stories (1989) Martin Scorcese + Francis Ford Coppola + Woody Allen. - Honestly, the only one of the three short films of New York Stories that I really care for is Woody Allen’s film, Oedipus Wrecks. Coppola got really 80’s and daddyish when he let Sofia “co-write” the script with him...thanks dad. But, Scorcese’s film has a violently engaging Nick Nolte and a seductive Rosanna Arquette. A bit of trivia, keep an eye out for Larry David and Kirsten Dunst in Oedipus Wrecks.
Mike Judge - shorts

Frog Baseball (1992) -found in B&B Vol.3 http://youtu.be/6uLHGfA0rOo
Beavis & Butthead episodes:
Peace Love and Understanding (1992). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhoQcxem7qY

Catch 22 (1970) Mike Nichols. – From the haunting Joseph Heller book of the same name, Nichols is able to capture every horrific thing about war and turn it into an absurd nightmare...which is...funny. A surreal, vivid and drunken experience about madness which features a hilarious Alan Arkin, a daft Orson Welles, a creepy Charles Grodin, asleazy sleek Jon Voight and a quietly comic Anthony Perkins.
The French Connection (1971) William Friedkin. – Friedkin literally shot this film on the run...without permits and with Gene Hackman’s stunt guy driving like a mad man on city streets. But screw it, he made a great film with no real casualties. Oddly, in my eyes, this film was the first Rated R movie to win an Academy Award for Best Picture.
Aguirre, Der Zorn Gottes. “Aguirre, The Wrath of God” (1972) Werner Herzog. – Man collides with nature...and it is death death and...yes, some more death. Klaus Kinski is cast as the lunatic commander (as per usual) in this intensely quiet and disquieting film. Watch Herzog’s documentary, My Best Fiend, if you want a glimpse as to how this film was put together...shot on location in the wilds of South America. This film also began the relationship between Herzog and Popol Vuh’s (a German Krautrock band) creator Florian Fricke, who did Herzog’s soundtracks for many many years until his untimely death in 2001.
Badlands (1973) Terrence Malick. - Malick’s first film is based on a real life event where two young lovers kill the girl’s father and go on a killing spree...as per usual. Malick is known for his insistence on shooting during the “magic hour”, creating a beautiful portrait of it’s Midwestern landscape. Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek work magic on the screen as the two young lovers who must run from the law as the corpses pile up.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) Tobe Hooper. – This film is awesome. If I remember correctly, Ridley Scott was so impressed by this film that he wanted to do a horror film like Chainsaw in his lifetime...and transferred it into: Alien. There is a strange humor that rolls along the horror of this film (like An American Werewolf in London, the humor make the horror oh so effective)...and it taps into fear...or should i say THE FEAR of man’s primal nature turned pure negative.
Dog Day Afternoon (1975) Sidney Lumet. – Only Sidney Lumet can make riveting films, both thrilling and funny, where the protagonists are locked into a space usually no bigger than 100 yards from one another. Inspired by a newspaper article on a real-life event, Al Pacino and John Cazale play foiled bank-robbers who take the bank staff hostage and have to endure the cops, the press, the people of Brooklyn and the main character’s transexual lover...whom he is robbing the bank for.
The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976) John Cassavetes. – A gritty tale of double-cross and revenge, this film showcases Ben Gazzara’s weight as an actor. As per Cassavetes, this film jumps into the lives of everyday people and their internal life but unlike other Cassavetes this film has external influences that really push the plot forward.
Annie Hall (1977) Woody Allen. – What’s there to say about Annie Hall? Hmm. The “Prince of Darkness” cinematographer Gordon Willis lit this film which was penned by Allen and Marshall Brickman. This film was indeed Woody Allen’s turning point as a film-maker; the slapstick life was transformed into the slapped with a big stick allowing Allen to break into genuine human depth and darkness yet keep it funny and absurd...like life itself.
Up in Smoke (1978) Lou Adler, Tommy Chong. - Stoner comedy, besides some earlier George Carlin, was truly built by the misanthropic adventures of Cheech and Chong. One of my first cassette tapes as a kid was Cheech and Chong’s Greatest Hits...which I listened to “Sister Mary Elephant” and “Dave’s Not Here” endlessly. Up in Smoke was their first feature film, comprising new material, bits of their most famous sketches and characters including the infamous, Sgt.Stedenko.

