Out of the Past: May & June 2011 In Film

Well, here is a comprehensive list of cinema experience in my last two months in Minnesota. I already miss a lot of things about Minneapolis, but I am thrilled to be in California. Now settling in nicely to West Hollywood with my lovely husband, I am looking forward to getting back in the habit of running weekly lists highlighting excellent (and sometimes not so hot) cinema to share!

Cess Pool Cinema:
Rites of Passage (1999) Dir. Victor Salva - US
Vanishing on 7th Street (2010) Dir. Brad Anderson - US
Gigli (2003) Dir. Martin Brest - US
Drive Angry (2011) Dir. Patrick Lussier - US
White Chicks (2004) Dir. Keenen Ivory Wayans - US
The In-Laws (2003) Dir. Andrew Fleming - US

The Banal, the Blah, the Banausic:
Panther (1995) Dir. Mario Van Peebles - US
Steam of Life (2010) Dir. Joonas Berghall & Mika Hotakainen - Finland
Tron: Legacy (2010) Dir. Joseph Kosinski - US
The Bengali Detective (2010) Dir. 2011 - India
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956) Dir. Fritz Lang - US
Seven Pounds (2008) Dir. Gabriele Muccino - US
Microphone (2010) Dir. Ahmad Abdalla - Egypt
The Rainbow Thief (1990) Dir. Alejandro Jodorowsky - UK
Rubber (2010) Dir. Quentin Dupieux - France
The Monkey Hustle (1976) Dir. Arthur Marks - US

Guilty Pleasures:
Swamp Thing (1982) Dir. Wes Craven - US
All the Little Animals (1998) Dir. Jeremy Thomas - UK
Goodbye, My Fancy (1950) Dir. Vincent Sherman - US
Blind Beast (1969) Dir. Yasuzo Masumura - Japan
Cobra Woman (1944) Dir. Robert Siodmak - US
Revenge of the Nerds (1984) Dir. Jeff Kanew - US
Cleopatra Jones (1973) Dir. Jack Starrett - US
MST3k: Swamp Diamonds (1956) Dir. Roger Corman - US

Of Interest:
The Beautiful Person (2008) Dir. Christophe Honore - France
Bebe's Kids (1992) Dir. Bruce W. Smith - US
The Human Resources Manager (2010) Dir. Eran Riklis - Israel
The Tenants (2009) Dir. Sergio Bianchi - Brazil
The Light Thief (2010) Dir. Aktan Abdykalykov - Kyrgyzstan

Recommended:
Lord of the Flies (1963) Dir. Peter Brook - UK
Chinaman (2005) Dir. Henrik Ruben Genz - Denmark
Sheer Madness (1983) Dir. Margarethe Von Trotta - West Germany
Jo Jo Dancer: Your Life Is Calling (1986) Dir. Richard Pryor - US
Black Death (2010) Dir. Christopher Smith - UK
Secret Beyond the Door (1947) Dir. Fritz Lang - US
Come Undone (2000) Dir. Sebastien Lifshitz - France
The Sticky Fingers of Time (1997) Dir. Hilary Brougher - US
Chawz (2009) Dir. Shin Jeong-won - South Korea

Essential Cinema:
If These Walls Could Talk (1996) Dir(s): Nancy Savoca; Cher - US
Graveyard of Honor (2002) Dir. Takashi Miike - Japan
Road House (1948) Dir. Jean Negulesco - US
No Orchids For Miss Blandish (1948) Dir. St. John Legh Clows - UK
Grey Gardens (2009) Dir. Muchael Sucsy - US
Mary & Max (2009) Dir. Adam Elliott - Australia
A Nos Amours (1983) Dir. Maurice Pialat - France
Ratcatcher (1999) Dir. Lynne Ramsay - UK
Grey Gardens (1975) Dir(s): Albert & David Maysles; Ellen Hovde; Muffie Meyer - US
Crooklyn (1994) Dir. Spike Lee - US
Woman of Straw (1964) Dir. Basil Dearden - UK
Street of Shame (1956) Dir. Kenji Mizoguchi
Gone With the Wind (1939) Dir. Victor Fleming - US

