tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36901012011-09-01T20:26:57.384-04:0024 frames (between friends)...Trips to the moviesDanielnoreply@blogger.comBlogger161100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690101.post-25639778127356770452007-11-12T00:26:00.000-05:002007-11-12T00:48:26.439-05:00Just yesterday, Lesley brought a tall man downstairs from the Attic Gallery into the Highway 61 Coffeehouse to tour our secret microcinema. She introduced me to Ray McKinnon who looked vaguely familiar. We told him of our interest in screening independent films in the coffeehouse and he agreed to lend us a copy of a short he had made called The Accountant. He returned from his car unable to find Danielnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690101.post-1124951802470976162005-08-25T01:28:00.000-04:002005-08-25T16:24:05.203-04:00I think the best way to spend my recovery from my recent brain surgery is to watch DVDs. But then what would you expect. But really, leaning forward is counterindicated for me - it causes pressure which leads to headaches; so leaning back for a couple of hours while a good film unspools is just what the doctor ordered: "Watch two movies and call me in the morning."When I first rotated out after aDanielnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690101.post-1099027215393512192004-10-29T01:57:00.000-04:002004-10-29T01:20:15.393-04:00House of Flying Daggers & Space Travelers
In September at the Telluride Film Festival Lesley and I saw Zhang Yimou’s latest: House of Flying Daggers. It is a story of doomed love and betrayal set against political struggle in the mold of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and related to Yimou’s next to latest: Hero (only with its theme being pretty much the opposite of that picture).
It was Danielnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690101.post-1067281421196596042003-10-27T14:03:00.000-05:002003-10-27T14:03:46.936-05:00Killing Bill...
I left the theatre all charged up, head full of cool music, and feeling like at the slightest provocation I could whip out my Japanese sword and slice and dice whatever required it.
Tarantino was definitely leaving one of his strengths behind when he set out to make Kill Bill: the loopy conversations that defined Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and Jackie Brown (which I like a Danielnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690101.post-843508322002-11-11T01:58:00.000-05:002002-11-11T03:27:01.000-05:00Punch Drunk Love
When one emerges blinking into the light after seeing a Paul Thomas Anderson film, there’s usually one of two reactions:
1. What in the hell was that?”
2. Wow, he done it again!
I’m firmly in the latter camp, at least so far.
I do have to admit I can’t accurately tell you what a person thinks/feels after the average Adam Sandler picture, because I haven’t blinked into that Danielnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690101.post-818099902002-09-19T02:00:00.000-04:002002-09-19T02:00:52.130-04:00Spirited Away links
Here's an article about Spirited Away from USA Today (Sept. 18, 2002)
And here's a related story from that same paper.Danielnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690101.post-814949312002-09-12T01:53:00.000-04:002002-09-12T01:53:32.543-04:00More from Telluride - Spirited Away - Japan Anime - Hayao Miyazaki
Spirited Away is another anime by Hayao Miyazaki, who directed Princess Monokoke. It begins much like his My Neighbor, Totoro: a family (Mom, Dad, and young daughter) is moving to a new neighborhood. It's right before the beginning of school. As they drive towards their new home, the daughter is clearly not happy about starting Danielnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690101.post-814385932002-09-10T23:57:00.000-04:002002-09-10T23:57:26.300-04:00More about Telluride
Here's a link to a terrific report from the Telluride Film Festival by Diane Holtzberg of Indie Wire. She saw many of the same films I did and our opinions were pretty much in synch.Danielnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690101.post-813939292002-09-10T02:15:00.000-04:002002-09-10T02:32:38.000-04:00Spider-Man
I guess it was inevitable. The best way to fully appreciate the Telluride Film Festival experience is going back to the movies in the real reel world. We went to Northpark in Jackson to see Spider-Man on its final (eight) legs before its video release. As the movie started everybody looked about three feet tall, and since I knew The Two Towers hadn’t been released yet, I trudged out Danielnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690101.post-812625262002-09-06T22:36:00.000-04:002002-09-07T00:06:08.000-04:00City of God - Brazil - Fernando Meirelles
Fernando Meirelles, the director of City of God, was at the screening; and he told us the film was based on a true story set in an outlying Brazilian slum called the City of God. The homeless from the cities like Rio are just relocated to the City of God. Here they do have homes, but no electricity or paved roads, and not many jobs. They do seem to haveDanielnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690101.post-812248862002-09-06T01:58:00.000-04:002002-09-06T01:58:42.970-04:00Here is a link to the 2002 Telluride Film Festival Program. (It opens as an Acrobat pdf file.)Danielnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690101.post-811278502002-09-04T01:40:00.000-04:002002-09-04T01:40:27.496-04:00Some thoughts on Rabbit-Proof Fence - Australia - Phillip Noyce
After several big Hollywood films Philip Noyce goes back home to Australia to film this true story of "half-caste" aborigine children who are systematically separated from their families in order to "breed the black from their blood." This was done during the first half and beyond of the 20th Century in accordance with a secret lawDanielnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690101.post-811276822002-09-04T01:34:00.000-04:002002-09-04T01:34:57.816-04:00Here's a couple of links to essays by Roger Ebert about the 2002 Telluride Film Festival:
Crowd Pleasers & Shockers
Taking a Shot at FirearmsDanielnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690101.post-810201022002-09-02T01:56:00.000-04:002002-09-02T01:56:17.793-04:00
So far, here's how I spent my Labor Day weekend at the 29th (my 16th) Telluride Film Festival
Film Log:
Friday 6:30 PM - Bowling for Columbine - Michael Moore
Friday 9:45 PM - My Mother's Smile - Italy - Marco Bellocchio
Saturday 9 AM - Talk To Her - Spain - Pedro Almodovar
Saturday 12 Noon - Spirited Away - Japan (Anime)
Saturday 3 PM - Cuckoo - Russia - Alexander Rogozhkin
Saturday 7:15 PM -Danielnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690101.post-809833172002-09-01T01:44:00.000-04:002002-09-01T01:48:47.000-04:00Okay, it looks like a very good year at Telluride.
In 1989 Lesley attended her first Telluride Film Festival. Her first film was at the Mason's Hall, the most austere of all the venues (up two flights of stairs, wooden seats, no food or drink allowed). It was the world premiere of something called Roger & Me by an unknown film maker named Michael Moore. The film was great fun and being in the Danielnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3690101.post-799682042002-08-08T00:39:00.000-04:002002-08-09T00:47:25.000-04:00Went to see Signs on Sunday. Here in Vicksburg, if you can believe it. I haven't tried the local cinema in years, but a friend said they'd been lately, and sound and picture were okay. Well, I thought the picture was too dim as usual. And what was I thinking going to see an M. Night on their dim screens? Sound was flat - all from the front, like the old days. At least I could hear the dialogue (Danielnoreply@blogger.com