28.Alien (1979) Ridley Scott. - A tight, brilliant horror film in space. There is nothing like Alien and I fear there will never be anything like Alien again. It is the unlikely melding of studio desire (they wanted another Star Wars), director (Ridley Scott had only done one feature film prior...a costume drama),a top rate cast with a new face on film (Sigourney Weaver & Co), writing (from the creator of the space-comedy Dark Star) and ultimately the greatest monster creator ever, H.R. Giger. Alien became the biggest thing since sliced bread because it was able to tap into all our fears, all our nightmares and display it in a terrifyingly gorgeous and logical way.

My Monthly Dose: A Daily Prescription of Films - January 2011

2011-01-04T02:25:00.007-05:00

My monthly…
I am doing a little film history research and as a list-maker I decided to make a list of films that I would recommend to most everyone. These are all films that I admire or even love. This is not a “best” list, just movies you should see before you're 6 feet under (or if you're like Keith Richard's dad, before you get snorted).
The basics of my film month is…
TITLE of film, YEAR second, then DIRECTOR and any possible notes.
1. Every month I start it with a Charlie Chaplin.
2. Every month has a week dedicated to either a DECADE or a “WAVE” (sub-genres) or even a specific YEAR.
3. Every month will include an outside guest to pick a weekend of films (which may or may not include up to 8 films…for those of you who want to make your weekend a full movie watching one).

This month of January you have your Charlie Chaplin, then a week of Akira Kurosawa, a week of mostly Westerns featuring Clint Eastwood and some Sergio Leone and I will dedicate a weeks worth to the YEAR 1959.
So let’s watch ‘em together if you don’t mind. I try to pick films that you can get…but some of them you may have to Bit Torrent. Otherwise your local DVD store or Netflix etc should provide what you need from me.
AND... my guest reviewer this month is a long time film buff; former San Francisco State Film student turned computer programmer and former Union motion-picture projectionist: Jeff Cowan. He tackled the last weekend of January by focusing on rogue cop films...and all the varieties therein.

Turn off your connection to the outside, put on the movie and maybe something will happen to you...inside.

Thanks...and hopefully you will tune in next month for a new director, a new theme and a new guest reviewer.
FJP

