onefilmaday

"&The Trip"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:34:00 +0000

Films like this are what make Michael Winterbottom such an awesome director. His films are daring, and made creatively inexpensive. This is a feature length version of the acclaimed television series. Winterbottom, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are brilliant. The improvised dialog the two leads have is hilarious! Watching the two battle with dueling Michael Caine impressions had me rolling.

What makes this such a compelling film is the psychological turmoil the two experience on their edible road trip and how you feel for them, each at different times.

Coogan's brave portrayal of himself, full of insecurity as he ruminates on aging, fame, love, life...

Rob Brydon very much comes across as one who is very sweet, loves his wife and baby, and comedy seems to come from him easily in almost any moment.

"The Trip" is a different kind of film, if you really find that you love it, it could become a yardstick film that you play as a test to see who is worthy of your friendship and love. This is quiet and contemplative, but also more importantly, laugh out loud hilarious.

"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:21:00 +0000

I hadn't seen this documentary by Mary Murphy before so I had no idea what to expect and no expectations. One could be disappointed because Harper Lee hasn't been interviewed in something like 50 years, and Oprah Winfrey talks of meeting Harper Lee and how she discovered that Lee would never ever agree to an interview, with her or anyone else. We do get interviews with her friends, neighbors, siblings, authors and fans.

It still amazes me that Lee lived just 3 houses down from Truman Capote, who is of course is represented by the Dill boy in the book. You just never know where your friends will go.

What are the chances that two of the greatest writers of the 20th century would be neighbors in a small Alabama town?

"It Might Get Loud"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 04:35:00 +0000

This is a documentary on the electric guitar from the point of view of three significant rock musicians: the Edge, Jimmy Page and Jack White. Directed by Davis Guggenheim.

I found it to be a truly absorbing 90-minutes on how the electric guitar can change lives. I wish they would continue this kind of documentary with other guitarists.

In trying to describe it to friends, it always sounded boring, but that is not the case at all.

"The Shining"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 02:52:00 +0000

"The Shining" by Stanley Kubrick is a psychological horror film starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd. The film is very loosely based on the novel by Stephen King.

Portraying a writer, Jack takes a job as a caretaker at a snowbound and isolated hotel that is closed for its off-season.

His son Danny possesses a psychic ability that lets him see visions from the past and future, none of them good. Jack, too seems to share Danny's psychic abilities.

Jack gradually becomes influenced by the supernatural presence, or possibly his past life self. He descends into madness and attempts to murder his wife and son, just as a caretaker before him had done.

Does the past and the present exist at once? Is the hotel doomed because it was built on an indian burial ground? Is this horror film really an optimistic film with a happy ending because, if it is about ghosts, as it suggests, then anything that purports there to be life after death is optimistic, that is, unless one believes in hell.

I saw this film on opening weekend and loved it! I still very much enjoy it, watching it again on DVD, as part of The Stanley Kubrick Collection that was my Christmas gift from my wife, who had never seen it before.

"The Cat's Meow"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 05:10:00 +0000

Day 1 of 2012 and I thought I would begin again with some daily films I've watched.

This is one I've seen a few times before, but I enjoyed Peter Bogdanovich's, "The Cat's Meow" and I know it's historical fiction, possibly rumor and gossip, about the death of film pioneer Thomas Ince, who met his demise on media mogul William Randolph Hearst's yacht… But there's something about it I enjoy. Mainly, it's Eddie Izzard's portrayal of Charlie Chaplin.

I know it's not a great film, or even a good movie, but for me Eddie Izzard is wonderful in it and it really begs for more of him. Kirsten Dunst is also very good as William Randolph Hearst's mistress Marion Davies and her singing at the end credits is pretty awesome.

"In the Mirror of Maya Deren"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 22:05:00 +0000

This wonderful documentary is about the avant garde filmmaker who led the independent film scene way back in the '40s. I have been an obsessed fan of Maya Deren since I first saw her seminal "Meshes of the Afternoon" when I was a kid. I won this documentary in a contest Zeitgeist Films had where they asked an obscure trivia question about her. I can't remember the question, but I remember winning.