Theatrical Screenings:
Circo (2010) Dir. Aaron Schock - Mexico/US 7/10
Attack the Block (2011) Dir. Joe Cornish - UK 8/10
Midnight In Paris (2011) Dir. Woody Allen - US 8/10
The Hangover: Part II (2011) Dir. Todd Phillips - US 3/10
Queen to Play (2009) Dir. Caroline Bottaro - France 9/10
The Tree of Life (2011) Dir. Terrence Malick - US 8/10
Super 8 (2011) Dir. J.J. Abrams - US 9/10
The Double Hour (2009) Dir. Giuseppe Capotondi - Italy 9/10
Submarine (2010) Dir. Richard Ayoade - UK 9/10
Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010) Dir. Werner Herzog - US/Canada/France 8/10
X Men: First Class (2011) Dir. Matthew Vaughn - US 5/10

Rewatched:
The Emporer's New Groove (2000) Dir. Mark Dindal - US
Poetic Justice (1993) Dir. John Singlteon - US
Alien (1979) Dir. Ridley Scott - US
Fargo (1996) Dir. Coen Bros. US

Au Revoir Les Enfants Terribles! - The Last Picture Show at the Bell Theater

It is with a sad yet joyous heart that both Joseph and I invite you to one final grand movie night in our cinema haven. As most of you are already aware, Joseph and I will be moving to Los Angeles shortly after July 4th, and we hope that you are able to stop by and celebrate with us on Saturday, June 25th, 2011. We understand that this is Pride weekend and some of you may have other engagements, but we hope you can drop in for one or both films, or just to say hello. We would like to attempt to walk down the street to the 19 bar for libations and commiserations after our cinematic exploits. Therefore, we would like to begin early on this final movie night by starting at 4:oo PM. Parking may be difficult, so we would be willing to come pick you up at your car if it is necessary to park an astronomical distance from the premises.

In celebration of our departure, we would like to screen the immortal, iconic screen debuts of our favorite leading ladies: Janet Jackson in Poetic Justice (1993) and Sigourney Weaver in Alien (1979). We will be providing Papa Murphy's pizza and some hard liquors for your enjoyment, as well as a dessert or two. If you have received this invitation, we sincerely hope to see you on this last night of cinematic dissemination so we can enjoy some drinks, some time together, and, of course, Janet and Siggy.

We hope that we can remain in contact (in more ways than checking facebook updates) and stay abreast of each other's lives. While it has been a long term goal at last realized for us to move to California, we will miss you all very much. And we hope that you come visit us!

And when we finally say goodbye, I hope it feels a lot like this clip from Ghost, but without the sucking face.

In the words of darling Emily Dickinson, "Parting is all we know of heaven and all we need to know of hell."

Out of the Past: The Week(s) in Film 4/16-5/19

Cess Pool Cinema:
Steam (2007) Dir. Kyle Schickner – US
Streets of Blood (2009) Dir. Charles Winkler – US
The Horde (2009) Dir. Yannick Dahan & Benjamin Rocher – France

The Banal, the Blah, the Banausic:
Hussy (1980) Dir. Matthew Chapman – UK
Tribute to a Bad Man (1956) Dir. Robert Wise – US
Crash&Burn (2010) Dir. R.E. Rodgers – US
The Baby’s Room (2006) Dir. Alex de la Iglesia – Spain
Don’t Let Me Die on a Sunday (1998) Dir. Didier Le Pecheur – France
Seize the Day (1986) Dir. Fielder Cook – US
Tron (1982) Dir. Steven Lisberger – US
Skyline (2010) Dir. Strause Bros. - US

Of Interest:
A Boy & His Dog (1975) Dir. L.Q. Jones – US
The Mirror Crack’d (1980) Dir. Guy Hamilton – UK
To Let (2006) Dir. Jaume Balaguero – Spain
Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958) Dir. Nathan Juran – US
Barn Burning (1980) Dir. Peter Werner – US
Louder Than a Bomb (2010) Dir. Greg Jacons & Jon Siskel - US

