the disappointed cinephile

Six Live-Action Filmmakers Working in Animation

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:10:19 -0500

Six Live-Action Filmmakers Working in Animation:

Also! Reviews of Fantastic Mr. Fox, Red Cliff and Oh My God, plus some words on Pee-Wee (tenth down).

Because everyone’s doing it! Here is the (I dunno, kind of...

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:05:21 -0500

Because everyone’s doing it! Here is the (I dunno, kind of boring) Top 10 of the ’00s that I submitted to this poll. Several weeks later I would probably change it up, but I’m not sure in what way(s). The ranking is utterly arbitrary, as rankings so often are.

1) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2) In the Mood for Love
3) The Prestige
4) Trouble Every Day
5) Zodiac
6) Devils on the Doorstep
7) Songs From the Second Floor
8) The New World
9) 25th Hour
10) Kings and Queen

Coming soon! Films that almost made the cut but for whatever potentially silly reason did not!

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:45:04 -0500

A too-small sampling from a brilliantly trying bit from the...

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:31:10 -0500

A too-small sampling from a brilliantly trying bit from the “Patience” episode of Wonder Showzen. I saw this the same day I saw some repetitive (but in a good way!) films by Hollis Frampton. I’m not sure which was more assaultive.

I was on TV last night. Ca. the 9:30 mark. And I want Aaron Hillis' hat.

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:43:15 -0500

I was on TV last night. Ca. the 9:30 mark. And I want Aaron Hillis' hat.

Six Emo Vampires

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:00:28 -0500

Six Emo Vampires:

Also! Caps of 2012 and the reissued Rashomon, plus words on a double feature of Top Hat and Singin’ in the Rain that I just realized I can’t make.

Trailer for Band of Ninja (1967), Nagisa Oshima’s lone...

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:40:00 -0500

Trailer for Band of Ninja (1967), Nagisa Oshima’s lone foray into animation. It is 135 minutes of still black and white drawings; Oshima simply shot the pages of the manga he was adapting, and threw in his own sound and kinetic editing. I want it.

I interviewed Jim Halpert. But not about matters Jim Halpert.

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:24:53 -0500

I interviewed Jim Halpert. But not about matters Jim Halpert.

I'm the guy who needs to watch more TV

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:13:00 -0500

I don’t have cable. I live with an SD TV that has the digital converter box thingie, but I’ve not yet bothered to buy one for the TV in my bedroom, and don’t have any immediate plans to either. While I do have a few shows I watch, and have watched more than my fair share of whole runs of shows, I have historically gravitated more to movies. (The major exception is British comedy, with which I am exceedingly well-versed.) But no more, I say. Motivated by D’Angelo’s recent revelation, I demand more time suckage, particularly now that Mad Men is gone till next summer.

I’m currently on the third and regrettably final series of Black Books. Here’s some options for after:

Yes, Minister (and Yes, Prime Minister)
Green Wing
The I.T. Crowd
Wondershowzen
Tim and Eric etc. and etc.
Breaking Bad
Battlestar Galactica
Friday Night Lights
Sons of Anarchy
The Garry Shandling Show
Deadwood
Big Love
Weeds
Dollhouse
Um, The Sopranos (seriously)

Here, for the record, are the shows I regularly follow:

30 Rock
The Office US
Flight of the Conchords
The Thick of It
Peep Show
That Mitchell and Webb Look
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
South Park
Eastbound and Down
Little Britain
Mad Men
Daily Show/Colbert

And, lastly, shows I need to catch back up with:

The Wire (Season 4 has been sitting on my shelf for - egads - nearly two years)
Dexter (did Season 1, liked loads, just haven’t gotten around to it)
Aqua Teen Hunger Force (only up to volume 5)
Six Feet Under (bailed after season four; need I bother?)

I am, as ever, open to suggestions.

I didn't totally hate Precious.

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:52:50 -0500

I didn't totally hate Precious.:

Plus! Reviews of (Untitled) and The Maid, as well as a Six Pack on unadaptable novels (Brief Interviews With Hideous Men finally opens here).

I’ve long wanted an old-timey, purely analogue,...

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:13:00 -0500

I’ve long wanted an old-timey, purely analogue, wind-it-yourself, develop-the-images-in-an-actual-dark-room cameras, which I would stock exclusively with B&W film. But the “Old Camera” app for iPhone will do. Honestly, you don’t even have to have a great eye; the app does a lot of the heavy lifting, and is unpredictable in what parts it will make dark and impenetrable. Here is the results of my snapping up a storm during my hike through the Wissahickon this weekend. (Alas, until I bother updating my Flickr account, to see all the photos you have to be my Facebook friend. Be my Facebook friend. Maybe.)

Six Films Made by Filmmakers to Atone for Past Cineamtic Sins

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:40:12 -0500

Six Films Made by Filmmakers to Atone for Past Cineamtic Sins:

And! Reviews of Revanche, The Fourth Kind and Skin.

Yoda was cussing fuck hoes doing crazy shit that jedi do not do....

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:23:00 -0500

Yoda was cussing fuck hoes doing crazy shit that jedi do not do. (Hat tip: Steve C.)

Six Movies With the Worst Shit You've Ever Seen

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:54:00 -0400

Six Movies With the Worst Shit You've Ever Seen:

Plus! Reviews of The Fucking Boondock Saints II and The New Year Parade.

Australian poster for Antichrist. Go Antichrist. (Suppose I...

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:54:00 -0400

Australian poster for Antichrist. Go Antichrist.

(Suppose I should note that, while I’m highly amused by the some of the more overtly ridiculous aspects of this film — just the talking fox, really — I genuinely and sincerely respect the film as both a Bergmanesque psychodrama and an extreme act of bad taste. And besides, on a totally unamused level, this is just a great poster — Polish great. Even better than this.)

Go see Lars Von Trier’s Woodland Critter Christmas.

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:45:36 -0400

Go see Lars Von Trier’s Woodland Critter Christmas.

Once Upon a Time

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:03:00 -0400

I was asked to do a film blog for Philadelphia Weekly. It never happened. But I did spend an entire evening dreaming up potential names for this blog, which had to include references to film and perhaps also Philadelphia. None of them were good and, as the night progressed, became actively, intentionally awful. Today, nearly two years later, I stumbled upon the list. Here are some of them:

Nouvelle Blogue
The Discreet Charm of Matt Prigge
Really Reely Reel
The Unbearable Lightness of Blogging
Textual Analysis and Ritual Participation
Ph Stop
The Man Who Went Up a Newspaper and Came Down a Blog
Rack Focus

My favorite for now is Ph Stop.

Six Filmmakers Who'd Have Made "Where the Wild Things Are" Better

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:52:00 -0400

Six Filmmakers Who'd Have Made "Where the Wild Things Are" Better:

I guess I should confess I didn’t totally care for (i.e., like a C+) Where the Wild Things Are. But who knows, maybe I’ll follows this guy’s lead. Plus! Reviews of Bronson, Art & Copy and The Damned United.

If Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are was more often like this leaked test scene, I'd be as bonkers as its fans. But it's not.

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:23:00 -0400

If Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are was more often like this leaked test scene, I'd be as bonkers as its fans. But it's not.

scottwblack: juliasegal: meowkitties: That is one deep...

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:50:13 -0400

scottwblack:

juliasegal:

meowkitties:

That is one deep question askin’ shirt you’ve got on kid…

This kid is so deep…he shits Dostoevsky books.