The Rain Falls Down on Portlandtown

Trailers for Work #1 - The Art of Reinvention: Paul Thomas Anderson & His Influences

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 21:54:00 +0000

Those of you who know me personally are aware that I've been applying my cinema nerd powers for almost three years doing promotion and publicity at Portland's own Northwest Film Center. Over the past year, I've begun to cut trailers for some of our curated series content. Here's one that I made for our upcoming Paul Thomas Anderson + influences series, which I also collaboratively programmed with my co-worker Morgen Ruff.

Hope you enjoy it. It's the fifth trailer I've made so far for the Film Center and it feels like they're getting better with each successive attempt. And maybe you'll want to come out to the series, too, which I think is fairly awesome.

The Art of Reinvention: Paul Thomas Anderson & His Influences runs Friday, July 24th through Sunday, September 6th at the Northwest Film Center. More info available here.

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OCTOBER CHILLS: DON'T LOOK NOW (1973)

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 23:40:00 +0000

I envy anyone who's yet to watch Don't Look Now. Even as a film that's only gained acclaim over the years since its 1973 release, it's still an under-the-radar classic waiting to be discovered by many of the most voracious film fans, despite recently being declared the best British film of all time by Time Out London. Directed by the great Nicholas Roeg, whose 1971 film Walkabout is in my personal top ten, Don't Look Now tells the story of Laura and John Baxter (winningly portrayed by Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland), a couple still processing the drowning death of their daughter, Christine (Sharon Williams).

Based on a short story by Daphne Du Maurier, whose other works had previously been adapted by Alfred Hitchcock for Rebecca, Jamaica Inn, and The Birds, Roeg's treatment of the supernatural, manifested as psychic visions experienced by John and the questionable predictions of a clairvoyant blind woman (Hilary Mason), is a brilliant ploy to distract from the film's central theme; at its core, Don't Look Now is about primal, insurmountable grief from which there is no chance of recovery.

From the magnificently brutal opening where we witness Christine's drowning to the wicked irony of the film's denouement, the whole of the film is spent observing how tragedy has altered John, Laura, and their connection to each other. Roeg's patented intercutting of time and space constructs a present where, though physically in Venice, John's emotional and mental states are frozen in the moment when his daughter perished back in England. But even the current timeline offers no respite, as John begins seeing what could be visions of his daughter and wife against the waterlogged vistas of this iconic Italian backdrop.

Don't Look Now is a challenging and ambitious vision of what horror films can achieve if the locus of terror is placed internally within the characters. Nothing against films where the threat comes from without, but Roeg's map of the unspeakable is more finely illustrated than those of even the most prolific and revered craftsmen (and women) of the genre. If you've never seen Don't Look Now, it's time. Everyone else, why not give it another go? It's a damn fine film, more than worthy of another look.

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OCTOBER CHILLS: THE INNOCENTS (1961)

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 16:20:00 +0000

'Tis the season, so expect at least a few posts on The Rain Falls Down on Portlandtown during October to focus on horror (and/or just plain spooky) movies. That being said, I wanted to start things off with a bang by highlighting a film from my personal top-ten. Pauline Kael called Jack Clayton's 1961 gothic horror masterpiece The Innocents, "the best ghost movie I've ever seen." Despite disagreeing with Kael on a few of her more controversial opinions (her vocal distaste for Hitchcock and Shoah being the most glaring examples), we're absolutely cine-buddies when it comes to the creepy atmospherics on offer in The Innocents.

One could certainly quibble with Pauline over the matter of whether or not Clayton's adaptation of Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw" is, in fact, a ghost story at all: Deborah Kerr's governess character, Miss Giddens, is arguably the most sinister thing going on in the film, given her determination to "love people and help them...even if they refuse my help...even if it hurts them sometimes." Indeed, much of the pleasure of watching The Innocents boils down to the question of whether Miss Giddens supernatural encounters are real or imagined.

With two damaged, young children under her care, Kerr's unreliable sense of the objective steers the film towards a terrifying close, where no viewer can truly know whether the children (and Giddens) are being haunted by the spirits of their former governess and her lover or by Miss Giddens' stringently orthodox notions about morality and humanity's failure to rise to it. As the college film professor who turned me on to The Innocents noted, there are strong clues present during the opening title sequence, just listen to the trembling prayer being offered up by Giddens.

In addition the central conundrum of the film, The Innocents sports crisply composed black and white compositions by the great English cinematographer Freddie Francis (Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, The Elephant Man), biting dialogue script doctored by none other than Truman Capote, and two of the creepiest child actors (Martin Stephens and Pamela Franklin) ever to have graced the silver screen. All of which falls under the direction of Jack Clayton, whose later work on Something Wicked This Way Comes spooked an entire generation of Disney fans.

Out of the entire pack of older films that I'll be posting about this month in this "October Chills" series, The Innocents is by far the best of the bunch.

Highly recommended viewing!

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BOWIE IN TIGHTS: LABYRINTH AT THE 99W DRIVE-IN

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 00:52:00 +0000

Some time back, I mentioned Portland's perennial love for a very short list of films, many of which have the name Jim Henson attached to them. I'm not even going to pretend to understand. While I definitely had my time in the sun with Mr. Henson, I've been out of short pants for a few decades now and don't find myself returning all that often to his oeuvre, though that's likely to change as my kiddo piles on the years.

Okay, full disclosure: not a day goes by without an Elmo clip being leveraged in exchange for tooth brushing, but I digress.

For those of you who enjoy marinating in childhood nostalgia, there's something to celebrate as the 99W Drive-in in Newberg welcomes back Henson's 1986 film Labyrinth, an extended experiment in puppets, musical fantasy, and David Bowie in very tight (or is it magical?) pants. Sure, there's a fall chill in the air and the 99W isn't exactly a short drive from PDX, but bring a blanket, Portland, and you'll be rewarded for your efforts with a 35mm screening of your 3rd or 4th favorite film that doesn't star Seth Rogen or Paul Rudd, okay? And, since the drive-in recently succeeded in their campaign to digitally upgrade their operation, this is pretty close to your final chance to see a film projected on actual film at a local outdoor theater.

As is the gold standard for drive-ins, admission to the 99W gets you a double scoop of film entertainment. This week's second feature is We're the Millers, which currently holds a not-so-fresh score of 48% on a certain "tomatometer". But, hey...Labyrinth!

Labyrinth plays in a double feature with We're the Millers on Friday, October 4th through Sunday, October 6th at the 99W Drive-in. More info available here.

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PBS' AMERICAN CINEMA EMBRACES THE DARK SIDE: THE FILM NOIR EPISODE IS ON YOUTUBE

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 22:29:00 +0000

Yeah, I spent an unreasonable amount of my weekend peering up at The Hollywood Theatre's screen during Noir City Portland. Do I regret it at all? Of course not; if I have any regrets, it's that I missed 3 of the 8 features, but sometimes a guy has things he's gotta do, y'know. Even so, those other priorities haven't kept me from spending a good deal of time thinking about and craving more noir and film noir related highs. For instance, after skipping out on the third feature on Saturday night, I still ended up streaming Gun Crazy at home on the Warner Archive Instant service.

DEADLY IS THE FEMALE aka GUN CRAZY

I was also pleased to stumble across the film noir episode of the fairly great 1995 PBS series American Cinema on YouTube. I hadn't viewed the series since it first aired on public television, so it was great to take another look at a series that, at the time of its release, had a strong influence in reinforcing my obsession with old films.

