![Screening Log: 24 July 2012
1. Lawless (2012, John Hillcoat) Not getting the hate or even the disappointment. It’s fine, and even Shia’s almost credible. Also, Guy Motherfucking Pearce. [critics screening]
2. The United States of Hoodoo (2012, Oliver Hardt) Seen for coverage of a local film festival. [online screener]
3. The first hour of Lockout (2012, James Mather & Stephen St. Leger) [DVD]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7qdjhE7o11qzoio3o1_500.jpg)
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Screening Log: 24 July 2012
1. Lawless (2012, John Hillcoat) Not getting the hate or even the disappointment. It’s fine, and even Shia’s almost credible. Also, Guy Motherfucking Pearce. [critics screening]
2. The United States of Hoodoo (2012, Oliver Hardt) Seen for coverage of a local film festival. [online screener]
3. The first hour of Lockout (2012, James Mather & Stephen St. Leger) [DVD]
![Screening Log: 23 July 2012
1. Adopted ID (2012, Sonia Godding Togobo [screener]
2. Chamber of Echoes (2012, Raphel Xavier) [screener]
3. Soul Food Junkies (2012, Byron Hurt) [online screener]
4. Missed (2012, Michelle Serieux) [online screener]
5. Bump (2012, Rodney Lee) [online screener]
6. A Lover’s Call (2012, Najma Nurridin) [online screener]
[1-6 were watched as part of coverage for the first annual BlackStar Film Festival, which I’ll write about at length in a future issue of PW]
7. Crooklyn (1994, Spike Lee) A hugely likable and unusually manic childhood remembrance piece that distinguishes itself with its lack of sentimentality and one batshit insane visual idea: when Troy goes down south, to convey how weird and out-of-place she feels, Spike shoots the thing anamorphically but not widescreen, so everything looks squeezed and eye-rapey. (A sample lies above.) The experiment goes on too long, but it’s still appreciated. It’s also nice that the Joie kid gets the focal point (presumably — Spike wrote the script with Joie and Cinque, based on their shared childhood), while Spike is just one of the boys. (Also presumably, but safe bet he’s the one with glasses who obsesses over the Knicks.) One minor carp: the soundtrack is largely too obvious (“Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” “O-oh Child,” etc). Though kudos for playing Cymande’s “Bra” (later used in 25th Hour). I get worried that when I ask “Whatever happened to…?” it turns out the person is seriously ill. So, I cautiously ask: whatever happened to Delroy Lindo? [DVD]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7om1x1Ssa1qzoio3o1_500.jpg)
Screening Log: 23 July 2012
1. Adopted ID (2012, Sonia Godding Togobo [screener]
2. Chamber of Echoes (2012, Raphel Xavier) [screener]
3. Soul Food Junkies (2012, Byron Hurt) [online screener]
4. Missed (2012, Michelle Serieux) [online screener]
5. Bump (2012, Rodney Lee) [online screener]
6. A Lover’s Call (2012, Najma Nurridin) [online screener]
[1-6 were watched as part of coverage for the first annual BlackStar Film Festival, which I’ll write about at length in a future issue of PW]
7. Crooklyn (1994, Spike Lee) A hugely likable and unusually manic childhood remembrance piece that distinguishes itself with its lack of sentimentality and one batshit insane visual idea: when Troy goes down south, to convey how weird and out-of-place she feels, Spike shoots the thing anamorphically but not widescreen, so everything looks squeezed and eye-rapey. (A sample lies above.) The experiment goes on too long, but it’s still appreciated. It’s also nice that the Joie kid gets the focal point (presumably — Spike wrote the script with Joie and Cinque, based on their shared childhood), while Spike is just one of the boys. (Also presumably, but safe bet he’s the one with glasses who obsesses over the Knicks.) One minor carp: the soundtrack is largely too obvious (“Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” “O-oh Child,” etc). Though kudos for playing Cymande’s “Bra” (later used in 25th Hour). I get worried that when I ask “Whatever happened to…?” it turns out the person is seriously ill. So, I cautiously ask: whatever happened to Delroy Lindo? [DVD]
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![Screening Log: 19 July 2012
1. Pink Ribbons, Inc. (2011, Léa Pool) Review forthcoming, but short version: best (or pissiest) talking heads ever. (And unfortunately the only vaguely striking photos for this film feature happy hot women wearing pink, which is not terribly representative of a film that’s mostly irritated women carping at the screen.) [screener]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7h0hjL5AX1qzoio3o1_500.jpg)
Screening Log: 19 July 2012
1. Pink Ribbons, Inc. (2011, Léa Pool) Review forthcoming, but short version: best (or pissiest) talking heads ever. (And unfortunately the only vaguely striking photos for this film feature happy hot women wearing pink, which is not terribly representative of a film that’s mostly irritated women carping at the screen.) [screener]
![Screening Log: 18 July 2012
1. The remaining half hour of Come Back, Africa (1959, Lionel Rogosin) Printed words forthcoming. [screener]
2. The Dark Knight Rises (2012, Christopher Nolan) Which I did not enjoy. And I say that as someone who likes Nolan. I’d say more, but even three quickie sentences I posted about it — on Letterboxd (!!) — netted me creepy Nolan Fanboy hatemail. (Which was, for some reason, CC’d to nearly every media figure in Philadelphia.) [advance screening in IMAX]
Oh, and I’m now on Letterboxd, which partly renders this site redundant.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7f2dmRJ2Z1qzoio3o1_500.jpg)
Screening Log: 18 July 2012
1. The remaining half hour of Come Back, Africa (1959, Lionel Rogosin) Printed words forthcoming. [screener]
2. The Dark Knight Rises (2012, Christopher Nolan) Which I did not enjoy. And I say that as someone who likes Nolan. I’d say more, but even three quickie sentences I posted about it — on Letterboxd (!!) — netted me creepy Nolan Fanboy hatemail. (Which was, for some reason, CC’d to nearly every media figure in Philadelphia.) [advance screening in IMAX]
Oh, and I’m now on Letterboxd, which partly renders this site redundant.
![Screening Log: 17 July 2012
1. Trishna (2011, Michael Winterbottom) Review forthcoming, but short version: a whiplashy blast that, like a lot of Winterbottoms, eventually has to tend to the plot. In this case, that’s a rather gruesomely mutilation of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbevilles. Freida Pinto continues to be pretty vacant. [screener]
2. The first hour-ish of Come Back, Africa (1959, Lionel Rogosin), which is a blast, too, in its way. (And which, I can now say, actually sustains its energy and interest throughout.) [screener]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7d3aoX3vd1qzoio3o1_500.jpg)
Screening Log: 17 July 2012
1. Trishna (2011, Michael Winterbottom) Review forthcoming, but short version: a whiplashy blast that, like a lot of Winterbottoms, eventually has to tend to the plot. In this case, that’s a rather gruesomely mutilation of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbevilles. Freida Pinto continues to be pretty vacant. [screener]
2. The first hour-ish of Come Back, Africa (1959, Lionel Rogosin), which is a blast, too, in its way. (And which, I can now say, actually sustains its energy and interest throughout.) [screener]
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