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A Canterbury Tale (1944)

2012-01-15T07:31:00.001-08:00

Wartime Romanticism is common enough, especially in the movies, but no picture does it quite like A Canterbury Tale. Films like Casablanca and the Archers' own A Matter of Life and Death are achingly romantic, yet their love stories are the offspring of war itself; you could argue that stories of their ilk—frequently an American falling in love with a European—romanticize war conditions.

Sacha Guitry

2012-01-13T17:40:00.001-08:00

I'm working on something for A Canterbury Tale, but while that's in the oven, there's this. I don't normally endorse DVDs because mostly, I don't feel they need it. No need to hip anyone to the gorgeous African Queen BD because you pretty much knew if you were getting it already. But I must give a strong, strong recommendation to the Criterion/Eclipse set of Sacha Guitry movies. These Eclipse

Black Narcissus (1947)

2012-01-03T11:07:00.000-08:00

Anachronisms come with the territory and Black Narcissus is no exception. The movie's riddled with them, but I guess I don't get bothered by these things, in part because I'm almost always conscious of the time and place a movie was made in. Unless it's glaringly part of an agenda (The Birth of a Nation), these quibbles are easy, for me at least, to shrug off—especially in a movie like Black

Links to my stupid project

2012-01-03T00:12:00.000-08:00

For my ongoing retrospectives on my very favorites:A Canterbury Tale (1944)Black Narcissus (1947)

2012 Update

2012-01-02T08:55:00.000-08:00

Another year, and another reminder that I've neglected this site—and hence, the invisible, virtual tumbleweed. Work, among other distractions, made the prospect of forcing myself to write all the more unappealing. The last year or so I've basically adopted a very spontaneous approach and only wrote when I felt like it. If my output is any indication, then, it's that I'm not very spontaneous. I'm

East Side, West Side (1949)

2011-12-03T21:21:00.000-08:00

It seems a bit much posting on another Stanwyck movie again, but this one is really worth a look. First of all, it's got some amazing performances. I've only seen James Mason in Lolita and North by Northwest and Van Heflin in The Prowler and Act of Violence, but I'm boldly putting them up there among my favorite actors—especially after seeing East Side, West Side. James Mason oozes that oily

Annie Oakley (1935)

2011-11-29T19:51:00.000-08:00

I'm in the midst of a Barbara Stanwyck binge, and you'd be hard pressed to find an actress this good anywhere. Her sheer range has been lauded to death, yet there are indeed few that can match her versatility; among other stars of the classic era, I could only nominate Ida Lupino as a serious contender. In short, lots of Stanwyck movies = happy classic movie fan.When going on these actor

Pre-Code Blues

2011-10-28T14:39:00.000-07:00

Lately—meaning for the past year—I've really been prioritizing movies from Hollywood's classic era. Admittedly, this started from the rather childish realization that I've seen way more movies from this past decade than from either the 30s, 40s, 50s, or 60s (the statistics-whore in me remembers 5 times as many from the current decade compared to any other). At any rate, it's been worthwhile

Fury (1936)

2011-08-11T17:14:00.000-07:00

You could make the argument that, by the end, Fritz Lang's Fury pulls its punches, but I think that's a rather shallow assessment of what this movie does. Murderous intent is still murderous intent, regardless of the outcome. These normal, everyday people came together and decided to execute a man based upon their flimsy rumor mongering. That he managed to survive is irrelevant. The uninhibited

On Charles Chaplin

2011-08-01T17:10:00.000-07:00

It's taken me long enough, but I've finally seen Monsieur Verdoux and Limelight. That rounds out all the Chaplin movies skulking on my shelf for the past two years. The completist in me will eventually track down A Woman in Paris and A King in New York, but for now, I'm content to digest these new findings. I actually haven't seen a single of his shorts, but again, I'm in no hurry.These final

Film Noir List as of 6-19-11

2011-06-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

So it's come to this; I'm making lists. I kind of dislike the idea, but it allows me to catalogue what I like most about the style that is film noir (or whatever else I plan on listing). It's nothing more than a way to organize my thoughts. I'll update this list whenever I see fit, and there are actually about 30 more on my complete list that I haven't gotten to putting

Anime, oh Anime

2011-05-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

I've been increasingly absorbed in the style of anime, and I must stress I consider it a style. It's been called both a genre and a medium, neither of which I find accurate. It's far too broad to be a genre, but it's not special enough to be a medium of its own. Like film noir, I find anime most appropriately considered as a stylistic choice within a medium. The nice thing about the television

Border Incident (1949)