Recommended:
Ricky (2009) Dir. Francois Ozon – France
A Summer In Genoa (2008) Dir. Michael Winterbottom – UK
My Last Round (2011) Dir. Julio Jorquera Arriagada – Chile
Rabies (2010) Dir. Aharon Keshales & Navot Papushado – Israel
Wet Hot American Summer (2001) Dir. David Wain – US
La Cravate (1957) Dir. Alejandro Jodorowsky – France
Who Am I This Time? (1982) Dir. Jonathan Demme – US

Essential Cinema:
Victor/Victoria (1982) Dir. Blake Edwards – UK
Tess (1979) Dir. Roman Polanski – France/UK
Blow Out (1981) Dir. Brian De Palma – US
A Wedding (1978) Dir. Robert Altman – US

Theatrical Screenings:
The Princess of Montpensier (2010) Dir. Bertrand Tavernier – France
Super (2010) Dir. James Gunn – US
Meek’s Cutoff (2010) Dir. Kelly Reichardt – US
Everything Must Go (2010) Dir. Dan Rush – US
Days of Heaven (1978) Dir. Terrence Malick – US
Bridesmaids (2011) Dir. Paul Feig - US


Rewatched:
Willard (2003) Dir. Glen Morgan – US
The Changeling (1980) Dir. Peter Medak – CanadaShe Devil (1989) Dir. Susan Seidelman – US

Minneapolis/Saint Paul Film Fest, 2011

Best of Minneapolis/Saint Paul Film Festival, 2011

Top 10:

1. The Hedgehog – France
2. We Are What We Are - Mexico
3. Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil - Canada
4. The Queen of Hearts – France
5. Bellflower – US
6. The Actresses – South Korea
7. Nostalgia For the Light - Chile
8. My Joy – Russia
9. Tyrannosaur – UK
10. Happy, Happy - Norway

And the Rest of the Best:

Home For Christmas - Norway
A Screaming Man – Chad
Le Quattro Volte – Italy
The Mill and the Cross - Poland
The Arbor – UK
Small Town Murder Songs – Canada
13 Assassins – Japan

Of Interest:
Mad Bastards – Australia
The White Meadows - Iran
Sound of Noise – Sweden
Hesher – US
Gigola - France
Twelve Thirty – US

Dull and Disappointing:
The Tree – Australia/France
Cracks – US
Au Pair, Kansas - US
On The Ice – US
The Myth of the American Sleepover - US
Troll Hunter - Norway
Dossier K – Belgium
Stake Land – US
Amigo – US

Seen at Other Festivals:
Applause – TIFF 2009
The Sleeping Beauty – TIFF 2010
Film Socialism – TIFF 2010
Beginners – TIFF 2010

Out of the Past: The Week In Film 4/8/11-4/14/11

Cess Pool Cinema:

Shaka Zulu: The Last Great Warrior (2001) Dir. Joshua Sinclair - US

The Banal, the Blah, the Banausic:

Husk (2011) Dir. Brett Simmons - US

Vegas In Space (1991) Dir. Phillip K. Ford - US

Frenemy (2009) Dir. Gregory Dark - US

Ticked Off Trannies With Knives (2010) Dir. Israel Luna - US

Dead Silence (2007) Dir. James Wan

Spinning Into Butter (2008) Dir. Mark Brokaw - US

Fear In The Night (1947) Dir. Maxwell Shane - US

Theatrical Screenings:

Source Code (2011) Dir. Duncan Jones - US 10/10

Hanna (2011) Dir. Joe Wright - US 10/10

Troll Hunter (2010) Dir. Andre Orvedal - Norway 6/10

Rewatched:

Cat People (1942) Dir. Jacques Tourneur - US

Bringing Up Baby (1938) Dir. Howard Hawks - US

Shaka Zulu: The Last Great Warrior (2001) - The only reason I watched this tripe was due to the rare film presence of Grace Jones. She looks great and is, of course, underutilized. But no matter, as this piece of shit David Hasselhoff television headliner is as dull as anyone could possibly imagine. Poor Karen Allen has to play love interested to Hasselhoff...and, yeah, for anyone familiar with Shaka Zulu, this may sound like a campy, fun kinda film...but it's not. Sadly, it was expiring on Netflix instant this week, forcing me to sit down and watch. It is not available on disc on Netflix. Lucky you.