This portrait of her and her films and those that knew her is by filmmaker Martina Kudlacek, it's based on the book "The Legend of Maya Deren" and uses footage from Deren's films, interviews and observances from Stan Brakhage, Amos Vogel, Anthology Film Archives’ Executive Director Jonas Mekas, and others. The soundtrack is by John Zorn.

One of my favorite scenes is of Jonas Mekas standing in his famous East Village, New York City Anthology Film Archives holding spools of 16mm film preserved in old Stella D’Oro coffee cans.

Born in Kiev in 1917, and known best for her work in experimental film, she was also a poet, a dancer, a choreographer, a dancer, a writer, a photographer, an ethnographer and knew Voodoun very well. Her book on Voodoo, "Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti" is very interesting!

She died October 13, 1961.

"Quatermass and the Pit"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:39:00 +0000

...or "Five Million Years to Earth" depending on where you lived.

I love this 1967 British film by Hammer Film Productions! It's a sequel to the other films, "The Quatermass Xperiment" and "Quatermass 2," and like its predecessors it was written by Nigel Kneale. I'm such a huge fan of Kneale's smart writing!

This was directed by Roy Ward Baker and stars Andrew Keir as Professor Quatermass, and honestly I like him so much more than Brian Donlevy who played the role in the two earlier films. However, I like Donlevy, too.

The cast is strong with such powerful performances like James Donald, who was in "The Bridge on the River Kwai" (for Christ's sake!) and the beautiful and talented Barbara Shelley who also stands out in Mark Gatiss's BBC documentary "A History of Horror".

All in all a solid film and to me, but for a few things, still it stands up and gives me the same kind of thrill it did when I saw it as a kid.

"The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Again, as with the first one, I just wasn't up to watching it, but the 13 year old in the house forced me, too.

This film centers on Simba's daughter, Kiara, who falls in love with Kovu, the boy lion raised as one of Scar's followers. Wanting so badly to be together, they must ignore the two people that keep them from one another; One being the most evil creature ever on film (pretty close, I think) Kovu's mother, Zira, and the other is Simba, who is still holding a grudge against the Outlanders. Kiara is the key to a resolving the bitter hatred between Simba's pride and the outcast pride led by the mate of Scar.

I didn't find a single song I liked in the soundtrack and I was surprised to find that Joss Whedon has written some of them.

It was okay. Maybe it was better than I thought it would be. I tell ya, though… I'm about Loin King-ed out! Yet, this scene is awfully cute! Oh, and a lil' scary!

"Mad Monster Party?"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 23:35:00 +0000

Baron von Frankenstein voiced by Boris Karloff, decides to retire, leaving the monster business to his nerdy nephew, Felix Flankin. He calls an international roster of monsters to a creepy convention. The party consists of the Creature and his mate voiced by Phyllis Diller, Frankenstein's seductive assistant Francesca voiced by the sexy Gale Garnett, Dracula, the Werewolf, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Invisible Man, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, The Mummy, and It… It seems to be King Kong and I imagine they were told not to use the name because of legal reasons.

I loved this when I was a kid! I still love stop-motion, but watching this with a 13 year old in the room proved to me kids today are way more sophisticated. She seemed completely bored with this after years of loving Tim Burton's "Vincent," "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Corpse Bride".

Mad Magazine creator Harvey Kurtzman penned the script, but the puns and jokes fall so flat one would think Famous Monsters of Filmland's Forrest J. Ackerman had written the script.

"Danger: Diabolik"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:52:00 +0000

This 1968 film from director Mario Bava is based on an Italian comic book Diabolik.

John Phillip Law is Diabolik and Marisa Mell is his sexy partner Eva Kant. This Dino De Laurentiis production was filmed in Rome in his studio where Bava, using his special effects knowledge to make paper cutouts and small miniatures look like enormous sets allowed Dino De Laurentiis to convincingly lie about the actual cost of production. I mean, of course, he generously inflated the figures. The musical score is by Ennio Morricone.

I think most kids know this film from the music video for the Beastie Boys’ "Body Movin'".