2011-02-03T21:49:00.001-08:00

There's an image in Border Incident that's a near perfect representation of the senses endemic to noir; it's a moment that illustrates a world overwhelmed by helplessness, in which any victory is soured by the messy, casualty-laden path it must take. That image, in which agent Pablo Rodriguez watches powerlessly as his fellow U.S. agent Jack Bearnes is executed beneath a tractor, is the moment in

Lust for Gold (1949)

2011-01-19T20:06:00.000-08:00

Lust for Gold is pretty frustrating to watch, because there's a brilliant, gutsy movie wrapped in a lot of unfortunate fluff. Like The Searchers, there are parts that just don't work and kill the rhythm of the movie. What annoys me is that it's so close to being a great film, and has the makings of a perfect one. Yet it bogs itself down in so much emotionless, derivative, and ultimately

Love Crazy (1941)

2011-01-10T18:41:00.000-08:00

Including all the Thin Man movies, I'm now 11 Loy-Powell movies richer; I'm a fan. Not since Astaire-Rogers have I been this smitten with a pair of superstars. What else I've seen includes the five movies available in Warner's TCM Spotlight collection: Manhattan Melodrama, Evelyn Prentice, Double Wedding, I Love You Again, and Love Crazy. There's not a bad one in the bunch, but I recommend

Smiles of a Summer Night (1955)

2010-11-23T17:03:00.000-08:00

It's been a while, my [nonexistent] readership, and if I say I haven't had the time to write, what I really mean is I haven't had the enthusiasm or energy. Lately, I've been branching out into other media like television—always frustrating, occasionally beguiling—and video games. Writing about and discussing movies has started to feel more and more like work. I would look at any old piece of

Decalogue IV (1988)

2010-06-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

Director: Krzysztof KieslowskiScreenplay: Krzysztof Kieslowski and Krzysztof PiesiewiczStarring: Janusz Gajos and Adrianna BiedrynskaImages from 2003 Facets release of The Decalogue. Pauline Kael—who I’m apparently apt to quote—said that we shouldn’t view movies in a vacuum. When we see a movie, we should bring all our experiences and everything we’ve seen, read, or heard

Slumdog Millionaire: Trash on a Pedestal

2010-06-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

Slumdog Millionaire is cotton candy; it's junk food because it tastes good, but dissolves fast. Thematically and emotionally, it offers pseudo-profundities that only seem really deep. Its declarations of fate, for instance, are no deeper than those found in the ultra-consumerist anime Yu-gi-oh!. It provides us with nothing profound or troubling to think about, instead

Decalogue III (1988)

2010-05-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

Director: Krzysztof KieslowskiScreenplay: Krzysztof Kieslowski and Krzysztof PiesiewiczStarring: Daniel Olbrychski, Maria Pakulnis, and Joanna SzczepowskaImages from 2003 Facets release of The Decalogue.On Christmas Eve, the air is charged with a sanctified air; the feeling that the day will be perfect and holy, or at least, the feeling that it ought to go that way. It's kind of like church: a

Decalogue II (1988)

2010-05-13T07:12:00.000-07:00

Director: Krzysztof KieslowskiScreenplay: Krzysztof Kieslowski and Krzysztof PiesiewiczStarring:Krystyna Janda and Aleksander BardiniImages from the 2003 Facets release of The Decalogue. After seeing things like Juno and 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days, it's a relief to see Decalogue II, which is so refreshingly apolitical. Juno and 4 Months bring abortion to the forefront; losing their dramatic

Au Revoir les Enfants (1987)

2010-04-24T00:39:00.000-07:00

Director and Screenplay: Louis MalleStarring: Gaspard Manesse and Raphaël FejtöImages from 2006 Criterion release.The difference between narrative and plot is such an important one that it's frustrating to see movies stress the latter at the expense of the former. Plot hardly guarantees a compelling narrative, and too often, the feel of the story is lost in the mechanics. How refreshing then, to

...Around (2008)

2010-03-12T23:01:00.000-08:00

The movie about a filmmaker struggling to make a picture but suffering some sort of creative block (i.e., a movie about itself) can be tiresome. Often, self-reflexive cinema is a chance to make something seem more insightful than it actually is. It’s as if the film’s awareness of itself is all that's needed to validate its artistic integrity. Yet what are the filmmakers

War of the Worlds (2005)

2010-03-06T21:56:00.000-08:00

Director: Steven SpielbergScreenplay: Josh Friedman and David Koepp (based on the novel by H.G. Wells)Starring: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin and Miranda OttoSteven Spielberg's War of the Worlds is a severely misunderstood work. Praised or dismissed as a summer blockbuster, the movie deserves reconsideration as a timely work of art; a post-9/11 allegory reflecting a climate of shock,

