persona

Valentines Day A-Z: List #4: the weird and obscure

2016-02-14T10:38:00.000-06:00

There's a chance you've seen some of these, or maybe you haven't even heard of them. These picks will be filled with either violence, overt sexuality, heart-wrenching social issues, or just a good old fashioned torrid love affair. I would not use the word "happy" to describe any of these. There were a lot of ties. Enjoy, and Happy Valentine's Day. Side note: I will go back through the lists and properly mark all the foreign picks for those who hate (or love) to read your movies.

Ali: Fear Eats the Soul- Ger
tie: Broken Circle Breakdown- Danish & Blue Velvet
Carnal Knowledge
Dreamers
End of the Affair
Fish Tank
Graduate
Hannah and Her Sisters
tie: In the Realm of the Senses- Jap & In the Cut
tie: Jackie Brown & Jude
tie: Love Streams & Leaving Las Vegas
Mona Lisa
Never Let Me Go
Only Lovers Left Alive
tie: Piano Teacher- Fre & Paris, Texas
Quills
Reader
tie: Skin I Live In- Spa & Secretary
Talk to Her- Spa
Unbearable Lightness of Being
Valmont
tie: W.E. & Woman Under the Influence
Young Adult

Valentines A to Z #3: Foreign

2016-02-13T19:34:00.000-06:00

I could do four lists of just foreign. Keep the comments and your picks coming!
Here is list number 3: foreign (including British) romantic dramas. I used the title that the film is most known by followed by the country abbreviation it is from.

Amalie- Fre
Black Orpheus- Brazil
Casque d'or- Fre
Day for Night- Fre
Elena and Her Men- Fre
Fat Girl- Fre
Gertrude- Danish
Hiroshima mon amour- Fre
In the Mood for Love- Hong Kong
Love Me if you Dare- Fre
Miss Julie- Swe
La Notte- Ita
Pygmalion- Bri
Royal Affair- Danish
Summer Interlude- Swe
Tell No One- Fre
Umbrellas of Cherbourg- Fre
Very Long Engagement- Fre
Wings of Desire- Ger
Zorba the Greek- Greek

Valentines A-Z #2: Modern

2016-02-12T12:40:00.000-06:00

The second list is modern romantic dramas (modern meaning movies released after 1970). I'm sure I will be getting more guff for this list. It's only going to get weirder and more obscure from here. Again, no repeats from the A.V. list.

About a Boy

Before Series (Sunrise, Sunset, Midnight)

Carol

Dirty Dancing

English Patient

500 Days of Summer

Groundhogs Day

Her

Jane Eyre (2011)

Klute

Last Of the Mohicans

Manhattan

Notebook

Officer and a Gentleman

Princess Bride

Royal Affair

Sense and Sensibility

True Romance

Up in the Air

Vicky, Christina, Barcelona

Valentines List One: the Classics

2016-02-11T22:59:00.001-06:00

The A.V. Club recently put out a list of best romantic comedies A to Z, and I have decided to make one of my own. I couldn't choose just one film per letter, so I ended up with four lists. I wanted to do romantic dramas instead, only listing films I've seen, no animation, and no repeats from the A.V. list.
The four lists are Classics, Modern, Foreign, and Misc.
Here are the Classics (films before 1970). Should you want me to expand on, or explain any of these picks, send me a message at op70no1@gmail.com.

An Affair to Remember
Brief Encounter
Charade
La Dolce Vita
Earrings of Madame de...
Faces
Gone With the Wind
His Girl Friday
It's a Wonderful Life
Jules and Jim
Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
My Man Godfrey
Notorious
On the Waterfront
Philadelphia Story
Red Shoes
Splendor in the Grass
That Hamilton Woman
Under the Roofs of Paris
Vertigo
Written on the Wind

Change in direction.

2015-11-01T15:32:00.000-06:00

Blogs are, or can be hard. They are for me. I was always amused and surprised when people assumed I was or had talent in being a writer. Now, while my love of all things cinema hasn't waned, my wanting to write about it has. I love talking about movies and turning people on to new films, and I think I found a better way to do that.

As someone who has avidly used Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon for movie and t.v. watching, I was always annoyed by what they recommended for me to watch based on what I've seen. It was maybe 20% accurate, and most of that 20% consisted of films I had already seen.

What I'm proposing is to provide an accurate and personalized list of movies for people based on their interests and favorites filtered through however they watch movies (Netflix etc). I'd also love for this to be a sounding board for discussions on movies.

Here's how this'll start: send me 5-10 films (through facebook, email, or this blog) of any genre or era that you love, and I will give you recommendations based on that. My hope here is to maybe introduce you to something new and expand your world through cinema. Once I get a feel for your taste and interest, I can continue to send you weekly or monthly suggestions.