Husk (2011) - What starts off as an interesting horror film with high production value devolves rather quickly into forgettable land. Corn is creepy. This film is not. A group of young-ish whocaresabouts hot a group of crows and run into the ditch. They all pass out, and when they awaken, it looks like a member of their crew ran into the corn. Ah! What horrors await! If you like cheesy B-flicks, you might like this better than I did.

Vegas In Space (1991): This really could be a cess pool film. A group of notable San Franciso drag queens took eight years to piece together this mess about a group of space soldiers that change sex to take on a mission in Vegas in space where only women are allowed. It's pretty hard to sit through. Oh, drag queens.

Frenemy (2009): The DVD cover features Zach Galifianakis front and center---but this pre-Hangover flick is really a bizarre vehicle for Matthew Modine (who produced) directed by a porn director/producer. The original title was Little Fish, Strange Pond...and that was more fitting. I don't even need to go into what it's supposed to be about, it's just not that well put together.

Ticked Off Trannies With Knives (2010): Slightly amusing, at best, this grindhouse ripoff takes some blatant accents from Tarantino's Death Proof (2006), but what's worse is that it's just too damn low budget and creaky for me to keep an interest. GLAAD certainly made a mistake poo-pooing its entry into Tribeca 2010, as this brought more attention and controversy to the title than was deserved.

Dead Silence (2007): I loved Insidious (2011), the latest film from Saw (2004) helmer James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannell. So much so, I had to go get a copy of their followup to megahit Saw, the ventriloquist misfire, Dead Silence. Well, it's pretty bad, boring, and formulaic. I am happy this team took some to recalibrate for the awesomeness that is Insidious, but Dead Silence has little to offer beyond the director's obvious fascination with strange, creepy dolls.

Spinning Into Butter (2008): Yeah, what a doozy of a title. Based on a book and play that starred Hope Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker takes the lead as the Dean of Students at a Vermont school where a black student has been subject to some pretty nasty racial slurs and hateful threats. The film attempts to exam how we deal with racism in today's politically correct culture, and also examines the internalized racism many a white person seems to harbor. The film is utter crap--the production value is weak, the dialogue a little stagey, and the action a little bland. Seasoned cast members do their best (I love you, Miranda Richardson) and SJP gives it her all, and she does alright, though her scenes with an African American reporter played by Mykelti Williamson come off as a little too desperate for catharsis (turns out Williamson's character is not part of the original play....hmmmmm). I was intrigued by SJP's monologue about why she left her position at a mostly black school. It felt honest, refreshing, and sadly, reflects the internal thoughts that a lot of people would be afraid to admit. It's just too bad this couldn't be voiced in a better production. Is "Whipping Into Cream" a better title? I hear Devo over the opening credits already.

Fear In The Night (1947): I love me some old film noir---even B noir. But this one is pretty creaky. Directed by Maxwell Shane (I have also seen his The Glass Wall, 1953, with my gal Gloria Grahame, also a little hokey) this one grinds along to a predictable end. A doofy man wakes up (DeFrest Kelly, from "Star Trek" in one of his first roles) and recalls that he dreamt he violently killed a man. There's blood on his hands and other tell tale signs that it may have happened. His brother in law is a copper, and it turns out that doofus did kill someone...I'll bet you can never guess how he did kill someone in his sleep. Lordy, what a turkey.

Source Code (2011): You know, I wasn't going to see this film, mostly because I felt the preview was a little poor and the two leads kind of bore me (yeah, Jake and Michelle). But after hearing Duncan Jones in an interview on XM queer radio, along with Vera Farmiga, I decided I should drag my ass out to see it (plus I did like Jones' first flick, Moon, 2009). Well, I was impressed---it's a pretty tight little sci-fi flick, and I have lots I want to say about the ending, but I don't really want to write any spoilers here. BTW, Farmiga has the best role in the film.