One of my favorite movies, Roman Coppola’s "CQ" is obviously inspired in part by this and "Barbarella,".

I think this is a fun film to watch with friends. That's how I've always watched it.

"THX 1138"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 01:45:00 +0000

This is one of my favorite films. I got to share the experience tonight with someone who had never seen it. They may not have been as enthusiastic as I was.

Made in 1971, directed by George Lucas and starring Robert Duvall and Donald Pleasence. It depicts a dystopian 25th century future where a man and a woman rebel against a society that has the population controlled by android police and mandatory drug use to suppress all emotions.

It was the first feature directed by Lucas and developed from his student film and based on an idea by Matthew Robbins, "Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB," was made in 1967 while attending USC.

The feature film was produced as part of an experiment of 7 films Francis Ford Coppola's new production company, American Zoetrope would bring to Warner Brothers. The poor response to this visionary film ended the deal for all films and pushed Coppola into massive debt.

One thing that always stood out to me was that the credits roll down instead of up just as they did in Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" also a Warner Bros. film.

I still love this film, no matter which version of it I'm watching.

"Blood, Boobs and Beast"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 22:51:00 +0000

Well, with a title like that… Okay, here's the thing; When I was a kid one of my favorite magazines other than Omni, Heavy Metal, Penthouse, Famous Monsters of Filmland, Castle of Frankenstein, Playboy…

There was Cinemagic!

I LOVED that magazine!

Don Dohler started it and before the Internet we all could write each other and talk about the things we were doing and the magazine was our portal.

Don also made films and they have been called everything from oddly brilliant to some of the worst films of all time. Don somehow was able to get international distribution for all 9 of his sci-fi and horror films, as well as TV syndication for his first film.

Don Dohler inspired many artists and filmmakers like Robert Crumb, J.J. Abrams, Art Spiegelman and many many more with his DIY filmmaking magazine.

If you're like me, a fan of low budget horror movies scifi movies, and DIY culture, this documentary would be very interesting for you to see.

"Frazetta: Painting With Fire"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:12:00 +0000

I used to be such a fan of his as a kid! Frank Frazetta was the man! He dominated the fantasy art genre and my young life with images of savage warriors, curvaceous slave women and buxom princesses, alien creatures... My walls were covered with his work!

In this documentary, we journey through his life and see his family, his friends, his loves, his fans, his impact, and we see how he learned to draw left handed at 70 after having a stroke!

Interviews include Bernie Wrightson, Dave Stevens, William Stout, Neal Adams, Al Williamson, Forrest Ackerman, Ralph Bakshi, John Milius, Glenn Danzig, Bo Derek, Brom, Simon Bisley, and Joe Jusko.

If you're like me and used to buy paperback books because you recognized his art on the cover, or wanted to paint like him, you need to see this film!

The real Frank Frazetta Tribute from GuTispel on Vimeo.

"The Lion King"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 20:14:00 +0000

I had never seen this film before and really thought I could go my whole like without seeing it. But stronger powers prevailed and I was forced to watch it. It seemed familiar; stories of Joseph and Moses from the Bible, Shakespeare's Hamlet, Star Wars...

The Lion King is probably highest grossing 2D animated film of all time, but not one cent came from me, so it shows you just how important I can be.

Songs were by Elton John and Tim Rice, and the score by Hans Zimmer. I really enjoyed the music, but found myself already burned out on many of the tunes I had already heard on radio years ago.

I really did enjoy it, but I seem to have a problem with any kind of cinema that takes place in sand and heat. I don't get it either.

The voice performances were great, I thought.

By the way, this was the 2D version and I'm glad because I believe my headache would have been three times as worse as it already was. There was enough depth here for me.

"American Grindhouse"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 20:16:00 +0000

This very good documentary explores the history of exploitation films. The movie's about the often overlooked genre of cinema and finds it's populated by shameless hucksters, carnival barkers turned film producers, guys and gals just looking to make a buck and it discusses the shocking origins of this popular, but sometimes hidden entertainment.

The film features John Landis, Joe Dante, Jack Hill, Fred Williamson, Allison Anders, Larry Cohen, William Lustig, Herschell Gordon Lewis, David Hess, Fred Olen Ray and is narrated by Robert Forster.