2011 January 01-31. 31 Days of Films:

Modern Times. (1936) Charlie Chaplin. - Little I need to say about Chaplin because all you need to do is sit down, relax and see real magic happen.
Miller’s Crossing. (1990) Joel Coen. – One of my favorite and I think most underrated Coen Brothers film. The cast is amazing, the cinematography gorgeous and the dialogue tight like a Mrs. Grundy.
The Fearless Freaks. (2005) Bradley Beesley. – It’s a fun and interesting documentary whether you like the Flaming Lips or not.
Freaks. (1932) Tod Browning. – There are a lot of stories that swirl around this film, like the one about F. Scott Fitzgerald hanging with the cast while writing his own screenplay or how they found the bulk of the cast…but what you will find, as you watch this film, is HOW THE FUCK DID THEY MAKE THIS? Man, the end scene gave me nightmares for weeks. I think David Lynch saw this film A LOT.
Norman McLaren: The Master’s Edition. (2006) Norman McLaren. – This man is probably one of the greatest experimental film-makers ever. Born and schooled in Scotland he moved to Canada and his work for the National Film Board of Canada eventually earned him an Oscar for the category; Best Documentary, Short Subjects forNeighbours(1953).
Yojimbo. (1961) Akira Kurosawa. - The first lone wolf of Kurosawa’s samurai tales starring Toshiro Mifune, possibly my favorite gruff actor of all time. This film idea was stolen by Sergio Leone to become A Fistful Of Dollars.
Sanjuro. (1962) Akira Kurosawa. – The second and final lone wolf samurai story. This film is a well-knit package that you can enjoy both the story and it’s execution. Like watching a great chess match.
Ran. (1985) Akira Kurosawa. - A beautiful and enormous color film that combines King Lear with a Japanese legend. It really is a monumental film, Kurosawa spent 10 years storyboarding every shot in this film; it’s like watching a series of “motion” paintings that depict a historical event.
Dreams. (1990) Akira Kurosawa. – There are parts of this film I love and parts of it where I am wondering if I put enough ice in my whiskey glass.
Rashomon. (1950) Akira Kurosawa. – The film that put Kurosawa on the map by winning him a Golden Lion and an Oscar. A singular event, the rape of a woman and the death of her husband, told in flashbacks to a Japanese court by four witnesses (including the ghost of the dead man).
High & Low. (1963) Akira Kurosawa. – A departure from swinging swords. Toshiro Mifune is a successful businessman finds himself the target of a kidnapper’s hate and envy. A riveting well-written detective’ish film.
Seven Samurai. (1954) Akira Kurosawa. - What can I say that hasn’t been said about this hugely influential film…An epic 3-hour film about how some poor village farmers, who live during the Warring States period in Japan (1588), end up hiring 7 samurai to protect their village from being decimated from bandits who plan on taking all their food (and some of their women) when the harvest ends in a few weeks time.
A Fistful of Dollars. (1964) Sergio Leone. – Leone borrowed Yojimbo from Kurosawa and made this fine film that began his “Man with No Name” series and also the sub-genre: Spaghetti Westerns.
High Plains Drifter. (1973) Clint Eastwood. – Eastwood’s directorial debut takes you into a very dark but at times humorous world of a small town with a few hell sworn secrets.
Once Upon a Time in the West. (1968) Sergio Leone. – The opening scene is pure cine-awesome. Henry Fonda, a very young Charles Bronson and Jason Robarbs rock the casting alongside Ms. Claudia Cardinale, who is to die for.
Dirty Harry. (1971) Don Siegel. - What can I say? Eastwood went from toting a gun in the desert to a gun in San Francisco. Either way it created a path for a lot of other films/film characters to follow.
Cocksucker Blues. (1972) Robert Frank. – Robert Frank is far and away one of my favorite photographers. Swiss born Frank spent the late 1950’s photographing all around the United States culminating his work in a book called, The Americans (which was banned in the US for years because the government was outraged by his honest portrayal of it’s citizens). This book and his other work convinced the Stones to hire him during their 1972 documentary tour. Like The Americans this film was banned by THE ROLLING STONES because they were afraid of how it depicted them.
Hedwig & the Angry Inch. (2001). John Cameron Mitchell. – This film made me cry. I loved it, the script the casting the production design the editing and I gotta say the MUSIC was fucking dead right on. Plus it’s hilarious.
Twilight Zone: Volume 2. (1959) Rod Serling. - Some of my favorite episodes: "Time Enough at Last" (Ep. 8, November 20, 1959) - "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" (Ep. 22, March 4, 1960) - "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" (Ep. 123, October 11, 1963) - "The Odyssey of Flight 33" (Ep. 54, February 24, 1961).
Les Quatre Cent Coups aka 400 Blows. (1959) François Truffaut. - No, it’s not a porno…This is Truffaut’s first film (previously he was working as a film critic for film magazine Cahiers du cinéma) based on his childhood. An interesting fact is that the 13 year old kid who starred in this film (Jean Pierre Leaud) as Antoine Doinel would continue to play this character for 20 years "The Antoine Doinel Cycle". Get the DVD that comes with Truffaut’s short film Antoine & Colette.
North by Northwest (1959) Alfred Hitchcock. – Cary Grant running across the dusty acres of farmland from an airplane that wants to moe him down. What else do you need to know? If that’s not enough you got Bernard Herrmann’s score, Saul Bass’ intro titles, Eve Marie Saint as the heroine and James Mason as the heavy.
Some Like It Hot (1959) Billy Wilder. – Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe are thrilling in this slightly deviant comic film about two guys who are on the run from the mob (they witness the 1929’s St. Valentine’s Day Massacre) and disguise themselves by cross-dressing and joining an all-girls band. The comic timing from Curtis and Lemmon and Wilder/Diamond’s script is what keeps this film fresh and sassy for even today’s world.
Shadows (1959) John Cassavetes. – Primarily known as an actor, John Cassavetes is by general agreement the “Grandfather” of American independent cinema. Spurred on by the French “New Wave” films of Godard, Truffaut, et Bresson plus being in love with the Jazz gods of the times, Cassavetes dove into making an “improvisation”…a film that was like a jazz score…hot, dynamic, raw yet technically proficient but improvised to create the atmosphere of the space it was in.
A Bout De Souffle. (Breathless) (1959) Jean-Luc Godard. – Like Truffaut (the script was actually written by Truffaut) Godard was a film critic for Cahiers and like Truffaut Godard wanted to tear down Hollywood by creating films as the auteurs (the directors) wanted…versus as the studio suits wanted. The film is lovely satire and engagement, with crafty performances by the two Jeans…Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg (a lovely actress who’s life and career were cut short for reasons I will never understand). It is truly a modern love story…for any decade.
Anatomy of a Murder (1959) Otto Preminger. – Saul Bass is pretty much an unknown to most people. But for most film fans he is the mad-awesome creator of film posters and film titles. Which leads to this film and it’s Saul Bass into along with the score written by Duke Ellington and the absolutely lovely lovely Lee Remick. And let me not forget to mention Ben Gazzara and Jimmy Stewart’s performances in what is an amazing courtroom trial film (and so much more too).
Pickpocket (1959) Robert Bresson. –Bresson’s goal with actors (whom he termed as “models”) was to get non-actors to perform theatre…but in front of a movie camera. Unsettling and metaphoric, Bresson’s work may take a gourmand to appreciate it’s strange subtleties but I think will satisfy nonetheless.
Ghostbusters (1984) Ivan Reitman. – Nothing much needs to be said about this film except I asked my mom to get me the soundtrack…Thus, as my life knows it, it was the first cassette tape I ever owned. (yes…cassette…a magnetic tape with several recording qualities from Type1 to F’ing Metal!!!)
Jeff COWAN’s NOTE: In some ways, I’m willing to include both the Lone Wolf Good and Bad Cops. Both are rogues, but their underlying motivations can be very different. Dirty Harry vs. Bad Lieutenant for example. Note also there’s an incredible amount of garbage in this category... almost every Chuck Norris movie ever made.... Each of these films take a different spin on the subject. Is it man vs. man, man vs. department, man vs. society. The character’s personal motivations also come into play. WHY is each motivated to act the way they do.

