Screening Log: 6 June 2012
1. The Dark Side of Chocolate (2010, Miki Mistrati & U. Roberto Romano) Writing this up as part of coverage for a forthcoming specialty film festival. Will link to words when they run. [screener]
2. The extras on Criterion’s Mouchette disc, including Au hasard Bresson, a half-hour doc that hangs with Bresson and watches him work on the Mouchette set; an episode of a show called Travelling that does the same in a more breezy-audience-friendly way (there was an era when producers assumed everyday audiences would be interested in an art film auteur?); and, not even best of all, the trailer up top, directed by JLG (although he denied fathership for ages). (And by “not even best of all,” I mean watching Bresson work and hearing him talk is simply fucking transcendant. Consider me, after revisiting The Devil, Probably and Au hasard Balthazar last weekend, back on a Bresson kick.)
3. Grand Theft Auto (1977, Ron Howard) Watched this for a listicle on promising debuts of questionable filmmakers, and I’m not even going to use it, but it’s, needless to say, about 100 times more likable than most of his work. Howard adapts well to the goofy, slapdash speed of ’70s Corman comedies, although I’ve read that that may be because of some assist by Allan Arkush (to whatever extent that means). The comedy is very broad, but there’s a lot of it, and it moves quickly. I’ve never seen either of the Canonball Runs, but I’d be genuinely shocked if they were more fun than this. Howard the actor’s a big of a wet blanket, but then, perhaps because he was busy. [Netflix Instant]
4. Vanishing Point (1971, Richard C. Sarafian) Barry Newman is such an awesome badass. See also: The Limey, which he occasionally steals, and the obscure Fear is the Key, which starts off as a dirty Barry Newman car chase movie and turns, however insanely, into a sunken treasure romp. (With Ben Kingsley as a heavy. In 1972.) This Barry Newman car chase movie is less dirty and more high-toned: an existentialist portrait about someone who can only drive. It’s a touch monotonous, being almost nothing but one long chase. (The set-up is hilarious, though: trouble begins when he whimsically blows off a motorcycle cop trying to bust him for speeding.) But the tone (and sountrack) varies enough to keep things from being flat, and there’s also one of the great misleading openings. And on top of that, one of the great unexpected sudden endings. [DVD]