I can hear some say, "Jerry, how many documentaries about films can you watch?"

Well, quite a lot it seems.

"Nightmares in Red, White, and Blue"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 21:16:00 +0000

Lance Henriksen's deep, creepy, and raspy voice narrates this documentary, "Nightmares in Red, White, and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film". Interviews with filmmakers like Roger Corman, John Carpenter, George Romero, and more, talk about how their films and those of others were shaped by the times they lived in and the influenced of other filmmakers.

There is a very funny scene where George Romero is discussing "The Thing from Another World," and he points out that doors are constantly being opened throughout the film, so there's a montage of doors opening and closing.

Documentaries about this kind of subject can never be long enough or dig deep enough to be completely satisfying, but it may be the best I've seen in a while.

"The Harryhausen Chronicles"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:58:00 +0000

Ray Harryhausen is famous for special effects and stop-motion animation art. Films like, "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad", "Jason and the Argonauts", and "Clash of the Titans". He is a mild mannered, easygoing and very sweet patient man. I have met with him several times and we've had dinner together on occasion, I find this documentary has captured him perfectly and honors him as an artist, a very giving man and a generous mentor.

The Harryhausen Chronicles is a fantastic video documenting the man, his art, his beginnings and the love many of today's special effects geniuses, filmmakers and fans have for him. It include interviews, early work, experimentations, and great close-ups of his puppets.

When I was young I wanted so bad to be a stop-motion animator, so I watched and read everything I could about him and the process. If only I had this film back then!

"Transformation: The Life & Legacy of Werner Erhard"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 22:14:00 +0000

This documentary is about Werner Erhard, the creator of est, the multi-billion dollar personal growth seminars that made him a cultural icon in the 70's.

This film has some rare footage inside the est seminars, which I admit I found fascinating. I knew some people that had taken the program back in the day and it appeared to me that their lives had changed.

Asking my friend, who was watching this with me, if she'd like to take the seminar if Erhard was doing them today and she said, "Why pay $500 to have someone yell at me and call me an asshole all day long? I had ex-husbands and a father that did that for free!"

I think people will be surprised at how Erhard’s ideas and catchphrases have permeated our culture and dialog.

Was he a man on a mission to make a difference in people's lives, or just a man out to make a few billion? Can you separate the message from the messenger? This film even looks at how religious groups, cult leaders and the media target public figures.

I found this very interesting and would like to found out more about him and his work. I believe I would like to take the seminar and see if I have a transformation, because I'm ready for one!

"Michael Clayton"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 23:48:00 +0000

This film was written and directed by Tony Gilroy, stars George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton and Sydney Pollack. It's about attorney Michael Clayton trying to deal with his bipolar friend and colleague's mental breakdown when he lapses in taking his medication, and the corruption surrounding a major client of his law firm being sued in a class action lawsuit over the effects of toxic agrochemicals manufactured by a company a lot like Monsanto.

But there is so much more going on in this film.

This is about the 4th time I've seen it and I must say it still holds up and is one of my favorites. This film is smart. The acting is fantastic. Tom Wilkinson, Sydney Pollack and Tilda Swinton are just amazing. George Clooney has the really hard part in this and I find his work here to be his best.

I really love this film and hope there are people out there like Arthur Edens and Michael Clayton.

This opening speech by Wilkinson is incredible!

"Chewed Up"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:36:00 +0000

This is a stand up performance by comedian Louis C.K., filmed at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston. This performance was dedicated to George Carlin.

Louis Szekely, known as Louis C.K., is a comedian, television and film writer, actor, producer, and director with credits as a writer on The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Dana Carvey Show and The Chris Rock Show.

I know some would say, "Jerry, a stand up comedy special is not really a film."

Well, there were moving pictures that played in my head as he was talking. I laughed out loud about every 15 seconds. I began to hurt. This man is a genius.