The Running Man (1987) - Paul Michael Glaser. - Schwartzenegger again in this cop-wrongly-accused film. In this case, he uses the vehicle of a bizarre game to win his freedom and seek justice and revenge.
Bullitt (1968) - Peter Yates. - Steve McQueen is charged with being the rogue cop by both the department and the political powers that be, but when he senses not all is right, he has to take matters into his own hands.
Hard Boiled (1992)- John Woo. - The Jon Woo / Chow Yun-Fat classic. Hard Boiled detective has to go outside the system to bring down the triad. Pure Hong Kong style action, farcical but visceral. First saw this at Hong Kong night at the UC Berkeley theatre.
Total Recall (1990)- Paul Verhoeven. - Similar to Robocop in that one’s memory is being recalled. In this case, it’s more a matter of being fucked with. Can the hero trust who he is and what is real? And how does that affect his transformation?
The Departed (2006)- Martin Scorcese. - Two “cops”, one real and one a mobster, living double lives and going underground against each other. Again, mano-a-mano with the obsession of living the life of double agents.
Bad Lieutenant (1992)- Abel Ferrara. - A bad cop attempts to mend his ways. A reverse of the standard model, Keitel’s performance is gripping.
L.A. Confidential (1997) Curtis Hanson. - This is a different take on the genre. Corrupt department, three cops each with their own motivations. How will they pursue justice without succumbing to corruption, or will they?
Robocop (1987) Paul Verhoeven. - Techno-cop flick. A cop transformed into a robot, he rediscovers himself, “transforms” again and seeks justice in a new form.