Anyone with even a mild interest in noir should get a kick out of the episode (introduced by series host John Lithgow). So here it is, narrated by one of my all-time favorite noir actors, Mr. Richard Widmark (Pickup on South Street, Panic in the Streets, Kiss of Death, & Night and the City), and featuring great insights by Martin Scorsese, Kathryn Bigelow, Paul Schrader, and many of the writers, actors, and directors responsible for some of the greatest entries in the genre:

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THE GOLDEN COACH & LE NOTTI BIANCHE: HANGING OUT WITH RENOIR AND VISCONTI THIS WEEKEND

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 22:29:00 +0000

A couple of great films are coming to my workplace this weekend. Luchino Visconti's fatalistically romantic 1957 adaptation of Dostoevsky's "White Nights," Le Notti Bianche is Marcello Mastroianni's first outing as a leading man playing opposite Maria Schell. Also on tap, Jean Renoir's The Golden Coach has Anna Magnani playing an actress with three men actively vying for her favor. The latter film will be screened on 35mm.

Le Notti Bianche (White Nights) screens Friday, September 27th and Sunday, September 29th at the NW Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium (in the Portland Art Museum). Click here for more info.

The Golden Coach screens at the NW Film Center. Click here for more info.

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SING-A-LONG WITH CAPTAIN VON TRAPP AT CINEMA 21

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 15:01:00 +0000

You can't get much more iconic than Julie Andrews spinning through Austrian hills in Robert Wise's The Sound of Music. Well, beginning Thursday, Cinema 21's going to give you a chance to try your hardest to outsing the old girl when Sing-A-Long Sound of Music returns to Portland. Whether you bring a group of friends or decide to caterwaul with a bunch of strangers, the event promises you the rare opportunity to be loud at the movies without getting tossed out of the theater on your head.

Here's a glimpse at the release for the event:

The hit, interactive, musical phenomenon, SING-A-LONG SOUND OF MUSIC, returns to Portland for 7 full performances at Cinema 21 September 26 - October 6, 2013! Having started in the UK back in 1999, the Sing-a-Long Sound of Music show has now become a worldwide hit, playing to packed houses across the globe with over 10,000 performances in 11 different countries! It’s even filled the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles – 7 times!

For those of you not yet converted, Sing-a-Long Sound of Music is a screening of the classic Julie Andrews film musical in glorious, full-screen technicolor, complete with subtitles so that the whole audience can sing along! The fun-filled show starts with a vocal warm-up led by the evening’s host, who also takes the audience through their complimentary "magic moments pack," containing various props to be used at strategic points throughout the film. Then there is the famous fancy-dress competition in which everyone who has come in costume is invited onto the stage to show off their fantastic tailoring skills. And the more venues we play, the more elaborate the costumes get. Previous entries have included: nuns of both genders (including a pregnant nun!), girls (and boys!) in white dresses with blue satin sashes, a lonely Goatherd, a man in a gold lycra catsuit (Ray a Drop of Golden Sun!), a gazebo and more!

Get out your wimples and warm woolen mittens, put on your white dresses with blue satin sashes, cut up those chintz curtains and get your vocal cords warmed up because the city is alive with SING-A-LONG SOUND OF MUSIC! SING-A-LONG SOUND OF MUSIC is a fun, joyful, interactive event that makes an ideal girls' night or a unique family outing!

Sing-A-Long Sound of Music runs Thursday, September 26th through Sunday, September 29th, plus Saturday, October 5th through Sunday, October 6th at the Cinema 21. More info available here.

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GRINDHOUSE TRAILER EXTRAVAGANZA DROPS TONIGHT AT THE HOLLYWOOD THEATRE

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 23:06:00 +0000

They say hindsight is 50/50, but what if the rearview was violent and trashy instead? Put yer movie watchin' goggles on, 'cause you're going to need 'em tonight at The Hollywood Theatre where Dan Halsted is serving up a bloody, sexy b-movie trailer stew fashioned out of some of the best Grindhouse trailers of the 70s and 80s. The lineup is unannounced, but expect to be blown away by what's on hand.

Anyone who's been to one of Halsted's trailer parties and/or Grindhouse Film Fest screenings can testify that the man's got excellent curatorial skills when it comes to genre cinema programming. So you really don't want to miss tonight's show, okay? Want a taste of what to expect? Here's a few Grindhouse trailers to get you in the mood:

Here's what the Grindhouse Film Fest release has to say about tonight's proceedings:

Climb aboard the exploitation starship as we travel to the outer reaches of cinematic insanity! In the 1970s and 80's, distributors trying to creatively sell strange movies in oversaturated markets unwittingly created some of the most mind-blowing pieces of cinema to ever be burned into celluloid.

This is a lineup of the best of these movie previews, presented on 35mm. All the wildest scenes, strangest taglines, and oddball promotional gimmicks crammed into two minute cinematic rollercoaster rides. We'll see Italian horror, blaxploitation, sexploitation, hicksploitation, kung fu insanity, revenge films and so much more. Buckle up and wear a neck brace.

Grindhouse Trailer Spectacular - Greatest Hits happens Tuesday, September 24th at 7:30p.m. at the Hollywood Theatre. More info available here.

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CINEMA PROJECT TURNS 10, LOOKS BACK BEFORE MOVING FORWARD

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Sun, 22 Sep 2013 19:05:00 +0000

Anyone who's glanced at this blog more than a few times knows that I have a big ol' soft spot in my heart for Cinema Project. While they're not the only ones in town putting together incredible programs of experimental film (don't worry, EFF Portland, I love you, too), CP has kept their public exhibitions of outré cinema going for longer than most anyone would ever have expected possible. You think it's difficult for indie and non-profit cinemas to turn a buck nowadays? How's about a tight little crew of curators/film lovers without a permanent exhibition space and an exclusive focus on non-commercial works of art? Needless to say, these folks are doing it for love, not money.

Which is why it's so fantastically inspiring that the organization is launching their 10th season this Saturday. To celebrate their "tin" anniversary, CP is using their first screening of the fall to throw themselves a birthday party with a "best of" film presentation culled from the first 10 years of Cinema Project.

Here's what the good folks at the Project have to say about Saturday night's events:

Over the past ten years Cinema Project has organized and presented more than 100 unique film and video programs and only in rare instances do we ever show the same thing twice. The beginning of a ten-year anniversary, however, seems like a good time to break the rules and break into our own program archive. The first of two “best of” screenings (to be continued in Spring 2014), this program brings together a fun and unlikely mix of work that demonstrates the variety, breadth, and unique curatorial vision that Cinema Project is known for. Each past and present collective member has selected a favorite short film or video that he or she thinks deserves a second look, or that speaks anew to current political and cultural landscapes and personal outlooks. Older, newer, black-and-white, color, sound, silent, representational, abstract, psychedelic, poetic, diaristic, heavy, light: each is a skilled and personal production close to the artist who made it. This is the type of work we champion.

At 10pm join us downstairs at the VFW Hall for a post-screening party and fall fundraiser kick-off, with DJs Cuica and Calle Danger, snacks, drinks, and sparkling conversation. Bring your dancing shoes!

Here's what's on tap for that evening:

Undefeated by Kevin Jerome Everson

[US, 2008, video, b&w, sound, 1.5 min.]

Associations by John Smith

[US, 1975, 16mm, color, sound, 7 min.]

a-b-city by Brigitte Buhler and Dieter Hormel

[West Germany, 1985, S8 transferred to video, color, sound, 8 min.]