Cat People (1948)

2010-01-11T14:53:00.000-08:00

Spoilers galore.Director: Jacques TourneurScreenplay: DeWitt BodeenStarring: Simone Simon, Kenth Smith, Tom Conway, Jane Randolph, and Jack Holt.Images from the 2005 WHV Val Lewton Horror Collection.This essay is somewhat influenced by feminist film theory, so it may help to be familiar with Laura Mulvey's "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema."The Val Lewton production of Cat People is a great

Psycho and The Birds: Implicating the Audience

2010-01-05T07:38:00.000-08:00

Psycho and The Birds present acts of violence that are difficult to explain or rationalize. Both movies focus on the female leads, then subject them to this violence without reason. Neither Norman nor the birds attack their subjects as a discernible source of punishment or justice. The only indisputable explanation for these attacks and the reason they are in their respective movies is that the

Decalogue I (1988)

2009-12-20T21:12:00.000-08:00

Director: Krzysztof KieslowskiScreenplay: Krzysztof Kieslowski and Krzysztof PiesiewiczStarring: Henryk Baranowski, Wojciech Klata, and Maja KomorowskaImages from the 2003 Facets release of The Decalogue.Think back to when you were at school and you solved a math problem or learned a new concept. Something where the pieces just “clicked,” and you got it. Everything seemed

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

2009-10-14T19:35:00.000-07:00

Spoilers.Director: Guillermo del ToroScreenplay: Guillermo del ToroStarring: Sergei Lopez, Maribel Verdu, and Ivana Baquero.Images from the 2007 New Line 2-disc Platinum Series. Pan's Labyrinth may be a movie I'm too close to, but as Jim Emerson has said (repeatedly): If a movie is worth talking about, then let's talk about it.Why is it that I rank del Toro's movie so high? Is it sentimentality?

Blade Runner (1982)

2009-09-07T06:52:00.000-07:00

Spoilers.Director: Ridley ScottScreenplay: David PeoplesStarring: Harrison Ford, Sean Young, and Rutger HauerImages from the 2007 Warner Home Video 4-disc Collector's Edition.Films are very much products of their time, whether unconsciously echoing that era’s beliefs or values, or actively rejecting those customs. The 80s, rife with morbid, self-centered materialism saw many films revel in that

The Double Life of Véronique (1991)

2009-08-18T20:40:00.000-07:00

Spoilers... You gotta be kidding me. You can't spoil this picture.Director: Krzysztof KieślowskiScreenplay: Krzysztof Kieślowski and Krzysztof PiesiewiczStarring: Irène JacobScore: Zbigniew PreisnerCinematographer: Sławomir IdziakEditor: Jacques WittaImages from the 2006 Criterion Collection release*.Krzysztof Kieslowski once said that he’d be happy if he could get 30% of

The Red Shoes (1948)

2009-08-04T01:07:00.000-07:00

There are spoilers.Director and Screenwriter: Michael Powell and Emeric PressburgerStarring: Anton Walbrook, Marius Goring, and Moira ShearerImages from the 1999 Criterion Collection release.There are two fundamental kinds of self-reflexive films. Those that reflect the medium explicitly, such as The Player or Sunset Blvd., and those that convey an interior, implicit reality, such as Michael

Eastern Promises (2007)

2009-07-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

Director: David CronenbergScreenplay: Steve KnightStarring: Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, and Vincent Cassel.Images from the 2007 Focus Features release.Eastern Promises, I am inclined to think, is one of David Cronenberg’s best works; a film that depicts the inheritance of social standing with heartbreaking detail. I know that some of Cronenberg’s fans have been disappointed with his turn to

magnolia (1999)

2009-06-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

spoilers.director: paul thomas andersonscreenplay: paul thomas andersonstarring: jeremy blackman, tom cruise, melinda dillon, philip baker hall, philip seymour hoffman, ricky jay, william h. macy, alfred molina, julianne moore, john c. reilly, jason robards, and melora walters.from the 2000 new line platinum series release.Given my admiration for Short Cuts and Nashville, Paul Thomas Anderson's

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

2009-06-16T18:05:00.000-07:00

There are spoilers.Director: Alfred HitchcockScreenplay: Thorton Wilder, Sally Benson, and Alma RevilleStarring: Teresa Wright, Joseph Cotton, Macdonald Carey, Patricia Collinge, Henry Travers, Wallace Ford, and Hume CronynImages from the 2005 Universal Masterpiece Collection release.Shadow of a Doubt is, for me, one of the most fascinating Hitchcock pictures. With it, our beloved master of the