Jeff (cont.): Interesting to note that Dirty Harry is not specifically IN this category but several films are listed on the main page. No question that Eastwood helped define the style. There are man parallels with Chow Yun-Fat. The escalation of violence is a common theme. This resonates with the audience, seeking to resolve their sense of moral outrage. Satisfaction. Are the wheel of justice not fast enough???
Happy Birthday Miriam!
Cool Hand Luke (1967) Stuart Rosenberg. – Paul Newman is all quiet and steel here... with young Dennis Hopper and Harry Dean Stanton who along with George Kennedy fill the film with unforgettable scenes and a song sung by Blue Eyes Newman, Plastic Jesus.

What Are You Waiting For? - (Added Animation)

2010-12-15T18:36:00.000-05:00

+Animation by Jay Morton.

For many years I had waited tables in a variety of restaurants, mostly small family run places with the one exception of a corporate italian restaurant called Pasta Pomodoro.

Man,

the hatred that grew in me when i was a waiter was rarely offset by the occasional AWESOME customer(s). Usually most people who come into the restaurants I worked in got served are just ordinary folks looking for a good meal, some basic suggestions on food and/or wine, a few witty words and the occasional smile...and that's fine...i can play that game no problem.

But to offset any niceness we got a strong handful of pathetic, ignorant, bile-creating, egotistical, fuckheads who either haven't a clue or don't f'ing care about basic logic+manners.

That is what it REALLY comes down to in the social food setting that a restaurant provides: logic+manners. (which that evil handful of people don't seem to have)

I'm not gonna get into details on this cuz the details will be heard on our upcoming one-hour long documentary that we (Olu Johnson and I) are producing next year, called, "What Are You Waiting For?".

FJP

One more new Ryan Adams. (Happy Holidays).

2010-12-13T20:50:00.002-05:00

Ok...
After talking with someone...
I do have one more but it's sort of like the other one...partially recorded. My excuse is I left and came back and he was singing and i grabbed this with my phone.

Sounds great...really love this song and look forward to see what Ryan will do with it in the studio. I think it's called "Ashes and Fire".

FJParsa

PARTIAL new Ryan Adams song from 826LA show called, Dirty Rain.

2010-12-11T03:38:00.001-05:00

Hi
seems like people won't stop bugging me for new Ryan Adams songs.

What I have here is HALF (I walked in as soon as I heard him rehearsing)
of a new song, entitled "Dirty Rain".
Keep in mind it's HALF of a new song. So for those of you who keep pestering me for his new music I'll give you what i got and this is it.
.
And, one more drawback, I just propped the damn thing on a chair and all you see is the curtain so visually no RYAN and no BAND.

Okay then...
You've been warned.

By the way if Ryan has a problem with me posting this I will take it down
but I think even though it sounds great, it is only a partial song.
But I hope he'll understand
that his fans have been persistent and consistent (which is awesome for him and sucky for me) so much so that I'm relenting to expose this video.

Happy f'ing Holidays.

FJParsa

The Candy Bombers

2010-12-01T21:33:00.001-05:00

A must read...especially for those attracted to American history. This book showcases our near loss of Germany via Berlin due to Soviet bullying and the underhanded tactics of Stalin's army.