RE:THE_OPERATION by Paul Chan

[US, 2002, Digital Video, color, sound, 26 min.]

Nocturne by Phil Solomon

[US, 1980/1989, 16mm, color, silent, 10 min.]

Portrait, Tea Time, and Red Curtain by Helga Fanderl

[Germany, 1992-2009, S8 blown up to 16mm, 18fps, color, silent, 7 min.]

Offon by Scott Barlett

[US, 1968, 16mm, color, sound, 10 min.]

Ninety-Three by Kevin Jerome Everson

[US, 2008, video, b&w, silent, 3 min.]

They had me at the inclusion Phil Solomon's Nocturne. Need convincing? How's about a look at another one of Solomon's films, PSALM III: "NIGHT OF THE MEEK" to wet your whistle before Saturday arrives. It lives here.

Cinema Project celebrates their 10th year of existence on Saturday, September 28th at the VFW Hall (825 SE Mill St.). More info available here.

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NOIR CITY ON THE NEW MARQUEE

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Sat, 21 Sep 2013 19:29:00 +0000

Not much to say here, but, damn, doesn't Noir City look amazing on The Hollywood Theatre's newly restored marquee? Anyone who came out to Friday's festivities already knows what a blast this mini-festival has been so far. Host Eddie Muller presented beautiful 35mm prints of two obscure gems (Try and Get Me! & Sleep, My Love) to the enthusiastic crowd while offering up illuminating and entertaining pre-show banter before each film.

If you missed out last night, there's still plenty of Noir City Portland magic to take part in beginning today with the 1949 version of The Great Gatsby, followed by an additional two, rarely-screened films (Repeat Performance & The Come On). And tomorrow brings yet another opportunity for a triple feature. Anyone else planning on spending their weekend at Noir City?

Noir City Portland runs Friday, September 20th through Sunday, September 22nd at the Hollywood Theatre. More info available here.

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NOIR CITY COMES TO PDX (W/ AUTHOR/FOUNDER EDDIE MULLER IN TOW!)

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Fri, 20 Sep 2013 05:51:00 +0000

Portlanders are in for one hell of a treat this oh, so rainy weekend. San Francisco's Noir City is headed to town for a special, weekend long festival of obscure thrillers from the 40s and 50s, none of which have ever been available on dvd. Best of all, this Noir City Portland event will be MC'ed by none other than N.C. founder Eddie Muller, author of "Dark City," "Tab Hunter Confidential," and many other film-obsessed tomes.

Here's a few excerpts from the Hollywood Theatre's release:

The Hollywood Theatre is proud to present Noir City Portland! Friday September 20 through the Sunday the 22nd, the full lineup of titles boasts the Film Noir Foundation’s latest preservation efforts, Try and Get Me! (1951), and High Tide (1947), along with an impeccable selection of vintage noir titles including Alias Nick Beal (1949), Street of Chance (1942), The Come On (1956), and more! Hosted by the Czar of Noir himself, Eddie Muller, Noir City Portland will present these films on beautiful 35mm prints! None of these films are available on DVD, so don’t miss this incredibly rare opportunity.

Here's a little bit about the films, most of which are obscure enough to not even have trailer available online! All synopses are sourced from AllMovie:

TRY AND GET ME aka THE SOUND OF FURY (dir. Cy Endfield, 1950):

The Sound of Fury is better known by its general release title, Try and Get Me. Based on Jo Pagano's novel The Condemned, the film recreates a dismal chapter in American history. In 1933, the otherwise peace-loving citizens of San Jose, CA, were stirred up by blind hatred into forming a mob and lynching two accused kidnappers (this same incident was fictionalized in the 1935 Fritz Lang film Fury). Frank Lovejoy and Lloyd Bridges play a couple of down-and-outers who kidnap a wealthy youngster in hopes of getting a huge ransom. Things go terribly wrong.

SLEEP, MY LOVE (dir. Douglas Sirk, 1948):

This noir mystery thriller was produced by Mary Pickford and her husband Buddy Rogers, and directed by Douglas Sirk. Claudette Colbert stars as Alison Courtland, a wealthy New York socialite who awakens on a Boston-bound train with no memory of how she got there. A kindly older woman, Mrs. Tomlinson (Queenie Smith) helps Alison call her husband Richard (Don Ameche), who informs her that she disappeared after threatening his life. While traveling back to New York, Alison meets Bruce Elcott (Robert Cummings), who is immediately smitten with her.

THE GREAT GATSBY (dir. Elliott Nugent, 1949):

This second film version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's definitive jazz-age novel The Great Gatsby stars Alan Ladd in the title role. Jay Gatsby, formerly Jake Gatz, is a successful bootlegger with aspirations of being accepted in the highest social circles of Long Island. Once he's done this, Gatsby devotes his time to winning back the love of his former lady friend Daisy (Betty Field), now married to boorish "old-money" millionaire Tom Buchanan (Barry Sullivan). Gatsby's obsession with rekindling old flames results in disillusionment and, ultimately, tragedy. Sidelines observer Nick Carraway, the narrator of the original Fitzgerald novel, is expertly played by MacDonald Carey, while Shelley Winters makes an excellent impression as Buchanan's slatternly mistress Myrtle Wilson. Cast as Myrtle's dour optometrist husband is Howard Da Silva, who essayed a minor role in the 1974 remake of Great Gatsby. That 1974 version has unfortunately kept the 1949 Gatsby from being released to television.

REPEAT PERFORMANCE (dir. Alfred L. Werker, 1947):

On New Year's Eve, Joan Leslie runs desperately out of a penthouse apartment and into the Times Square crowd. She has reason to flee--she has just shot and killed her husband. Through a freakish wrinkle in time, Leslie is transported back to the last New Year's and is allowed to relive the past year all over again. This time she is forearmed with the knowledge of the murder and does everything she can to avoid the deed--a task made difficult by such antagonists as her nasty husband and her emotionally disturbed brother (Richard Basehart, in his film debut). Events lead inexorably to the murder...but will she do it this time? Cleverly assembled, and with a more expensive cast and budget than was usual for pinchpenny Eagle-Lion studios, Repeat Performance is a brisk and absorbing semi-fantasy. It was remade for television as Turn Back the Clock (89), with the original film's star Joan Leslie in a brief cameo role.

THE COME ON (dir. Russell Birdwell, 1956):

In this convoluted thriller a manipulative woman gets entangled in her own web of deceit. The story is set in Mexico, where an unlucky wanderer has come to fish. There he falls for a woman that he spied on the beach. She begs the drifter to murder her domineering husband.

ALIAS NICK BEAL aka CONTACT MAN (dir. John Farrow, 1949):

This modern-day "Faust" variation benefits from a superb cast. Thomas Mitchell plays Joseph Foster, an honest judge who wants to become governor. Blocked by corrupt political forces, Foster would practically have to make a deal with the Devil to reach his goal. Enter Nick Beal (Ray Milland), a diabolically handsome gent with a slick line of patter and a smooth, infallible method of getting things done. Failing to recognize his benefactor's true identity (after all, Nick has no horns or cloven hooves) Foster agrees to the deal when Nick assures him that the end result is for the good of the people.

STREET OF CHANCE (dir. Jack Hively, 1942):

Based on Cornell Woolrich's novel The Black Curtain (later dramatized several times on the radio series Suspense), Street of Chance top-bills Burgess Meredith as an amnesia victim. He awakens in the middle of the street, with nary a clue of who he is or what he's done. Meredith comes to learn that his past year of darkness has been a crowded one--and that he might be a murderer! Louise Platt plays Meredith's wife, but it's total stranger Claire Trevor who seems most interested in probing Meredith's past. Street of Chance is worth spending 74 minutes with, even though the true identity of the killer becomes obvious halfway through.