Hanna (2011): I love the Chemical Bros---and this is by far the best film thus far of Joe Wright's career---there are two beautiful action sequences in this film that blew my away. I know it's been criticized for a thin plot, but I don't care. I loved it---the music, most of the acting (sorry Eric Banana) and yeah, the music. See it in the theater. Adapt or Die. Oh, and I loved the opening and closing lines. She didn't miss mine (you'll get that if you watch it).

Troll Hunter (2010): One of three opening night films at the MSP/Saint Paul film fest, I had high expectations for the Norwegian oddity. And I was a little let down. The lost footage thing is just tired, and I have little patience for it. A group of college kids team up with a Troll Hunter that hunts various trolls in the Norwegian woods. And after the first troll encounter, it's pretty flat paced. The second half of the film is extremely grating. I'm sure it will gain a cult following, but it failed to impress me.

Cat People (1942): I love this little Simone Simon classic---Jacques Tourneur was truly brilliant at creating atmosphere with little or no special effects. A simple story about a woman cursed to turn into a large panther when she gets physical is a cinema classic. The remake is a fun turkey, too.

Bringing Up Baby (1938): I showed this Howard Hawks classic to some friends that had never seen it---I don't think there's a screwball comedy I love better than this. Katharine Hepburn hits every note and soars to fucking greatness in this. She's sexy, hilarious, goofy, and just plain lovely. If you've never seen this film, please, please, please, get a copy and watch it. Fucking great.

Out of the Past: The Week In Film

Cess Pool Cinema:

The Last Airbender (2010) Dir. M. Night Shyamalan - US

The Banal, the Blah, the Banausic:

The Other Guys (2010) Dir. Adam McKay – US

How Do You Know (2010) Dir. James L. Brooks – US

The Killer That Stalked New York (1950) Dir. Earl McEvoy – US

Of Interest:

Unstoppable (2010) Dir. Tony Scott – US

The Switch (2010) Dir. Josh Gordon & Will Speck – US

That Hamilton Woman (1941) Dir. Alexander Korda – UK

Recommended:

Charulata (1964) Dir. Satyajit Ray – India

Beeswax (2009) Dir. Andrew Bujalski – US

Forever Lulu (1987) Dir. Amos Kollek – US

Two Of a Kind (1951) Dir. Earl McEvoy – US

Rewatched:

You Again (2010) Dir. Andy Fickman – US

Baby Mama (2008) Dir. Michael McCullers - US

The Last Airbender (2010): A week after watching, I can only recall this film in nightmarish detail. The worst type of hell I can think of is one where I would be forced to watch dull and uninspired like this. To watch again would be a Sisyphean torture. And Jackson Rathbone---what a tool. This would have been on worst list of 2010 if I had seen it last year.

The Other Guys (2010): I felt this movie consistently tried WAY TOO HARD to be comical. And Mark Wahlberg just isn't a comedian. However, I did laugh twice, both in scenes involving Eva Mendes. Other than that, this is entirely forgettable.

How Do You Know (2010): I couldn't believe how flat and dry this James L. Brooks piece felt. Nicholson is bland and Reese Witherspoon's character is quite poorly conceived. In reality, her professional ex-softball player wouldn't have a conflict if she had a brain. The Owen Wilson character, while the most entertaining, is so over-the-top asshole-ish that it's quite unbelievable a smart gal in a tailspin would go for him. While Paul Rudd and Witherspoon manage to have a handful of albeit touching scenes, this is really a bit of a snoozer. Too bad.

The Killer That Stalked New York (1950): I was quite excited for this little medical noir about a woman jewel thief trying to find her philandering husband in Manhattan while she spreads smallpox all over hell and high water. Oddly, this came out only several months after Elia Kazan's (extremely superior) noir, Panic In The Streets (1950), about a dude spreading the bubonic plague. What utterly kills this film is the procedural and monotonous narrator (not unlike The Street With No Name, 1948). The film is just entertaining enough with it's 1950's Manhattan streets (but damn doesn't Evelyn Keyes look beat down!), but entirely forgettable. Lola Albright and Dorothy Malone pop up in supporting roles.