"Finding Nemo"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 22:56:00 +0000

This is a computer-animated film written and directed by Andrew Stanton and produced by Pixar. It's the story of a very protective dad played by the awesome Albert Brooks who, along with a another fish with short term memory played by Ellen DeGeneres, searches for his son Nemo.

I really did get into the story. It was sad, scary, up, down, funny... It was a roller-coaster ride. I thought it was gonna end bad. I was worried. Then I realized it was a Pixar film and I was pulled out of the story when I knew then that no real harm was going to come to all those colorful pixels that make up Nemo.

I dunno if it's because I got all emotional about it, but I kinda hate myself for it today. I immediately watched a John Cassavetes film.

"‪The Living Dead: Three Films About the Power of the Past‬"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 23:56:00 +0000

This ‪documentary made by British filmmaker Adam Curtis‬ ‪investigated the way memory ‬and history itself, ‪both ‬personal and ‪national‬ly‪ have been ‬controlled and manipulated‪ by ‬governments, KGB, CIA, MK-ULTRA, doctors, ‪politicians and others. ‬

As I'm a huge fan of Adam Curtis, I had been looking forward to this film. It is amazing, terrifying and at times hilarious. You get to see how naive science can be, how tax dollars fund huge black budget operations that inflict horrifying tests on enemies and the public without their knowledge.

I love how the opening credits mimic the opening of "Blade Runner." I wondered why at first, then it hit me that that film was about memory as well.

There are so many threads and ideas in this documentary, a dozen fiction films could be generated and I'd be surprised if the makers of, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" hadn't seen this film.

You must watch this!

"Horror of Dracula"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 22:59:00 +0000

"Horror of Dracula" from 1958 is a Hammer film inspired by the Bram Stoker novel Dracula. It was directed by Terence Fisher, and stars Peter Cushing, Michael Gough, Melissa Stribling and Christopher Lee.

This film also stars the beautiful Carol Marsh, who we just saw a few days ago in "Brighton Rock."

Jonathan Harker, in this film goes to the castle of Count Dracula posing as a librarian, but he has come to kill Dracula. He had partnered up with Dr. Van Helsing, played by the always awesome Peter Cushing.

Jimmy Sangster (a real hero of mine) has made this screenplay tight. Jack Asher’s lurid colour and cinematography is gorgeous. What Bernard Robinson was able to do with set design for what was available to him and the space he had to work with is great, but for the fact some wallpaper and set pieces do reappear in other locations. I shrug it off as that time period didn't have Ikea or many choices in decorators.

Terence Fisher, the great man of British horror, directs this film and to me this film is nearly flawless. I watched it with a 13 year old girl who mocked it, complained about how old and unscary it was, but in the end she wanted to sleep with her mother. Nice!

I love this film!

"Henri Langlois: Phantom of the Cinematheque"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 02:41:00 +0000

In the documentary, "Henri Langlois: Phantom of the Cinematheque" which I've seen before, he said something that caused me to pause and think. It was in reference to one not knowing the value of a film. He was talking about collecting films and early on he had dismissed some that later turned out to be of great value and he had let it pass, it became a lost film and never had forgiven himself. So he said take it all, keep it all, throw nothing away, cause you never know how it will be viewed in the future.

This made me think about the recent discovery of longer cut of a Hammer Film found in Japan. There are more and more films disappearing everyday. This also made me think about memories and history in general. This is a wonderful documentary.

Posted via email from jerrylentz's posterous

"La Dolce Vita"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 02:26:00 +0000

"La Dolce Vita" was written and directed by Federico Fellini.

This is a story of a sad, lost, and passive journalist in Rome, the observer caught between a type of purgatory between a heaven and hell where truth is illusive, but lies are everywhere can be bought and sold. He searches for both happiness and love but it will never come to him or those few people he might call friends.

I first saw this film when I was 17 and it all meant something different to me then as it has every time I've seen it. There were several shots in this film that reminded me of shots from other films. There's the car scene when it is loaded down with people that looks just like a scene in, "A Clockwork Orange" and when Marcello visits his friend Steiner, there is a shot of him in front of some windows that look straight out of the "man in the shed" sequence in "Eraserhead" and it goes on and on. This film was very influential.

I love this film.