HIGH TIDE (dir. John Reinhardt, 1947):

In this mystery, set within the newspaper industry, a detective is hired to protect the editor who believes that someone is out to kill him.

Noir City Portland runs Friday, September 20th through Sunday, September 22nd at the Hollywood Theatre. More info available here.

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ALL IS BRIGHT: THIS AIN'T NO BROMANCE

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 22:07:00 +0000

It's a rough world out there. And returning after a long absence is a difficult proposition. How appropriate is it that Phil Morrison's less than prompt follow-up to his 2005 indie hit Junebug concerns itself with a man attempting to find his bearings, both familial and internal, after having his life interrupted by a long stay in prison? In many ways, Dennis (Paul Giamatti), the protagonist of All is Bright suffers under far less steep expectations than Morrison does here. No one expects anything from Dennis; in fact, his wife, Therese (Amy Landecker), has completely written him off, telling their young daughter that he died, rather than bothering with the messy truth about his incarceration.

The film picks up shortly after Dennis is released from prison. What's his first move? He returns to his rural, French-Canadian home where he's swiftly informed both Therese's lie and her involvement with Dennis' former best friend and partner-in-crime Rene (Paul Rudd), who Therese plans to marry once Rene's wife grants him a divorce. With nowhere else to go, Dennis tracks down his romantic rival at a local bar, tries to beat him up, and (naturally?) ends up joining his Rene in an annual trek down to New York City to set up a seasonal Christmas tree selling business. Yeah, this IS a Christmas movie...bet you never saw that coming.

If the plot sounds convoluted, rest assured, this film, like Junebug, doesn't grind too heavily on plot mechanics. Instead, Morrison and screenwriter Melissa James Gibson treat these characters as people, albeit ones that sometime stray into situations just a smidge over the line separating the real from circumstances of a cartoonish nature. When All is Bright sticks with its primary motif of two losers holding a predictably bad hand, it's at its best, resembling at times a modern update on a flavor of male camaraderie rarely portrayed in film since Elaine May's Mikey and Nicky (a bromance, this is, thankfully, not). But, on the few occasions when the script pushes Dennis and Rene to act like people trapped in an indie comedy, the film stumbles, drops focus, and feels oddly flat.

All is Bright is unlikely to enjoy the same strong word of mouth leading to a slow-building success that Junebug did. It's just not a film designed to register with a broad audience. The characters aren't that likeable, nor is the action all that identifiable. But it is a movie that deserves a chance from fans of quietly observant, character-driven cinema because, for each slight misstep that it contains, there's a charming counterpoint hidden just around the corner.

All is Bright is currently available for viewing on VOD platforms such as Amazon Instant Video & iTunes. The film opens theatrically in October.

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ROBERTO ROSSELLINI'S THE SOLITUDE TRILOGY aka WHAT I'M UP TO TODAY

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 18:47:00 +0000

Roberto Rossellini's The Solitude Trilogy has been screening over at my workplace all weekend. Today marks the only time during the run that all three films, Stromboli, Europa '51, & Voyage to Italy will be shown in a single day. I'm going to try to make it through all of 'em, though, if recent history has proven anything, I probably will give up before the day is done. Extra incentive to stay at least through the 2nd film: Europa '51 is rarely screened theatrically; in fact, it's a rare 16mm print borrowed from a private collector that's being projected today.

The following film synopses are lifted directly from the NW Film Center's listings:

Stromboli:

The film where Rossellini fatefully met Ingrid Bergman, STROMBOLI—like their later VOYAGE TO ITALY—is a semi-autobiographical portrait of its star’s stranger-in-a-strange-land predicament. Bergman plays a Lithuanian war refugee who marries a fisherman on the remote Sicilian island of Stromboli in order to escape an internment camp. Moving from the environmental reality that characterized his earlier neo-realist films to a psychological realism foreshadowing Antonioni’s L’AVENTURRA (1960), Rossellini’s film contrasts the island’s desolate, volcanic landscapes with its leading lady’s emotional turmoil. The barren, sulfurous rock proves a formidable and unpredictable rival for Bergman’s ferocious will. “An intensely moving exploration of sainthood and spirituality.”—Martin Scorsese. (107 mins.)

Europa '51:

The second collaboration between Rossellini and Bergman chronicles the life of a wealthy American woman living in Rome who is thrown into turmoil when her young son commits suicide over what he perceived to be her lack of affection for him. The woman’s grief leads her to the realization that she has been living a shallow, bourgeois existence and propels her to change her ways. As if on a spiritual quest, she begins devoting her life to helping the less fortunate—a sick prostitute, an unwed mother with numerous children, and a young boy—all of which disturbs her husband in tragic reaction. While the film has been viewed as Rossellini’s vision of the state of the world in all its confusion, many also read it as an exploration of Ingrid Bergman’s personal struggle. (113 mins.)

Voyage to Italy (aka Journey to Italy):

A reserved British couple (Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders) take a break from the chaos of London and retreat to the rugged landscape of Naples, only to find that outside of the structure of their everyday lives, the tedium of their marriage begins to emerge. Under the glistening surface of its minimal plot, Rossellini’s film amasses subtle details and small moments that build towards one of postwar cinema’s most enigmatically poignant conclusions. Again, Rossellini’s use of the environment as a relevant character is a precursor to Antonioni’s bleak industrial landscapes, serving as a link between neo-realism and the subjective, psychological cinema of the 1960s. (97 mins.)

The Solitude Trilogy: Stromboli, Europa '51 & Voyage to Italy screens at the NW Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium (in the Portland Art Museum). Click here for more info.

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PIFF 36: AMERICAN WINTER

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:56:00 +0000

Offering a glimpse at what it is to fall out of the middle class, Joe & Harry Gantz' American Winter whispers a harsh truth into the ear of the viewer: it could happen to anyone. The eight Portland-based families to which it is happening in the film deal with it in a variety of ways, but most wear a look akin to PTSD as they struggle to stay afloat in a society with little safety to offer those who have fallen behind. Their stories are all similar; the primary breadwinner lost their job (or in one case, their life) and has been unable to find new means of support, leaving their entire family vulnerable in the midst of an economic crisis the likes of which most of us have never seen before.

The Gantz' efforts here ditch the more lurid, voyeuristic aspects of their work on television (Taxi Cab Confessions) for an honest inside view of families struggling for their lives. American Winter began as a profile of users of Portland's unique non-profit 211info, a resource hotline that connects people to emergency services based in "health, community, and social services." While the non-profit is still a part of the final piece, the filmmakers smartly chose to follow the experience of a small group of families seeking out 211's help. The result is a film that lives on the humanity and despair of these victims--ordinary folks like you and me--who are dealing with the biggest tragedy of their lives. Depressing? Yes, but also absolutely necessary; American Winter is a great piece of social filmmaking.

Highly recommended.

American Winter will screen at the 36th Portland International Film Festival at the NW Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium (in the Portland Art Museum) on Sunday, Feb. 17th at 3pm and at Cinemagic on Monday, Feb. 18th at 7:30pm.