Will I still blog on the occasional film? Maybe. Until then, list away.

k.

Criterion Top "10"

2015-08-28T23:42:00.001-05:00

I am an avid buyer, watcher, follower, and supporter of the Criterion Collection. What is the Criterion Collection? In short it is a continuing series (now 786 titles) of important classic and contemporary films. Click here for more info. There is an ongoing slew of famous people that stop by the offices to look at the collection and give their top 10 or so favorite Criterion films. The Criterion website is also a great place to just explore the world of cinema.
I have often wondered how anyone can choose only 10. So using some parameters and upping it to 25, I have finally come up with a list. The parameters: I can only pick the titles I've seen the Criterion version of, so seeing any Wes Anderson film just in the theatre doesn't count. Here is my List in no particular order.
1. Long Good Friday
2. Diabolique
3. Red Shoes
4. Passion of Joan of Ark
5. Brief Encounter
6. L'avventura
7. Throne of Blood
8. Faces
9. Fat Girl
10. Jules and Jim
11. Au hasard Balthazar
12. Battle of Algiers
13. Le Samourai
14. Elevator to the Gallows
15. My Night at Maud's
16. Earrings of Madame de...
17. Repulsion
18. Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
19. Last Days of Disco
20. Z
21. Paris, Texas
22. Summer Hours
23. Fish Tank
24. Blue
25. Persona

I will probably want to change half of these when I look at this tomorrow. Now please feel free to leave your comments or questions, and let the listing begin!
Thanks for reading,
k.

T.V. Series: Crime Shows

2014-09-17T23:56:00.000-05:00

After a three year hiatus, I've decided to give this blog another go. Having discussed what to blog about specifically with many people, it has come down to two things: television and movies that went under the radar that shouldn't be missed. So, since I just completed a marathon run of Homeland season 3 (thanks to Junior), I'm going to go with television.
Let's talk about crime/police/detective shows. I will do my best not to disclose any cliffhangers and ask anyone who leaves comments to do the same. There are a lot that I really like, but I'm going to narrow it down to eight that have aired within the last ten years.

1) Endeavour. Two Birds with one stone. A great detective story and a period piece. This series (third season to come out 2016) is a prequel to the popular BBC series Inspector Morse.
2) Fall. Only one season so far. Gillian Anderson is back on the small screen (as the best ice queen since Patty Hewes) as a detective brought in to help catch a serial killer.
3) Foyle's War. Considered too old to fight in WWII, Foyle has to stay behind and catch the criminals still in England. Seasons 1-7 take place during the war, and season 8 right after. Season 9 (TBA) will delve into the Cold War and I can't wait!!!!
4) Killing. This one stuck with me and probably will for quite a while. The first two seasons are based off a Danish show, and deal with one case: Who killed Rosie Larsen? Seasons 3 and 4 are separate cases with the same detectives. Brutally awesome.
5) Sherlock. Like nos. 1 and 3, this is a Masterpiece Mystery Series. I cannot think of better way to redo these stories, and they way they've brought it into the 21st century is nothing short of genius.
6) Spiral. It's similar to the Wire, but French and way more graphic. By graphic I mean nudity and instead of showing the violent act, they show the results of the violence. Each season follows one case from all sides. The cast in this is absolutely fantastic. Four seasons so far.
7) Top of the Lake. This is the result of an amazing film director getting into television. It's only one season that is completely submerged in absolute beauty midst the darkest secrets in a small town.
8) Wire.. This is everything that television has the potential to be. With stories brought to life by excellent writing and unflinching acting, this show has given us a social commentary that cannot be ignored and perhaps the greatest characters of all time. You can ignore and dismiss everything else, but you cannot do so to the Wire.

If you have seen all of these and want more recommendations, I have 10 more I can throw at you. I haven't decided whether or not to do a rating system. Any relevant thoughts or comments are welcome. Thanks for reading.

k.

So it begins,

2011-10-12T11:49:00.000-05:00

  I'm excited to announce that Oscar season has begun. This means more films that either mean something, or at least are of a higher quality. More of Phillip Seymore Hoffman, A-list directors, independant gems, and Daniel Day Lewis' moustache.
So far there have been two films (both currently out in theatres) that I fully endorse. The first being Drive  Ryan Gosling plays a man of few words that is a mechanic and stunt driver by day, and assissts in robberies at night. It's stylish, slow, and I heard someone call it pretentious, and it is. That aside, I loved this film and everyone in it. It looked great and sounded even better with moments of sweet innocence lapsed with extreme violence. If you liked this film, I highly recommend Nicolas Winding Refn's other two films i've seen: Bronson (which has the greatest soundtrack ever), and Valhalla Rising (the most violent film i've seen).
   The second film is on the complete other side of the spectrum. Ides Of March is a political thriller for the political junkie. This is a moral tale set in a race for the Democratic primary. Directed by and starring George Clooney who loosely adapted it from the play called Farragut North by Beau Willimon. The cast is nothing short of Oscar fodder: Phillip Seymore Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Paul Giamatti, Jeffrey Wright, and the star of the show Ryan Gosling. Ryan, Phillip, and Evan play aides to Georges' canidate for President. If you like politics, or even half this cast, it's a must see.