It shows Americans at their best; the tiny effort of one man to lighten war's burden that was shouldered by German children and women (by dropping candy from an his airplane onto NO-ACCESS land) - then the politicians catapulted his gift into a media fireball lit by tightly-wound generals and "Red Tide" paranoia within the State Department and White House.

It's a BIG book but for people who can read, it ain't so bad...
Google PREVIEW

FJP

Ryan Adams with Mandy Moore -" Oh My Sweet Carolina" (iPhone4 video)

2010-11-26T18:01:00.000-05:00

I decided to profile this song/video even though i briefly mentioned it in an earlier post...If you haven't seen this iPhone video I shot of Ryan Adams and his band rehearsing for 826LA's benefit for Judd Apatow's (and Dave Eggers) book, "I Found This Funny"...then you should.

It's a sincere, beautiful song that Ryan Adam's (with his wife Mandy Moore singing the chorus) voice really gets to me. Lyrically playful with depth, it's a song that I find myself singing out loud, much to the chagrin of those around me. I actually like this version better than the album...but that's really two different stories (studio versions and live).

Click above or CLICK HERE to go to YouTube to watch a higher res version of this song.

FJP

David Bowie 1983 Dallas Rehearsals.

2010-11-21T18:42:00.005-05:00

Another collection of songs I'd like to share with y'all is set in 1983 when Bowie was getting ready for his "Let's Dance" tour
or whatever it was fucking called.

Bowie had heard and convinced Stevie Ray Vaughan, then generally an unknown guitarist, to play on his album and tour with him but Vaughan
opted out of the tour (SRV decided to focus on his band Double Trouble and record an album). He did however play on the rehearsals which are these ones here.

They are soundboard recordings but they are at 128k, so not the best (and not the worst) audio resolution.

Anyway, for any and all Bowie fans they are interesting to hear Bowie at probably his high point (popularity wise...not creatively in my opinion) of his career.

The set LIST: (by the way, this is not the full set list...deal with it.)
1. Star
2. Heroes
3. What in the World
4. Look Back in Anger
5. Joe the Lion
6. Wild is the Wind
7. Golden Years
8. Fashion
9. Let's Dance
10. Red Sails
11. Sorrow
12. Cat People
13. China Girl
14. Rebel Rebel
15. I Can't Explain
16. White Light/White Heat

Here is the link: CLICK HERE

If you don't have the password to get to the songs make it easy on yourself
and just join my cult, i mean blog, and it'll be automatically sent to you.
Otherwise just contact me.

FJP

California College of Arts (CCA) has a film of mine up...

2010-11-19T20:15:00.006-05:00

On their media site...
For some reason my school (CCA) has kept a music video i did then (1999 or 2000??) online...i haven't seen this in 10 years...if you have time and feel like spacing out to a sound/image dream landscape...then click on this 4:13ExperimentalFilm.

Feels weird watching something I created but don't remember doing (well...i remember a few moments but it's hazy).

FJP

826LA: I FOUND THIS FUNNY

2010-10-31T22:55:00.010-04:00

I donate the little time I have to only ONE organization and that is 826LA. I was asked to create a special "spot" for photographs for Judd Apatow and Dave Egger's benefit for 826LA, a after-school writing program created by Dave Eggers. ( I decided to mimic "Between Two Ferns"...

I had an amazing time hanging out with and being around such folks as Ryan Adams + band (plus his wife Mandy Moore), Aziz Ansari, Eric Idle, Garry Shandling, Lyndsey Buckingham and Fiona Apple.

Check out some of the photographs and some from the show.

http://gallery.me.com/fjparsa#101000

Lastly

I recorded Ryan Adams and Mandy Moore sing at rehearsal. (with my iPhone)

It was lovely.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWfHYj5NBfg

FJP

The John Peel Session featuring The Cure. 1978-1985

2010-10-27T20:29:00.004-04:00

To all my favorite peeps

here is a group of live tracks from the John Peel Sessions with The Cure.