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KUNG FU THEATER presents INVINCIBLE POLE FIGHTER

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 19:47:00 +0000

The Hollywood Theatre's monthly Kung Fu Theater series hosts Lau Kar Leung's 1984 Shaw Brothers' classic Invincible Pole Fighter (aka Eight Diagram Pole Fighter) for a one-night-only, rare 35mm screening on their big downstairs screen. If you're not already a rabid fan, all you really need to know about this one is that it's Kung Fu Theater major domo Dan Halsted's favorite kung fu flick of all time. 'Nuff said; the man knows his martial arts cinema. The rest of us? We're just here to learn.

Here's the lowdown on the event:

Kung Fu Theater presents an extremely rare 35mm print of the kung fu masterpiece Invincible Pole Fighter! Around here, we consider this the greatest kung fu movie of all time. Advance tickets are strongly recommended for this show.

Invincible Pole Fighter (1984) A family of fighters is ambushed by invaders in a fierce battle that leaves the family's father and four of six brothers dead. One of the remaining brothers (Gordon Liu) swears revenge, and forces his way into the Shaolin Temple to master his pole fighting skills. When his younger sister is kidnapped by the invaders, it's payback time. After numerous jaw-dropping fight scenes, there is a massive climactic battle that ranks among the greatest action scenes in movie history. This film is directed by martial arts master Lau Kar Leung (36th Chamber of Shaolin), stars Gordon Liu (36th Chamber, Kill Bill) and was a huge influence on the Wu Tang Clan. This is an all-out kung fu masterpiece.

Invincible Pole Fighter plays one-night-only at the Hollywood Theatre on Tuesday, February 12th at 7:30pm. More info available here.

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PIFF 36: LORE

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 19:05:00 +0000

Some eight years after Somersault, Lore marks the return of Australian director Cate Shortland. Anyone worried that Shortland's abilities may have been dulled by the intervening years between features can rest easy. Her second feature is a complicated journey through a physical/psychological terrain scorched by the malignancy of the Third Reich. The film plays out like a dark dream, weighted down by a tragedy far too complex for its young characters to fully fathom. Essentially, Shortland has succeeded in fashioning a tale that supports (albeit in a conflicted sense) the notion that the children of the Nazi era were also victims of their country's madness.

Coming directly after the death of Hitler, teenaged Lore (Saskia Rosendahl) and her four siblings are left alone after their parents are imprisoned for war crimes. The kids are forced to flee to safety as the allied forces carve up Germany into territories. While on the long voyage to their grandmother's house, the meet up with Thomas (Kai-Peter Malina), a Jewish teenager who serves as both a protector and a painful reminder of the evil that motivates the journey. The six youngsters move through the war ravaged landscape in the only way they know how, clinging onto each other as they unsteadily make their advances.

With its trip to Grandma's house motif, Lore could easily have upped the dark fairy tale aspects that, while present, never overtake a matching sense of realism. What results is a magical realism (note: not exactly magic realism, but moving towards it at times) that treats images of death and decay in equal esteem as visions of light streaming through foliage. Sure, there's a bit of Red Riding Hood in there, but there's also a more than healthy nod to Nicholas Roeg's Walkabout, too.

Highly recommended.

Lore will screen at the 36th Portland International Film Festival at the NW Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium (in the Portland Art Museum) on Sunday, Feb. 10th at 7:30pm and at Regal Lloyd Center 10 on Monday, Feb. 11th at 5:45pm. More info available here.

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GRINDHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL presents CONVENT OF THE SACRED BEAST

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:57:00 +0000

While buying a copy of Black Narcissus on blu-ray a few years ago, a couple of snarky clerks working the Barnes & Noble Criterion sale started cracking jokes about nunsploitation. I doubt they were referring specifically to Noribumi Suzuki's 1974 film Convent of the Sacred Beast (aka School of the Holy Beast), but there's really not a title out there that more fully inhabits that descriptor. It's a film that piles up such nunsploitation/exploitation traits as s&m (lots o' whipping, sometimes with thorns!), lesbian nuns, dirty old bishops, and various perversions based in Catholic imagery. So, of course, it was only a matter of time before it showed up at the Hollywood Theatre's monthly Grindhouse Film Festival event.

Here's what the Grindhouse folks have to say about Tuesday night's presentation:

The Grindhouse Film Festival presents the only known 35mm print of the Japanese nunsploitation film Convent of the Sacred Beast.

Convent of the Sacred Beast (aka School of the Holy Beast) (1974) A young woman enters a convent to investigate the mysterious death of her mother. The convent turns out to be a steaming hotbed of immorality, and the woman must deal with a lesbian mother superior, a sleazy archbishop, and nuns who submit to S&M punishments for their sins. Filled with sex and violence, and filmed with beautiful cinematography, this is an erotic mix of giallo and sexploitation. This is one of a kind, and not to be missed.

35mm sexploitation trailers before the movie

Convent of the Sacred Beast plays one-night-only at the Hollywood Theatre on Tuesday, January 29th at 7:30pm. More info available here.

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MAMA: MAMA NEEDS A BRAND NEW BAG

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 21:18:00 +0000

Mama is a perfect argument for why most short-form films, no matter how strong they may be, don't necessarily need to be developed into 90+ minute features. There are, of course, exceptions; one could argue for the idea that Benh Zeitlin's astounding feature debut, Beasts of the Southern Wild, is a repurposing of the themes of his earlier short Glory at Sea, but Zeitlin wisely fleshed out an entirely new scenario for Beasts (it's the setting and tone that remain, not the scenario). Director Andrés Muschietti turned in a frightening three minute version of Mama back in 2008. Impressed by the potential within it, Guillermo del Toro decided to throw a bunch of money at it to see if it could be stretched into a movie proper. Like an overfilled leaky balloon, the result makes a lot of noise, but quickly deflates under the pressure of its expansion.

In the earlier version, Muschietti barely sketched out his characters, which was perfectly appropriate for the length and purpose of his short. Mama as a three minute piece is barely more than an establishment of mood and two quick scares. Mama as a full blown film needs a bit more meat on the bone, and Muschietti and his co-writers do attempt to flesh things out. They do this by creating a backstory involving two young sisters (Megan Charpentier and Isabelle Nélisse) who, after the film's grisly disposal of their father, are raised for five years by a spectre they refer to as Mama. During this time, the girls are presumed dead by just about everyone outside of their uncle Jeffrey (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who, oddly, also plays their father at the fore of the film) who's been paying a private investigator to track them down since they disappeared. When the investigation team locates them in a beat down cabin, uncle Jeffrey and his punky/gothy/grungy (ok, non-specific) rock girlfriend Annabel (Jessica Chastain) take in the now feral youngsters.

Predictably, Mama is a fierce protector and follows the girls to their new home, quickly putting Jeffrey in the hospital and leaving them in the less than caring arms of Annabel. Along the way, we get to meet Dr. Dreyfuss (Daniel Kash), a generically-drawn, psychiatrist with less than pure intentions when helping the girls; his methods betray more interest in the occult and historical hunches concerning Mama's origin than in healing the obvious trauma of those in his care. When the film does turn to telling Mama's backstory, it's firmly in debt to all things J-horror, trying on the painful loss and accompanying desire for vengeance motif found in Ju-on, Ringu, and Retribution to drive its ghost to do that voodoo that she do(es) so well. Anyone who went through even a minor love affair with Asian horror of the 90s and 2000s will find Mama incredibly derivative, lacking any new contributions to the way these kinds of films operate.

