Film Intuition: Jen's P.O.V. -- Misc. Reviews, News & Interviews

Fashion News: Barneys Is Opening? Send in the Mannequins!

2009-10-21T15:30:00.002-07:00

BlackBerry camera phone in hand, I was one of the estimated 150,000 visitors who flooded into Scottsdale Fashion Square over a fabulously long four day weekend. While bargains were to be found for the financially fashion focused, the October 15-18 event was centered around the grand opening of Barneys New York that coincided with the unveiling on the mall's east-wing expansion.

Yet like many individuals hit hard by this recession, it wasn't couture I was craving nor as a writer, the always appealing idea of people-watching and window-shopping that found my car navigating towards the Square. No, instead, I was there to witness the mall's Cinderella transformation from a temple of credit card debt waiting to happen into a temporary fashion museum as modeling mannequins took Scottsdale by storm and Fashion Square became Arizona's very own version of the Heidi Klum/Tim Gunn hit Project Runway.

Sponsored by Arizona Foothills Magazine, the refreshingly democratic, all-encompassing, diva-free event which garnered nearly one hundred entries from students, business owners, organizations, and Barneys' creative director Simon Doonan alike may have been titled "The Mannequin is Our Muse" but it was evident when you wandered around each and every design that the artists all had their own distinct muses they were channeling.

Whether it was our very own dessert magician Tammie Coe who combined the mouth-watering white frosted cupcakes she creates as the "visual" structure for her inspired homage to Marilyn Monroe's iconic subway grate shot from The Seven Year Itch or businesses which presented us with images of loyal shoppers or tourists, it was a creatively sumptuous feast that I couldn't help but document as soon as I spotted a mannequin's dress comprised entirely out of colorful drink umbrellas.

Incorporating found art, newspaper designs, dyes, mixed media and all sorts of textiles, flowers, and paints, the exhibit moved freely with no repetition (at least in their placement and juxtaposition) as I explored every look and era imaginable from a mermaid to a few designs that wouldn't be out of place on AMC's Mad Men as well as one that looked like it had escaped from the set of Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette.

Although it was a professionally judged event and the Top Five winning mannequins will be on display at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art throughout the rest of the month and you can additionally vote here on the Arizona Foothills website, I couldn't resist snapping as many pictures as possible to give you an idea of what the display diversity was really like.

Since I was simply using the BlackBerry, not having anticipated I'd be so swept up in the experience, you'll have to forgive some of the out of focus angles and poorly lit shots. For, no matter how much I tried to touch them up, I'm unable to duplicate the best lighting inside Fashion Square, which in my humble opinion just so happens to exist in the women's restroom of Neiman Marcus.

The Neiman lighting is not only the cinematic equivalent of magic hour but if it escaped out of the restroom and was released around the rest of the globe, I'm confident that it would no doubt result in people finding everything they encountered to be as beautiful and fascinating as I found these mannequins pictured below.

Amazon.com Widgets

Unauthorized Reproduction or Publication Elsewhere is Strictly Prohibited.

Film Intuition's September Poll Results: Which Contemporary Latin American Filmmaker's Works Do You Find the Most Compelling?

2009-10-09T11:25:00.009-07:00

The Question:

Film Intuition Salutes Hispanic Heritage Month:

Of the following critically acclaimed contemporary filmmakers, whose cinematic works do you find the most compelling?

The Results:

1) Alfonso Cuarón

2) Guillermo del Toro

3) Tie:
Pedro Almodóvar & Alejandro González Iñárritu

4) Carlos Saura

5) Robert Rodriguez

6) Tie:
Juan José Campanella, Isabel Coixet, Julio Medem & Fernando Meirelles

7) Tie:
Alejandro Amenábar, Walter Salles, Juan Carlos Tabío & Fernando Trueba

Amazon.com Widgets

Text ©2009, Film Intuition, LLC; All Rights Reserved. http://www.filmintuition.com
Unauthorized Reproduction or Publication Elsewhere is Strictly Prohibited.