If you know/knew of John Peel you will know that the recordings are of the highest quality
and that the bands admitted to his list have to be super awesome. Supah.

Six John Peel sessions over the course of Seven years with about Three to Four songs a session.

(I'm listening to A Forest right now...)

Attached is a screenshot of the track list.

The link provided will take you to a private site of mine which will host the file (it's a .zip file)
in the folder YOUS GUYS. The link will be valid for only ONE WEEK.

CLICK HERE

Sign up as a "follower" and get new music etc while it's up. (i never post anything for more than a week).

By the way, I have a Live in Cleveland 1985 for those of you still hungry for more.

FJP

Q&A with me by Kickstarter

2010-09-30T21:41:00.003-04:00

Kickstarter interviewed me for my 1234NYC series.
Check it out.

http://blog.kickstarter.com/post/1210889962/creator-q-a-1234nyc

FJP

1234NYC and Kickstarter

2010-09-22T20:22:00.003-04:00

Hi!

I have some good news because the online art union, Kickstarter, has accepted my application for project funding!!!

Now I am allowed to raise money for my 10 year photography-film project 1234NYC. Please check out the link (and slideshow) when you can.

I am hoping beyond hope to finish this body of work I so love; 1234NYC. Times have been brutal with my occupation and I have had to do whatever is necessary to make it day to day. I actually need more money than I am asking for but for now the goal is to cover the basics.

The video above are the photographs from the series. It begins with the work I was able to cover last time i was in NYC and the work I began in 2007.

I wish to complete the 2nd Phase of this project by it's Autumn deadline. I have approximately 30 persons to photograph and will need a little more than two weeks in New York to schedule everyone and complete this work. Without financial assistance I cannot complete this project.

I need the money for a lot of things: equipment rental, photo assistant fees, test prints, transportation to and from location to location, data storage (massive files require lots of hard drives and back ups), and of course finding a place to reside while I am in New York.

I have estimated that the costs of finishing this project will be around $3,000. Again I am asking for less but I would LOVE IT if we could raise more to cover ALL my costs and not just the basics. In the past I brokered everything but today I need assistance.

Here is the link: http://kck.st/a1dXvx

Thanks

FJP

What is 1234NYC?

2010-08-27T21:09:00.016-04:00

What is 1234NYC?
1234NYC is a personal 10 year photography project I have undertaken that follows the lives of 40 New Yorkers whom I am connected to on a professional and/or personal level.
All persons I have chosen for 1234NYC are "creative professionals" and/or small business owners who either live, work or go to school in Manhattan.
How's it work?
This project began in Autumn of 2007 and will end in Autumn of 2017.
The series is divided into the numbers in the title, 1234, which establishes the year(s) I photograph them. For example: in 1234 (or think of it as 1+2+3+4) the groups are..
1=2007 to 2008. (Autumn to Autumn)
2= 2009 to 2010. (Autumn to Autumn)
3= 2012-2013. (Autumn to Autumn)
4 = 2016-2017. (Autumn to Autumn)

If anyone leaves NYC during those times then they are OUT of the project. But if they return to NYC they are back IN the project.

Each section I have asked questions regarding the private and professional lives and will gather it all in the end as a way to look back over a decade's worth of living (hopefully).

Why did I start 1234NYC?

It was a slow spark that ignited this project. The economic difficulties of New York's increasingly expensive day-to-day and higher rents saw my friends and business owners close up shop and move to other cities because New York had bled them mentally and financially dry.
+
The dissipation of New York's creative energy and the loss of it's neighborhoods went hand in hand with the people who were moving into Manhattan and robbing it of it's character. Boutique stores and Starbucks surfaced like crocodiles forcing families, artists, artist spaces to abandon their apartments because of GREEDY landlords and higher costs. Soon enough Friday and Saturday nights became a "Netflix night" since none of the locals wanted anything to do with the throngs of projectile vomiting hookah smoking trash dumping human insects that invaded our blocks over the weekends.
+
It came to me one day that I should photograph some of my friends before they disappear. Too often someone close to me would 'check out' either by moving, by going crazy or dying. The past 11 years have been tough for everyone but especially artists. Living artists are often ignored by society until they make money and only the dead ones really do well. Musicians, painters, designers, chefs, photographers, glass blowers, writers, business owners...everyone is trying to create a world, a wink to the undefinable nothingness that can either fill us with life and love or shatter us into a living death that always leads to the final heart stop beating death.
I do not want to forget these creators I have grown up with and I don't want them to be forgotten...so I photograph them in their world and try to show THE WORLD their face...their faces, their eyes, their hungry souls.