Mama's biggest failure, though, is in its inability to flesh out its characters. Every single one, including Chastain's at first ridiculously moody then instantly maternal Annabel, is a two-dimensional cutout functioning more in terms of the needs of plot mechanics than as an organic, reasonably believable human being. Mama expects the viewer to recognize how such characters are supposed to act within horror flicks, rendering them in a lazy fill-in-the-blanks fashion. It's as if Muschietti forgot (or perhaps never understood) the division of labor within the director/author to audience relationship. Maybe ol' moneybags Del Toro should have reminded him that those of us staring up at the screen aren't the ones responsible for telling the story. As it stands, Mama's a muted, ho-hum slog to the bottom of the heap. Mama needs a brand new bag.

Mama opens at the Portland area theaters on Friday, January 18th. More info available here.

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THE BEST OF 2012: THE TOP 5

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 05:26:00 +0000

#5 Holy Motors (dir. Leos Carax):

Wiry French character actor Denis Lavant has been on my radar ever since his impressive contribution to Claire Denis' masterpiece Beau Travail. His work in Holy Motors, overseen by long time collaborator/director Leos Carax, has yielded one of his best performance to date, as well as what might be the oddest film since David Lynch last made a feature (count 'em, six long years ago). Lavant plays Monsieur Oscar, an actor of sorts driven around Paris as he prepares to play various roles in the back of white limousine. At the end of each stage of his journey, Oscar emerges an entirely different beast, ranging from a cold killer to a bag lady, a deranged caveman, and beyond.

Throughout Holy Motors, there are clues and reflexive statements aligning the seemingly random journey to a larger commentary on film as a technologically-based medium going through what is either a growth spurt or the beginnings of a death rattle. At the same time, one can easily read the same cues as a statement on identity. Carax has designed a film that is open to competing interpretations and even enjoyable if no attempts at analysis are made at all. Has there been a more interesting and weird use of motion capture technology this year (or ever)? I think not. To quote a woman who saw the same screening I attended: "can anybody explain to me what THAT was about?"

Holy Motors is currently still in theaters. Hit up Mr. Movie Times for details of when and where.

#4 The Master (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson):

Paul Thomas Anderson doesn't usually swim in the shallow end of the pool when it comes to story. But with The Master, he's produced a film that barely seems interested in its own plot, choosing to devote excessive amounts of time to being present with its characters while slowly abandoning thread after thread of story they inhabit. Luckily, Anderson's provided the audience with two of the more interesting characters he's ever drawn in Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) and Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman). The static created between these two men says more about what The Master truly is than any piece of exposition or connect-the-dots plotting ever could. They are the story.

Read my review of The Master here.

The Master is scheduled for release on DVD & Blu-ray on February 26th.

#3 Wuthering Heights (dir. Andrea Arnold):

Here's the rare costume drama that never feels stodgy in the least. Still, Andrea Arnold's Wuthering Heights may test the patience of many viewers with its stubborn (or is it thrilling?) insistence on depicting a world without modern distractions. However, those willing to wait it out 'til the bitter end will be amply rewarded with an exquisitely rendered take on timeless themes found both within and outside of the source material. Wuthering Heights only furthers the suspicion that Arnold will eventually be counted as one of our greatest filmmakers.

Read my review of Wuthering Heights here.

Wuthering Heights is currently unavailable on DVD & Blu-ray in Region 1. It will presumably be release on home video sometime in 2013 in the U.S.

#2 5 Broken Cameras (dir. Emad Burnat & Guy Davidi):

Back in April, I wrote that, "I don't think I've seen a more affecting documentary this year than Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi's 5 Broken Cameras." It's still true. There hasn't been a week all year that I haven't thought about this film at least once. I could say a lot more about it, but, really, everyone should just watch it instead.

Read my review of 5 Broken Cameras here.

5 Broken Cameras is scheduled for release on DVD on January 15th.

#1 Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan):

I viewed Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Once Upon a Time in Anatolia just before it screened at last year's Portland International Film Festival. I knew that night that there was little chance that I'd encounter another film that could top it in 2012, despite there being ten months left in the year. When writing about it later, I hinted that the plot of the movie is a diversion from what the film is actually about. Most films about a search for a body at night wouldn't stray far from the urgency of that charge. Ceylan's film turns the floodlights directly on the men carrying out the search.

Once Upon a Time in Anatolia tells us more about those men than anything related to the crime being investigated. A completely original, utterly patient, and truly satisfying tale. It's a stone-cold masterpiece; one for the ages.

Read my review of Once Upon a Time in Anatolia here.

Once Upon a Time in Anatolia is currently available on DVD & Blu-ray and can be streamed via Netflix.

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THE BEST OF 2012: #6-10

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:15:00 +0000

#10 In the Family (dir. Patrick Wang):

This tiny, little indie that could slowly toured the country, gathering up word of mouth and positive critical notices wherever it played in 2012. Still, In the Family is a film I've not a single soul reference all year, betraying I think more about what happens when films don't have the luxury of a proper marketing push, festival wins, or distribution than anything to do with the quality of the film. Actor/director Patrick Wang's work here deserves a large audience. In the Family is the smallest, most honest film I saw in 2012.

Read my review of In the Family here.

In the Family is currently still touring the country in limited engagements. Check the website for more details.

#9 Amour (dir. Michael Haneke):

Michael Haneke's work tends to focus on the brutal truths of society; in this regard, he is one of modern cinema's most reliable truth tellers. His latest work, Amour, dodges applying that characteristic to larger social phenomena. Instead, this uneasy honesty is aimed entirely at a naked examination of mortality, fidelity, and the limitations of love. The brutality is still there, but it's present in the way the film is edited. In one quick cut after another, Haneke abruptly moves his characters further to the brink of their shared personal disaster, and it's crushing to apprehend the state of unraveling portrayed onscreen. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva turn in the two best performances of 2012.

Amour is currently still in theaters. Hit up Mr. Movie Times for details of when and where.

#8 Beasts of the Southern Wild (dir. Benh Zeitlin):

Benh Zeitlin could walk away from filmmaking altogether and have made his mark with his debut feature, Beasts of the Southern Wild. A joyous, tragic coming of age narrative that hits up more than a few indie tropes and techniques, but never resembles anything other than its own magical self.
Beasts of the Southern Wild is a disaster lived through the eyes of a child, untouched by the strains of dominant culture and codified knowledge. In Beasts, we finally have something along the lines of what I'd hoped for from Terry Gilliam's adaptation of Mitch Cullin's Tideland (absolutely worth a read, but skip the film).

Read my review of Beasts of the Southern Wild here.

Beasts of the Southern Wild is currently available on DVD & Blu-ray and can be streamed via Amazon Instant Video and VUDU.

#7 Oslo, August 31st (dir. Joachim Trier):

Oslo, August 31st is a difficult film to talk about with those who require a ray of sunshine present in the films they watch. It's all about a guy who wants to die from a self-administered overdose. We know this because early in the film he lets a friend in on his plans. From that point on, we're made to watch as he makes his way through the day, unsure as to whether or not he'll actually go through with it. Crazily enough, the film is incredibly life-affirming, both in the way that the reasons for living pile up (despite our protagonist's inability to acknowledge them) and because Oslo, August 31st is one hell of a film, and (c'mon, movie nerds) what's more life-affirming than that?

Read my review of Oslo, August 31st here.

Oslo, August 31st is currently available on DVD and can be streamed via Netflix.