New on DVD & Blu-ray (Highlights of Mid to Late September, 2009)

2009-09-30T11:12:00.002-07:00

Explore the Newest Releases & Hottest Pre-Orders

Check Out Our Early September New Release Posts

The Week of 9/6/09
The Week of 8/30/09

Best Sellers & Fan Favorites:
Review Links & Information

30 Rock - Season Three

42nd Street Forever 5: Alamo Drafthouse Edition

Adam Resurrected

Affairs of the Heart: Series 2

An American Werewolf in London [Blu-ray]

Army of Darkness: Screwhead Edition

Away We Go

Barbie and The Three Musketeers

Battle for Terra

Batman Collection: 4 Film Favorites

The Beiderbecke Tapes

The Big Bang Theory: Season 2

Billy Jack [Blu-ray]

Bionicle: The Legend Reborn

Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi [Blu-ray]

Blood and Bone

Brotherhood: The Final Season

Cagney & Lacey: The Menopause Years (Box Set)

Care Bears: Bear Buddies

Castle: Season 1

Child's Play [Blu-ray]

Clive Barker's Book of Blood

Clone Commandos

Cobra: The Complete Collection

The Complete Monterey Pop Festival- Criterion Collection [Blu-ray]

Crash: Season 1

Crude Independence

CSI Miami: Season 7

CSI NY: Season 5

Dark Crystal [Blu-ray]

Dark Shadows

Daybreak: The Complete Series

Deep Impact [Blu-ray]

Directed by John Ford

Disney Animation Collection 7: Mickey's Christmas Carol

Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom

Eastern College

Easy Virtue

Edges of Darkness

Essential Art House Gervaise

Essential Art House Le Jour se Lève

Essential Art House Mayerling

Fame

Fear Itself

Filth and the Wisdom

Fireproof [Blu-ray]

Foyle's War: Series 1-5 - From Dunkirk to VE-Day

Friday the 13th: The Series - The Final Season

Ghost Cat

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

The Girlfriend Experience

Gojira [Blu-ray]

Grace

Grey’s Anatomy: Season 5

The Guild: Seasons 1 & 2

The Hannibal Lecter Anthology [Blu-ray]

The Haunted World of El Superbeasto

Haunting of Collinwood

Haunting of Winchester House

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer [Blu-ray]

Hero [Blu-ray]

The Hills Run Red

Hot Fuzz [Blu-ray]

How I Met Your Mother: Season 4

Iron Monkey [Blu-ray]

The It Crowd Season 3

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Season 4

Jim Henson’s Fantasy Film Collection

Jonas Rockin' the House (Volume 1)

The Judy Garland Show, Vol. 2

King Kong vs Godzilla

Kings: Complete Series

Labyrinth [Blu-ray]

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - The Tenth Year

Legend of Drunken Master [Blu-ray]

The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club

Lies & Illusions

Life on Mars: Complete Series [US Version]

The Lost and Found Family

Lymelife

Madonna: Celebration: The Video Collection

Management

Marvel: X-Men Vol. 3 & 4

The Mentalist: The Complete First Season

Mercy Streets (2000)

Midsomer Murders: Set 13

Mr. Men

Monsters vs. Aliens

A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa

My Name is Earl: Season 4

Naruto Uncut Box Set, Vol. 16

The New York Ripper [Blu-ray]

Next Day Air

Nightmare

Nightwatching

No Through Road

Note By Note: The Making of Steinway L103

O’Horten

Observe and Report

The Patty Duke Show: Season 1

Paul Newman: The Tribute Collection

Phantasm 2

Pierrot Le Fou- Criterion Collection [Blu-ray]

Police Academy 1-4 Collection: 4 Film Favorites

Primeval: Vol. 2

Private Practice: Season 2

PVC-1

Rage

The Real Ghostbusters: Complete Collection

Rumba

Sanctuary: Season 1

Scooby-Doo: The Mystery Begins

Secrecy

Secret Policeman’s Ball: Secret Policeman Rocks!