FJP

My moment with Soderbergh

2010-08-20T18:35:00.015-04:00

The story behind this linked article and photograph:
http://www.slamdance.com/forum/permalink/2008/12/11/201728.html
Slamdance asked me to photograph Steven Soderbergh. I said okay. They told me to come to the IFC center off 6th Ave. where there would be a screening of his film, Schizopolis, and a Q&A session afterwards. Then I was to photograph him...
Sounds easy enough. Never is.
I arrived there about 20 minutes before 7 with my photo assistant Logan and my battery powered Lumedyne lights fully charged and ready to go.
I have photographed celebrities before and the thing about celebrities is that they are a multi-layered beast who have minions designed to 'protect' them from harm. Whether it's their agent, publicist, manager, BFF, or what not, it is difficult to get permission to photograph a celebrity. And here's the other thing, once you get permission they usually slot you within his or her schedule...and that slot can consist of anywhere between 1 minute to 1 hour. Yes, 1 minute to photograph someone.
So, I arrived at the IFC Center with Logan, lights and camera when I was informed that Slamdance was "not sure" if Steven was cool with me photographing him. "Not sure" usually means that in order to get someone somewhere they didn't mention to that someone everything that somebody wanted that someone to be aware of, just in case that someone didn't want something to happend during that time that someone was somewhere.
Follow me?
The only choice I had was to convince Paul to interrupt Steven for a moment before he flees the scene for me to run up with Logan and blind him with my lights.
And that's essentially the direction we headed.
As the Q&A ended Logan and I sprinted toward Steven. Logan carried one of my lights on it's stand like a banner and I slipped past participants who wanted to tell Steven how awesome they thought he was and if he had a sec if he could look at their reel...
I stood by Steven and Paul with my gigantic camera in hand and waited as people hounded him. This was pissing me off because I knew that the more other people delayed Steven with anything the less time I would have to photograph him. So I mentally kicked Paul - - -
"Hey Steven, would you mind for a quick photograph for Slamdance?"
Steven turned, glanced at Logan and I and probably pondered..."Fight or flight?"
Luckily Steven acquised: "Okay, I have a couple of minutes."
Quickly Logan moved into position as did I.
To get Steven's mind off me I told him. "I saw Schizopolis in the theatres years ago, the UC Theater in Berkeley. That was such a great theatre, they played a lot of foreign and independant films before they got shut down."
Steven stared at me blankly.
"That's great." he said.
Fuck, i thought, I may have loosened him up for a second but now i sound like all the other film geek fans.
I tried again.
"Your film was important to me."
He looked at me again, instead of the lens.
I continued.
"I was in a weird place back then and the film made me laugh. It was such a gem at that time for me, it's hard to explain."
Soderbergh gave me a nod. "Thanks...I guess."
I laughed.
"Turn your head a bit this way."
One and a half-minutes later I could tell Steven was done.
"Okay, thank you."
Steven smiled and turned to walk out when Parker Posey stepped out of the darkness to say hi. (I would love to photograph Parker Posey.)
I turned to Logan and nodded, "We're done."

Document LA

2010-08-20T17:52:00.004-04:00

This is the exhibition I am part of at the UCLA Fowler Museum.
The show has been extended until the 6th of September.

Check it if you can.

http://education.fowler.ucla.edu/exhibitions/document-iranian-americans

FJP