Notorious (1946)

2009-05-26T21:59:00.001-07:00

Spoilers galore...Director: Alfred HitchcockScreenplay: Ben HechtStarring: Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, and Claude RainsImages from a 2002 Korean bootleg (Region-free) of the Criterion Collection release.Having not seen Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious in almost a year, I had forgotten just how much I loved the picture. Along with Rear Window, Francois Truffaut claimed it as his favorite Hitchcock

Ace in the Hole (1951)

2009-05-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

Wall to wall spoilers. See the film. Do it. Now.Director: Billy WilderScreenplay: Billy Wilder, Lesser Samuels, and Walter NewmanStarring: Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling, Bob Arthur, Porter Hall, Frank Cade, Richard Benedict, Ray Real, and Frank JaquetImages from the 2007 Criterion Collection release.For me, Billy Wilder's insanely caustic Ace in the Hole is one of the greatest films ever made. At

Atonement (2007)

2009-05-20T06:41:00.000-07:00

Indubitably, there are spoilers, good chap.Director: Joe WrightScreenplay: Christopher Hampton (based on the novel by Ian McEwan)Starring: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Saoirse Ronan, Romola Garai, and Vanessa Redgrave. Images from the 2008 Focus Features release (Canadian).Atonement is a magnificent movie. By no means perfect, but magnificent nevertheless. For me, it's fascination grows on a

A Short Film About Killing (1988)

2009-05-18T19:41:00.001-07:00

Spoilers if that's possible.Director: Krzysztof KieslowskiScreenplay: Krzysztof Kieslowski & Krzysztof PiesiewiczStarring: Miroslaw Baka, Krzysztof Globisz, and Jan TesarzImages from the 2004 Kino Video release (from The Krzysztof Kieslowski Collection box set).Krzysztof Kieslowski's A Short Film About Killing is an extended version of Decalogue V, perhaps the darkest and most atmospheric in the

Singin' in the Rain (1951)

2009-05-15T15:32:00.000-07:00

Maybe spoilers?Director: Stanley Donen & Gene KellyScreenplay: Adolph Green and Betty ComdenStarring: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell, and Cyd CharisseImages from the 2002 WHV 2-disc SESingin' in the Rain is the perfect musical, and while it's a superlative that's been beaten to death, it's no less true. The movie is not just a textbook example of what a

Sin Nombre & Slumdog Millionaire: Two Takes

2009-05-11T16:04:00.000-07:00

Sin Nombre, written and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, is a film that has been in my head since seeing it yesterday. It's a magnificent, uncompromising film and I do hope it does well at the box office, as it is Fukunaga's directorial debut and an extraordinary one at that. If you've seen El Norte, you'll instantly recognize the story and perspective that's taken here. Yet stylistically, El

The Iron Giant (1999)

2009-04-08T05:19:00.000-07:00

There are spoilers.Director: Brad BirdScreenplay: Tim McCanliesStory by: Ted HughesStarring the voices of: Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick, Jr., Vin Diesel, James Gammon, John Mahoney, Eli Marienthal, Christopher McDonald, and M. Emmet Walsh.Images from the 2004 WHV release.There are few films that are for children (and maybe adults) that I actually like. Fewer still that can be universally

Grizzly Man (2005)

2009-03-20T23:29:00.000-07:00

There may be spoilers.Director: Werner HerzogNarration: Werner HerzogFeaturing: Timothy TreadwellImages from the 2005 Lions Gate release."It is so weird though, when it sinks in just how alone you are."Werner Herzog's Grizzly Man is a film filled with such unspeakable wonderment and horror, and I almost hesitate to call it a Werner Herzog film. It really is the work of two filmmakers, both with

Playtime (1967)

2009-03-10T14:11:00.000-07:00

There may be spoilers... but I don't believe this film can ever be ruined by spoilers.Director: Jacques TatiScreenplay: Jacques Tati and Jacques LagrangeStarring: Lots of people!Images from the 2006 Criterion Collection release.I think Jacques Tati's Playtime comes as close to Pure Cinema as any Alfred Hitchcock thriller does, but unlike the Master of Suspense, Tati does not use his abilities to

Out of the Past (1947)

2009-03-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

There are spoilers.Director: Jacques TourneurScreenplay: Geoffrey HomesStarring: Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, and Kirk DouglasImages from the 2004 WHV release."You're no good and neither am I. That's why we deserve each other."-Kathy MoffatOut of the Past is quintessential film noir, containing all the important elements that are typical of the style and utilizing them to create a film that not