Goodbye

2011-08-03T19:19:00.001-05:00

    I've lived in a variety of places in the U.S.. Some longer than others, but the length of knowing people didn't make saying good-bye any easier. I've lived in Minneapolis just shy of 6 years and I believe that this was the hardest farewell to date. I first experienced that pang in your heart of seeing somebody you care about go away at a very young age. First with my sisters, then my brothers, then moving to a new school. By then I had become a restless soul doomed to wander the earth. This wandering brought me to Minneapolis, and for the first time since childhood I felt settled.
   I think that's why this move, and the decision to return home, was so bittersweet. So in tribute to all that, here are some of my favorite scenes of departure.
1. Lost In Translation. The end of random friendship.
2. Almost Famous. One of the greatest gifts we can give each other.
3. The Wizard Of Oz. Saying goodbye to go home.
4. E.T.:The Extra Terrestrial.   Go. Stay. Ouch.
5. For all my fellow Target creatures...Watch.
It's been a pleasure. Stay classy Minneapolis.

Cinema heat wave

2011-07-19T09:53:00.001-05:00

       I am now sitting in my fourth floor apartment in the middle of a heat wave with no air conditioning and one fan. The only thing I am able to do is stare at the wall, try not to move, and be thankful I'm not my cat. As I endure my plight, I find myself thinking and relating to films I'd seen where the heat index played a leading role. Here are my top four.
      1) Body Heat (1981). I first saw this about a year ago during the winter, and after about 20 minutes it felt like July. This film propelled both William Hurt and Kathleen Turner to fame and rightly so. When you first see Turner on the screen she's "in a white dress that makes it look as if she's about to burst into flames." Obviously she's worth killing for.
      2) Do The Right Thing (1989). Spike Lees masterpiece about race and class tension during a sweltering New York heat wave. The tension gives way to conflict and rioting and the weather is a viable suspect. Lee captures the heat so well you almost wipe the brow of your T.V..
      3) Dog Day Afternoon (1975). Sidney Lumets brave film of a man who robs a bank to pay for his boyfriends sex change operation. As the robber (Pacino) tries to keep himself and the hostages cool, the streets heat up and the people of New York begin to gather to cheer on the misfit. This was shot on location with no score or soundtrack just raw nerves exposed in the elements. Based on a true story.
      4) In The Heat Of The Night (1967). Start with a Mississippi summer before there was airconditioning. Add the racial tensions of the South in the 60's, and you get this powderkeg of a film. Poitier, in perhaps his best role, is a detective from Philadelphia stuck in a small Mississippi town that becomes a suspect involved with "a murder they don't know what to do with."
      These are just four that I've seen that come to mind. What films would you add to this list?

Request #1

2011-06-09T07:25:00.001-05:00

So while I continue to wrap my mind around Tree Of Life, I will fulfill a request to blog of a classic film that continues to scare and entertain...Wait Until Dark. This is one of my favorite scary movies and one of Audrey Hepburns greatest performances. I have never been a fan of gory films, but I don't mind being scared. If you're like me, this is the film for you. Audrey plays a woman who has recently lost her sight and becomes entangled in a desperate search for a doll that happens to contain heroin. I've seen this several times and it still gives me goosebumps.
The best part of the film for me is Alan Arkin, who plays the mastermind of three thugs trying to get their hands on the doll. He nails one of the creepiest, slimiest bad guy roles in film. It's full of 'jump in your seat' moments that are never once hokey interlaced with a feeling of dreaded anticipation for what's next. Top it off with the eeriest film score i've ever heard which is composed by Henry Mancini. I once made about a dozen 14 year olds watch this during a lock in. My hearing took a worthwhile toll. Be sure not to watch it alone......