Sense and Sensibility (1971)

Sgt. Frog: Season 1, Part 1

Shaun of the Dead [Blu-ray]

The Shortcut

Shrink

Snakes on a Plane [Blu-ray]

SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes

Streets of Blood [Blu-ray]

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

Taxi: The Complete Fourth Season

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles - The Complete Second Season

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre [Blu-ray]

Traffik

Transformers: Season 2, Volume 1

Treeless Mountain

Trumbo

Tulpan

Ugly Betty: Season 3

The Ultimate Force of Four [Blu-ray]

Uncross the Stars

The Unit: Season 4

The Universe: The Complete Season Three [Blu-ray]

Van Helsing [Blu-ray]

Varsity Blues: Deluxe Edition

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Wagon Master

Wallace and Gromit

White Night Wedding

The Wiggles: Big, Big Show!

Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving

Wizard of Oz: Ultimate Collection

Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana

New on DVD & Blu-ray for the Week of 9/6/09 (Plus Misc. Entertainment Titles)

2009-09-08T22:30:00.003-07:00

Jen's Video Picks of the Week

Amazon.com Widgets

Bookmark this on Delicious

Print Page

Alvin and the Chipmunks Go to the Movies: Star Wreck

Alvin and the Chipmunks:
The Very First Alvin Show

Anti-Terrorist Cell: Manhunt

Bedknobs and Broomsticks

Bleach Movie 2: The DiamondDust Rebellion

Bob Clampett's Beany And Cecil, Vol. 2

Catwoman [Blu-ray]

Charlie and Lola, Vol. 9:
What Can I Wear for Halloween?

City of Angels (Keepcase)

Classic TV Sherlock Holmes Collection, Vol. 2

Contact (Keepcase)

The Country Teacher

Crank 2: High Voltage

Creepshow

Criminal Minds: The Complete Fourth Season

Dance Flick [Blu-ray]

Dangerous Dames Collection

Dead Calm [Blu-ray]

Deep Blue Sea (Keepcase)

Eloise

Forever Young (Keepcase)

Freddy vs. Jason [Blu-ray]

Friday

Fringe: The Complete First Season

From Dusk Till Dawn Triple Pack

Goosebumps: Attack of the Jack-O-Lanterns

Goosebumps: The Headless Ghost

Groucho Marx Collection: You Bet Your Life

Halloween Triple Pack

Harper's Island: The DVD Edition

Homicide- Criterion Collection

The Human Condition- Criterion Collection

Important Things with Demetri Martin: Season One

Inspector Gadget: The Go Go Gadget Collection

Little Einsteins: Fire Truck Rocket's Blastoff

Local Color

Mad Monster Party

Martini Movies: Wave 3

- The Buttercup Chain

- Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing

- Model Shop

- The Pursuit of Happiness

- Summertree

Masters of the Universe (Keepcase)

Memphis Belle (Keepcase)

Menace II Society

Michael Loftus: You've Changed

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse:
Mickey's Adventures in Wonderland

Mr. Belvedere: Season Three

MTV's Nitro Circus: Season One

Nature of the Beast

The New World (The Extended Cut) [Blu-ray]

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

The Office Season 5

One Foot in the Grave: The Complete Series

Over the Top

Parks & Recreation: Season One

Point of No Return (Keepcase)

The Postman [Blu-ray]

Power Rangers RPM, Vol. 2: Race for Corinth

Princess Enchanted Tales:
Follow Your Dreams Special Edition

Prodigal

The Quick and the Dead [Blu-ray]

Requiem for a Dream [Blu-ray]

Rise of the Gargoyles

Scary Movie Triple Pack

Scream Triple Pack

The Secret Garden (Keepcase)