Unstoppable (2010): This well reviewed Tony Scott feature from last year is an action packed, fast paced film....if not a little one note. The unstoppable train has the best role and Chris Pine, Denzel Washington and Rosario Dawson only get to act concerned.

The Switch (2010): I still think that this film should have maintained its original title, The Baster. A big flop, I was actually quite entertained by this slight comedy. Justin Bateman is quite good, especially in his scenes with child actor, Thomas Robinson. Jennifer Aniston does her best to be herself. I like Patrick Wilson, Jeff Goldblum, and Juliette Lewis--wish they'd all had more screen time. But don't judge this one by its cover. It's entertaining.

That Hamilton Woman (1941): A historical romance from Hungarian born Alexander Korda, this is most notable for starring real-life couple Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier. She plays a woman of little means that marries the King of Naples, but falls in love with ambassador, Olivier. Predictable and a tad forgettable (just my opinion) this was reportedly Winston Churchill's favorite film and he apparently watched it 83 times. Meh....

Charulata (1964): I broke my Satyajit Ray cherry with this film, aka The Lonely Wife. Charulata's huband spends more time running his newspaper than he does with her, and, well, you can guess what happens when he invites his brother-in-law for an extended visit to keep her company. Other stuff happens, too, and while this film isn't a tragedy of epic proportions, it is an interesting piece of work from a certain time in a certain place--in retrospect, it's a very similar (though much more realistic and serious) that the latest Ozon film, Potiche (2010).

Beeswax (2009): On the surface, a very simple, slice of life film, with a lot going on underneath. Basically this is a story of twin sisters in Texas (one a paraplegic and part owner of a consignment shop), grappling with getting out of their comfort zones while the other sister deliberates taking a teaching position in Africa. Evocative and intriguing, it's a pretty decent little indie film from Andrew Bujalski.

Forever Lulu (1987): While this satire of Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), (right away, shouldn't you think WTF??) is not highly regarded from the intriguing and strange director, Amos Kollek, I found it very entertaining. It stars Fassbinder and German New Wave star Hanna Schygulla (my first time seeing her in an English language feature), and I find her absolutely entertaining and amazing. A struggling writer supporting herself by writing pornos, she becomes involved in some silly intrigue involving Debbie Harry as some spectral figure that crosses paths with Schygulla. This is also Alec Baldwin's debut.

Two Of a Kind (1951): This vicious and delicious little noir plays pretty fast and loose, but skimps considerably on the finale. Lizabeth Scott and Edmond O'Brien play a couple of cons trying to convince an aging millionaire couple that O'Brien is their long lost son from decades ago. A noteworthy genre title.

You Again (2010): I had to rewatch this film for my gal, Sigourney Weaver. On a second viewing, it's painfully obvious that she is well above this trite material. I still though Kristen Bell gives a decent effort, but the miserable acting talents of Odette Yustman (now Annable) bog this film considerably (likewise for her fiance, James Wolk). Too bad, Siggy looks great.

Baby Mama (2008): And so, I also had a hankering to re-watch Sigs in this 2008 film---a lot of talented people are kind of wasted, but Siggy is good, though Amy Poehler steals every scene she's in. I feel as if this will at least be fondly remembered.

Out of the Past: The Week In Film

The Banal, the Blah, the Banausic:

Primal (2010) Dir. Josh Reed – Australia

Fearless (1993) Dir. Peter Weir – US

Of Interest:

Basquiat (1996) Dir. Julian Schnabel – US

Due Date (2010) Dir. Todd Phillips – US

The Street With No Name (1948) Dir. William Keighley – US

Recommended:

Zelig (1982) Dir. Woody Allen – US

Theatrical Screenings:

When We Leave (2010) Dir. Feo Aladag – Germany 10/10

Rewatched:

Drag Me To Hell (2009) Dir. Sam Raimi – US

Mystery Team (2010) Dir. Dan Eckman – US

Mildred Pierce (1945) Dir. Michael Curtiz – US

The Room (2003) Dir. Tommy Wisseau – US