"Declaration of Principles"

2009-03-06T06:38:00.000-08:00

I suppose it wouldn't be a bad idea to explain what the goal of this site is, as I don't intend for it to be a catalog of my viewings (I have seen several blogs of this nature, and I'm not really interested in the "entry a day" kind where there are only a few sentences devoted to a certain film).As with most of these types of things, I'm sure I'll be breaking some of these. What are rules if they

Paths of Glory (1957)

2009-02-28T19:05:00.001-08:00

There are spoilers for Paths of Glory and one small spoiler for Barry Lyndon.Director: Stanley KubrickScreenplay: Stanley Kubrick, Calder Willingham and Jim ThompsonStarring: Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready, Wayne Morris, and Richard AndersonImages from the 1999 MGM release.Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory is possibly the most affecting film experience I've ever had. I

Roman Holiday (1953)

2009-02-26T15:26:00.000-08:00

Spoilers for Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Breakfast at Tiffany's and Spartacus.Director: William WylerScreenplay: Dalton TrumboStarring: Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, and Eddie AlbertImages from the 2008 Paramount Centennial Collection release."I will treasure my visit here in memory as long as I live."- Princess Ann/Anya/SmittyRoman Holiday is a little gem of a film. It is a romantic comedy, a Roman

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

2009-02-10T12:55:00.000-08:00

Spoilers, spoilers everywhere, so please O' please, watch the film first.Director: John HustonScreenplay: John Huston and Story by Dashiell HammetStarring: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, and Sydney GreenstreetImages from the Warner Bros. 3-disc special edition.I find I have the most trouble looking at films that have become so iconic and canonical, that their reputation threatens to

Rashomon (1950)

2009-01-24T20:25:00.000-08:00

There may be spoilers.Director: Akira KurosawaScreenplay: Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Ryunosuke AkutagawaStarring: Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyo, Masayuki Mori, and Takashi Shimura.Images from the 2002 Criterion Collection Release.Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon may very well be the most fascinating film ever made. I have seen it 5 times this week alone, and I feel like I could watch it again

Rear Window (1954)

2009-01-19T15:16:00.000-08:00

There may be spoilers.Director: Alfred HitchcockScreenplay: John Michael HayesStarring: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, and Wendell Corey. Featuring Raymond Burr.Images from the 2001 Collector's Edition Universal Release.Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window is a film that I would posit is as close to perfect as a movie can get. It doesn't get old. Other thrillers rely on the payoff or the

The Treasure of the Sierre Madre (1948)

2009-01-16T18:24:00.000-08:00

There may be spoilers.Director: John HustonScreenplay: John Huston (based on the novel by B. Traven)Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, and Tim HoltImages from the 2003 WHV SE releaseI think the best thing in John Huston's The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is the transformation Humphrey Bogart manages to undergo into a deranged man bent on getting more than what he deserves. The film is one

The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

2009-01-16T05:56:00.000-08:00

There may be spoilers.Director: Woody AllenScreenplay: Woody AllenStarring: Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels and Danny AieloImages are from the 2001 MGM DVDHeaven, I'm in Heaven,And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak;And I seem to find the happiness I seekWhen we're out together dancing, cheek to cheek.Heaven, I'm in Heaven,And the cares that hang around me thro' the weekSeem to vanish like a

My Fair Lady (1964)

2009-01-15T04:15:00.000-08:00

There may be spoilers here, but why on earth would you read an analysis before watching the film?!Producer: Jack L. WarnerDirector: George CukorScreenplay: Alan Jay LernerStarring: Audrey Hepburn and Rex HarrisonImages are from the WHV 2004 SE release.My Fair Lady is a musical adaptation of the stage play by the same name, which is in turn, an adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion. I'm

Favorite Movies

2009-01-14T21:29:00.000-08:00

I agree that lists are silly, but I enjoy making them to see how my tastes evolve. Here's my list of favorite movies. Bear in mind I did some real soul searching on this. Walked the earth and all that crap.As sort of a little project, I'm going to try and post on each of these. I think it'll help maintain (or set free) my sanity.Click for review:The 400 Blows (Francois Truffaut, 1959)2001: A

Bicycle Thieves (1948)

2009-01-14T15:11:00.000-08:00

There may be spoilers here, but since it's a neorealist film, is the story really the important thing?Director: Vittorio de SicaScreenplay: Vittorio de Sica, Cesare Zavattini, Suso Cecchi d'Amico, Gerardo GuerrieriStarring: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, and Lianella CarellImages from the 2007 Criterion Collection releaseI think I watch more movies than the average person. I turn to them for