#6 Dark Horse (dir. Todd Solondz):

Maybe you're one of the many out there who thinks Todd Solondz is past his prime, a relic of the oh-so-cynical 90s. And you'd be forgiven for thinking this way; after all, Storytelling was a huge misstep after the triumphs that were Happiness and Welcome to the Dollhouse. Palindromes only further alienated audiences, enough so that many might not have noticed that Life During Wartime was actually pretty good.

So it's kind of unfortunate that with Dark Horse, his strongest work since the late 90s, most of his audience has already walked away. Trust me, I kinda like what Solondz does on a regular basis, but even I didn't expect him to produce the funniest film of 2012. Sure, it's probably unbearable if you can't deal with humor borne from misery, but that's kind of what Solondz is all about, right? Oh, and it features the best/worst music of any film this year, outside of the re-released 80s cult treat Miami Connection.

Read my review of Dark Horse here.

Dark Horse is currently available on DVD & Blu-ray and can be streamed via Netflix and Amazon Instant Video.

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THE BEST OF 2012: #11-15

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 01:28:00 +0000

#15 Django Unchained (dir. Quentin Tarantino):

It's really difficult to pick a favorite Tarantino flick , but, as far as I'm concerned, Django Unchained is absolutely a contender to the throne. With it and, to a slightly lesser extent, 2009's Inglorious Basterds, Q.T.'s moved from merely referencing the films he loves to a place where he's fully operating within the genres he worships. With this shift, he's traversed the distance between throwing knowing winks up on the screen and perpetrating full-blown homages to some of the greatest and lurid works of the past. The latter path ends up being so much more satisfying, cohesive, and mature.

There's still plenty of dark humor and energetic, bizarro fun to be had here; Tarantino's still Tarantino, after all, but it's also much easier to be lost in Django Unchained as a proper film than it was with the (still massively impressive) Kill Bill films. For my money, this is the best thing he's made since Jackie Brown. And I'm still having a hard time believing how good Jamie Foxx and Leo D-Cap are in this film.

Django Unchained is currently still in theaters. Hit up Mr. Movie Times to find out when and where.

#14 The Fairy (dir. Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon, & Bruno Romy):

A wonderful surprise of a film, completely magical and moving, if you allow yourself to be swept away by it. It's silly, surreal, and visually reminiscent of the best work of Robby Müller. I've seen it twice now and it still holds up on a second viewing. The Fairy is one of those films that I feel like I could recommend to anyone, regardless of taste.

Read my review of The Fairy here.

The Fairy is available on DVD & Blu-ray and can be streamed via Netflix and Amazon Instant Video.

#13 Looper (dir. Rian Johnson):

There's never enough intelligent sci-fi released in any given year. For every Primer, there's a dozen duds like Johnny Mnemonic. Looper wasn't just the 2012's best foray into the genre, it's the best science fiction release since 2009's Moon. Director Rian Johnson built a film out of various spare parts borrowed from other classic entries (Blade Runner, La Jetée, Akira), and he's smart enough to layer and sequence those influences into a clever and mostly unpredictable script that reminds the viewer why, despite the tons of poorly orchestrated sci-fi that fans have had to put up with in their lifetimes, we still go and see these kinds of film, holding out hope that every once in a while we'll stumble upon one of them that is actually kind of great. Looper is one that justifies such patient optimism.

Looper is available on DVD & Blu-ray and can be streamed via Amazon Instant Video and VUDU.

#12 Café de Flore (dir. Jean-Marc Vallée):

Here's a film I nearly skipped out on seeing all together because every single synopsis out there (including the one in the PIFF 35 catalog or even the tagline of the poster) made it sound middling at best. It starts out as a story about a narcissistic dj (Kevin Parent) who's abandoned his family for a hot chick. Trust me, that's the awful part, but it's not what the film's about at all. There's another story thread featuring Vanessa Paradis, which soon gains equal footing with all that rotten dj nonsense. It's when the stories begin to influence and creep into each others space that things get really interesting.

Unfortunately, Jean-Marc Vallée's (The Young Victoria, C.R.A.Z.Y.) film never really got the word of mouth or audience it deserved here in the U.S. It's currently in distribution limbo and, thus, difficult to see. If you are able to track down a screening or import dvd, I'd recommend going into it without much knowledge of plot, since it's the twists that count in this film.

Read my review of Café de Flore here.

Café de Flore is currently unavailable in Region 1 on DVD & Blu-ray. There are import dvd options out there, but you'll want to make sure you can play discs from outside your region before importing.

#11 The Turin Horse (dir. Béla Tarr):

If Béla Tarr is truly stepping away from making films, The Turin Horse is one hell of a way to do it. The film feels like both like a farewell to the medium and Tarr's interest in communicating with humanity. From the first long tracking shot on, it's apparent that we're in the hands of a world master, and that the Hungarian auteur intends to make us aware of what we're losing with each moment of this final, funereal masterpiece.

Read my review of The Turin Horse here.

The Turin Horse is currently available on DVD & Blu-ray and can be streamed via Netflix.

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THE BEST OF 2012: #16-20

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 07:30:00 +0000

#20 Sleepwalk with Me (dir. Mike Birbiglia & Seth Barrish):

Mike Birbiglia tells the film-going public the same long, rambling anecdote that he shared with the This American Life cult back in 2008 and, surprisingly, it doesn't feel like an old story. With the help of This American Life guru Ira Glass and co-director Seth Barrish, Birbiglia's given birth to 2012's best substitution for a decent Woody Allen film. Oh, and nobody seems to be mentioning Lauren Ambrose when writing about this movie, so let me correct that by ending this sentence with the following statement: she's very good in it.

Sleepwalk with Me is available on DVD & Blu-ray and can be streamed via Netflix and Amazon Instant Video.

#19 Compliance (dir. Craig Zobel):

Did I already say that Snowtown was the most disturbing film I saw in 2012 in that last chunk of my best of 2012 list? Okay, it was, but, if that's the case, Craig Zobel's (The Great World of Sound) Compliance makes it in as a close second place holder. Zobel's characters display actions that are so questionable that there were multiple times during the film that I completely lost track of the idea that the film is based on true events. No, I did not feel good about myself or humanity after watching this film, but I couldn't shake it from memory, either.

Read my review of Compliance here.

Compliance is scheduled for release on DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday, January 8th.

#18 The Miners' Hymns (dir. Bill Morrison):

Bill Morrison's work can be located at the intersection of the experimental and the just plain cool. General audiences probably aren't ready for anything he's produced, but, keep in mind, such viewers are to blame for the sequels to National Treasure and Night at the Museum (yeah, you buy into that crap, and someone's always going to line up to shovel more down your throat). Having said that, this is probably his most accessible film to date; it's the one you could watch with your dad. With The Miners' Hymns, Morrison weaves imagery drawn from history into a mesmerizing gaze back at a time and place that's nearly unrecognizable from the present.

Read my review of The Miners' Hymns here.

The Miners' Hymns is available on DVD and can be streamed via Amazon Instant Video.

#17 Beauty is Embarrassing (dir. Neil Berkeley):

Wayne White calls 'em like he sees 'em and, in Neil Berkeley's documentary Beauty is Embarrassing, the puppeteer turned multidisciplinary artist doesn't hold back at all, especially when it comes to talking about his experiences in Hollywood. White is funny, unpredictable, and, best of all, completely committed to the act of creation and telling others that they can to do the same. I probably saw 10 times as many documentaries as I did features in 2012; Beauty is Embarrassing was the one that made me feel the most inspired.

Read my review of Beauty is Embarrassing here.

Beauty is Embarrassing will be released on DVD on January 22nd and currently can be streamed via Amazon Instant Video.