Set It Off

Shaq & Cedric The Entertainer Present: All Star Comedy Jam

Silent Light

Silverado [Blu-ray]

Sleep Dealer

Sphere [Blu-ray]

Super Mario Brothers: Mega Mario Mix

That Hamilton Woman- Criterion Collection

Thomas & Friends: Hero of the Rails

True Jackson VP: Season One, Vol. One

UFC 99: Franklin vs. Silva

Universal Horror: Classic Movie Archive

Valentino: The Last Emperor

Worst Week: The Complete Series

Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!: Wubbzy Goes Boo

Film Intuition's August Poll Results: What Is Quentin Tarantino's Best Directorial Effort?

2009-09-01T12:36:00.006-07:00

Before QT Produced His Inglorious Basterds

We Asked The Question:

"In anticipation of his newest release--
considering the following films, which movie would you select as Quentin Tarantino's finest directorial achievement so far?"

The Choices:
(in chronological order)

Bookmark this on Delicious

Print Page

The Results:

Pulp Fiction 37%
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 24%
Reservoir Dogs 19%
Jackie Brown 14%
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 4%

Jen's Take

When the poll began at the start of August, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 had an enormous lead and it seemed like it's greatest rival would be Reservoir Dogs but the sword turned as the month went on, making it a three way race between winner Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Reservoir Dogs.

I was surprised to see Jackie Brown pick up some momentum but then again, I've always found the underrated film to be his most accessible work for all generations and QT has even gone on to acknowledge that he has so many mothers come up to him and say, "My kid loves ____ but I love Jackie Brown." This reviewer's mother would probably agree although she is partial to Kill Bill as well so much that when a surprise advanced screening of Vol. 2 popped up on Easter Sunday, I asked her to come along as my guest. Films first, food second is our family's motto!

I'm a bit stunned over the paltry 4% vote given to Kill Bill: Vol. 2 but grant that it is missing the action-packed sequences of the first including that final masterful--man, nearly hour long showdown-- as Uma Thurman takes on endless villains including my personal favorite, Go-Go Yubari and not just because she has my hairstyle.

I still feel that Pulp Fiction is one of the greatest films of the '90s and I'd have to agree with it being Tarantino's best especially because it's a wonderful gateway movie for film buffs to study what it was about it that made it so unique including breaking the traditional Syd Field preached three-act screenplay structure and using all of the films he'd seen before him as his own version of film school. Instead of the "film school generation," the "film geek generation" was born and suddenly people realized they could become self-taught minus the student loans by analyzing his influences especially the French New Wave which became a new obsession of mine after viewing Quentin's stunning Fiction.

Although we had to suffer endless copycat filmmakers in the '90s as well as QT's over-exposure as he spread himself far too thin. However, the demand was there and so was QT which perhaps led to his decision to adapt an Elmore Leonard novel as his feature-length follow-up film since-- with so much success so soon-- the pressure has to be insane. Yet to his credit and our great amazement, he continued to produce truly excellent works.

While they were indeed controversial as I still remember the Spike Lee/QT battle over Jackie Brown (and can see and appreciate both sides) and a few ensemble projects including his post-Fiction uneven Four Rooms and his superior half of Grindhouse with Death Proof (that I feel I'm the only person on the planet who genuinely dug).

However, when he unleashed the opus of Kill Bill onto masses, a whole new younger generation felt the same thrill we'd experienced with Fiction and hopefully began turning towards the Criterion Collection and Dragon Dynasty DVDs to discover just which movies had led to the work that introduced us to a memorable Bride who (unlike Francois Truffaut's) did not wear black but that awesome yellow suit to exact bloody revenge.

Whether you love him or hate him or hate or love his movies, his influences and the films he's influenced by are a vital part of our cinematic landscape and American moviemaking, in my opinion, has become all the better for it.

Thank you for making this our most successful and popular poll so far-- September's topic will be announced soon.