Freedom Riders

2011-05-22T07:40:00.000-05:00

   Now as much as i enjoy escaping everyday life by diving into a good film, sometimes learning about our past or stories of long ago can be just as enjoyable. I have PBS to thank for that. Not only do they broadcast the most amazing (and high quality) films and documentaries, but they rerun them during the night and online so people like me can view then for free. Thank you PBS! Anyways, I'd like to talk about such a program that I have seen recently.
   This is a subject that I've always been (especially considering my family and upbringing) rather sensitive to. It was an episode of American Experience called Freedom Riders. In 1961 the American South was still very segregated. African Americans basically had little to no rights. Even civil rights and equality laws passed by Congress were completely ignored by local and state governments. Something so simple as eating lunch at a diner or talking back to a white man could cost you your life. This was most evident in Alabama and Mississippi. So when two groups of young people consisting of blacks and whites, men and women, decided to ride a greyhound bus from D.C. to New Orleans, everthing changed. They fought segregation head on. They were a non-violent army that stood against that which was wrong. Watch this trailer.

   Neither bus made it past Mississippi. The first bus didn't even make it to Birmingham without being surrounded by local klansmen and set on fire. The second bus made it to Birmingham only to face severe beatings. The whites involved were beaten first because the only thing they hated more than blacks were "nigger lovers". The fear and violence endured and the bravery and non-violent reaction by these modern day hero's and those that picked up their cause when they fell are to be saluted and applauded as much as any soldier who fought in any war. Please watch this episode if you haven't already.

   This is a great stain in our country's history. While it is important to remember where we've come from, it is equally important to step back and reflect on who we now are and where we are headed. Watching this has made me do so, and I hope it does the same for you who watch it. I look forward to hearing your comments on the matter.

Straw Dogs

2011-05-19T10:43:00.001-05:00

I recently discovered that this is being remade. No i will not see the remake. Not ever. Why? Well i'd rather just watch the original again. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, Straw Dogs (1971) is an amazing film. It is, however, not for everyone. This film is very shocking in it's violence and sexuality. One of Dustin Hoffmans greatest performances, and my favorite film by Sam Peckinpah (Wild Bunch, The Getaway).

A New Way

2011-05-19T10:16:00.000-05:00

I've decided to reformat this whole fiasco. No full-on blogs. I suppose you could consider this to now be a film diary of sorts. I have had some of you say to me that I'm considered to be your personal film critic, and to that I'm honored and hope to serve you well. So here's the deal: every film I watch from now on will be posted along with a brief review. I have no rating system as of yet, but I am open to ideas. If there is a particular film you'd like me to review or want my opinion on, please leave a comment or email me at op70no1@gmail.com. Thank you and enjoy.

The Royal Tenenbaums

2011-04-05T05:10:00.008-05:00

It was very difficult to choose a film for my first blog. This feels like a first date. The nervousness and not knowing whether it'll end at date two or flourish into a beautiful union. Well here's to the latter. So why Royal Tenenbaums?
This is the first of Wes Anderson's films that I had seen. While most rave on and on about Rushmore (made in 1998), it was this film that I really connected with. First of all this film is perfectly casted. From the children to the parents down to the amazing smaller roles and cameos (Seymore Cassel was absolutely brilliant). One of the many things I love about Wes is that his films merit multiple viewings. I catch something new every time. This can easily be said for all of his films (I didn't like Life Aquatic the first time I saw it, but now I totally love it).
He has a very particular look and feel to his films. Stylish and sentimental, this film portrays the complexity of relationships and family with a biting and subtle humor. He tackles the painful moments of life, love, and even drug use with a formal matter-of-fact attitude that I find refreshing. Now I must mention the soundtrack. His use of punk, pop, and Mark Mothersbaugh's original score aligns itself perfectly his lush visuals and witty dialouge. Wes Anderson is one of the best directors of my generation, and this movie is one of his best.

Royal: Can I say something to you, Henry?
Henry Sherman: Okay.
Royal: I've always been considered an asshole for about as long as I can remember. Uh, that's just my style. But I'd really feel blue if I didn't think you were going to forgive me.
Henry Sherman: I don't think you're an asshole, Royal, I just think you're kind of a son of a bitch.
Royal: Well, I really appreciate that.

What's it all about?

2011-03-28T15:47:00.005-05:00

I thought I'd send out my first blog here as a sort of mission statement as to what it's all about.
I am an avid watcher of films...all films. I admit that I was a late bloomer when it came to movies, but have more than made up for that. Years ago I worked at a video rental store that had the largest collection of films in probably the entire Midwest. While I was there I began to catalogue every movie I had ever seen. This is also where I discovered the Criterion Collection. It is now one of my goals to see every film in that collection. So here I am several years later and my love for all things cinema has flourished to quite the obsession. Many of the films I'll review and comment about will be older films and mostly those from Criterion along with a few fresh ones I'll catch in theatres. I will do my best to be informative while keeping the snobbery to a minimum. Enjoy.
k.