#16 Buoy (dir. Steve Doughton):

Buoy takes an action that would, at the most, fill a couple of minutes in any other movie and stretches it out to feature length. Outside of its first 10 minutes, the entire film is centered around a woman (Tina Holmes) talking to her brother (Matthew Del Negro, who never appears on camera) on the phone. In the hands of writer/director Steve Doughton, it's compelling, emotional, and, above all, compulsively watchable. Who knew that eavesdropping on the conversations of others could be so cathartic? Buoy proves that, in the right hands, less can definitely be more. Seeing is believing and I'd highly recommend seeking this one out when it becomes more widely available.

Buoy is currently unavailable on home video, though plans are being made for an eventual release. For now, you can check out the film's website.

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56 UP: STILL COMPELLING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 16:13:00 +0000

It's been seven years since 49 Up and, like clockwork, director Michael Apted returns with 56 Up, the latest installment in his groundbreaking Up series. Checking in with the lives its English subjects every seven years since they were young schoolchildren, this series of made-for-television documentaries has yielded an amazingly emotional look at ordinary lives lived; their failures and triumphs aired for all the world to witness. It's one thing to appreciate the idea that informs these films, but watching them is an entirely different experience, as it's possible to be drawn into the otherwise private details of the lives of complete strangers.

If this sounds roughly like the effect of watching a season of reality tv, it's probably due to the undeniable influence that the Up series has had on that genre; Apted's initial chapter in the series predates An American Family, PBS' 1971 experiment in reality-based television, by seven years. The difference between the Up series and, say, Jersey Shore, is profound; whereas most reality television takes on a leering gaze, the Up series has always had more anthropological aims in mind. In Apted's hands, the 14 subjects who have taken part in the series have been less representatives of themselves than of the universal experience that is living life and gathering stories along the way.

As we pick up once again with the familiar faces in 56 Up, many of them are beginning to evaluate where they are in their lives, often within the context of the series and how it has and has not fairly represented them. Some complain that it has offered the public a sense of identification that isn't earned, and, surely, being repeatedly approached by complete strangers who want to commiserate with you over the private details of your life must be exhausting. Neil Hughes, whose past struggles with homelessness made him the subject that most viewers worried about in prior chapters, has found stability and is probably the most vocal in his protests that people don't know how he feels just because they've seen small slices of his life on the telly every seven years.

All in all, 56 Up isn't going to surprise viewers, whether or not they've checked in with the series before. But it does offer the same comforts as the past few chapters, mainly the possibility of transformation over time, as many of the "characters" found within have achieved some form of peace with the way their lives have unfolded. Like previous installments, 56 Up betrays its roots in television, especially how each person's story remains a discrete section of the larger whole; Apted doesn't cut between the tales as he might were he presenting a feature documentary, so, even if we're seeing it in theaters in the U.S., the overall style is that of the small screen. This should in no way dissuade anyone from checking in with it, though, as this latest chunk of the Up series retains its fascinating power to pull viewers into the lives of its subjects.

Highly recommended.

56 Up premieres at the IFC Center in NYC on Friday, January 4th. It opens locally at Cinema 21 on January 25th. More info available here.

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GLOW - THE STORY OF THE GORGEOUS LADIES OF WRESTLING: THE RETURN OF BIG BAD MAMA

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 16:01:00 +0000

Where was I when ladies wrestling was a regular fixture on broadcast television? Brett Whitcomb's new documentary GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling paints a picture of massive fame, if not fortune, experienced by these very 1980s ladies, plucked out of obscurity and placed in a televised ring of glory. The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (go ahead, try the link--you'll be amazed) filled the screen on Saturday mornings for years, offering an alternative, but no less campy, option to the testosterone fueled WWF (now WWE) of the time. Partly due to the program's day and time slot, the fan base that developed around GLOW was primarily made up of children, although, as one of the film's subjects points out, hung-over frat boys were a big part of that crowd, too.

As a film, GLOW has a lot of the essential elements in place. There's the undeniably oddball story of a Vegas-financed, all-female wrestling team, made up of mostly non-wrestlers who had to learn their trade on the job. Whitcomb has access to all the colorfully named personalities on hand: Mt. Fiji, Little Egypt, Matilda the Hun, Jailbait, and Big Bad Mama, to name just a few. And since we're talking about a television show, there's a ton of archival footage on hand, too, including one nasty looking injury and a large slathering of posturing in line with what we think of when we think of televised wrestling. If there's one thing missing from the story, it's the perspective of the fans; the size of GLOW's following is mentioned often, yet there's never any insight offered up from the rabid audience that developed around these Gorgeous Ladies.

Still, Whitcomb offers up a deep look into a forgotten moment from our not so distant pop culture past. A doc like GLOW promises on the surface to supply viewers with something to laugh at--and there's certainly more than enough ridiculous stuff to giggle about here--but, surprisingly, the film digs below the surface, unearthing a more emotional perspective than one expects from a documentary about ladies' wrestling. If you're not moved by the story of Mt. Fiji, you're not human. Even if you find wrestling exceedingly dull, the excitement that GLOW generates will spare you the sleeper hold.

GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling plays two-nights-only at the Hollywood Theatre beginning on Saturday, January 5th at 7pm. More info available here.

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ANY DAY NOW: KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY

noreply@blogger.com (Nick Bruno) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 03:05:00 +0000

Travis Fine's Any Day Now is a well-intentioned, 1970s period piece exploring a gay couple's fight to retain custody of a child with special needs. Based on a true story, the film's aims are regrettably matched with an overly melodramatic, tin-eared script that isn't up to the task of breathing life into a scenario that really shouldn't require any punching up at all. It's a film that never surprises, always embracing the safest, most oft-trod path to describing its characters and their conflict. To make matters worse, actors Alan Cumming and Garret Dillahunt pour just about everything they've got into the portrayal of their characters. Their efforts do rescue several scenes from the bland, go-nowhere tendencies of the script, but it's not enough to combat Fine's worst impulses, which continually drag the piece through one tired cliché after another.

Cumming plays Rudy. He's living in a squalid, dump of an apartment building, barely making ends meet and putting up with the loud parties of the junkie (Jamie Anne Allman) who lives next door. When Rudy discovers that his neighbor has left her young son, Marco (Isaac Leyva), without adult supervision, he tries to comfort the boy. When he finds out that she's been arrested, he decides to take in this discarded child with Down Syndrome. Somewhere in between all this, Rudy and Paul (Dillahunt) meet at the bar where Rudy performs as a lip-syncing drag queen. Their attraction is immediate and they act on it. And, whad'ya know, Rudy soon pulls Paul, who works as a lawyer in the district attorney's office, into his attempts to hang on to Marco.

I know what you're thinking. All of this sounds compelling enough, but the film often feels like its trying to fulfill the time requirement to qualify as feature length. It's only 97 minutes long, but, if you took out all the filler (like the parts about Rudy's desire to be a real singer, or Paul's struggle to remain in the closet at work), it might only clock in at barely over an hour. Still, a more streamlined film that kept its focus on the couple's fight to retain custody in the face of rampant prejudice would have been a far more successful film, narrative-wise (witness the similarly-themed accomplishment that was last year's In the Family). What we have here instead is a sad story relayed in a manner that is always sure to indicate when we're supposed to feel sad; cue melancholic music. The cast and story deserved far better.

Any Day Now begins its run at Living Room Theaters on Friday, January 4th. More info available here.

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