This year my affinity was towards films that layered non fiction with fiction with an emphasis on the former, deconstructions of cinematic form, style and technique, social realism, optimistic hymn's pertaining to life, subtle beauty, and human endurance, as well great social film going experiences with friends and family.
The fourteen Best Films of 2008
1.Flight of the Red Balloon (Hsiao-hsien Hou, 2007)
2.Un conte de Noël (Arnaud Desplechin, 2008)
3.Milk (Gus Van Sant, 2008)
4.Man on Wire (James Marsh, 2008)
5.Of Time and the City (Terence Davies, 2008)
6.Happy-Go-Lucky (Mike Leigh, 2008)
7.Gran Torino (Clint Eastwood, 2008)
8.JCVD (Mabrouk El Mechri, 2008)
9.My Winnipeg (Guy Maddin, 2007)
10.Sukiyaki Western Django (Takashi Miike, 2007)
11.4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Cristian Mungiu, 2007)
12.Vicky Christina Barcelona (Woody Allen, 2008)
13.Ashes of Time Redux (Wong Kar Wai, 2008)
14.The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (David Fincher, 2008)
Have a great new year.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
roman inconography
The Fall of the Roman Empire (Anthony Mann, 1964)
The Fall of the Roman Empire is a sword and sandal film about the rise and fall of Caeser Commodus. It is a statement about personal and communal pains of a society founded on violence and the affect of power and paranoia has on a leader. The 1960s was the decade of the epic as hollywood was reacting to decrease of film audience to the household television. It is the producers Samuel Bronston who was responsible for getting iconography of the film intact including the sets, clothing, animals, transportation, and locations. Anthony Mann directorial touches include statues in the foreground covering the frame to add and remind the viewer of an unseen motivating factors, establishing pan shots emphasizing the purity of the sky with the corruption in rome, individuals set against a bustling Rome and desolate classical roman architecture and film noir contrast between actors with low key lighting and shadows. Dimitri Tiomkin creates an enhancing film score and their are good performances from Sophia Lauren and James Mason.
The Fall of the Roman Empire is a sword and sandal film about the rise and fall of Caeser Commodus. It is a statement about personal and communal pains of a society founded on violence and the affect of power and paranoia has on a leader. The 1960s was the decade of the epic as hollywood was reacting to decrease of film audience to the household television. It is the producers Samuel Bronston who was responsible for getting iconography of the film intact including the sets, clothing, animals, transportation, and locations. Anthony Mann directorial touches include statues in the foreground covering the frame to add and remind the viewer of an unseen motivating factors, establishing pan shots emphasizing the purity of the sky with the corruption in rome, individuals set against a bustling Rome and desolate classical roman architecture and film noir contrast between actors with low key lighting and shadows. Dimitri Tiomkin creates an enhancing film score and their are good performances from Sophia Lauren and James Mason.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Our town does not only have one repertory anymore
Mayfair Theater, Since 1932.
1074 Bank Street
Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927)
New 35mm print with live music
(01/02, 9PM)
Midnight Movies: from the margins to the mainstream (Stuart Samuels, 2005)
Special Guest: Stuart Samuels, director of midnight movies
(01/09, 10PM)
The ultimate midnight movie experience
Eraserhead (David Lynch, 1977)
(01/09, 12PM)
Mean Streets (Martin Scorsese, 1973)
(01/20, 9:20PM)
Sukiyaki Western Django (Takashi Miike, 2007)
(01/23, 11:30PM)
Let The Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008)
(01/28, 9PM)
Visitor Q (Takashi Miike., 2001)
(01/30, 11:30PM)
1074 Bank Street
Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927)
New 35mm print with live music
(01/02, 9PM)
Midnight Movies: from the margins to the mainstream (Stuart Samuels, 2005)
Special Guest: Stuart Samuels, director of midnight movies
(01/09, 10PM)
The ultimate midnight movie experience
Eraserhead (David Lynch, 1977)
(01/09, 12PM)
Mean Streets (Martin Scorsese, 1973)
(01/20, 9:20PM)
Sukiyaki Western Django (Takashi Miike, 2007)
(01/23, 11:30PM)
Let The Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008)
(01/28, 9PM)
Visitor Q (Takashi Miike., 2001)
(01/30, 11:30PM)
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Film Noir, Wilder, Curtiz and a few new releases
Bytowne Cinema,
324 Rideau Street.
Film Noir
High and Low (Akira Kurosawa, 1963)
(01/12, 4:30PM)
The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955)
(03/02, 9:15PM)
Must-See Cinema
The Apartment (Billy Wilder, 1960)
(01/19, 9PM)
Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1942)
(02/09, 8:55PM)
New Releases
The Wrestler (Darren Aronofsky, 2008)
(01/16, 9:20PM)
Entre les Murs (Laurent Cantet, 2008)
(01/30, 6:35PM
Waltz with Bashir (Ari Folman, 2008)
(02/06, 7:05PM)
Che Part 1 (Steven Soderbergh, 2008)
(02/27, 6:50PM)
324 Rideau Street.
Film Noir
High and Low (Akira Kurosawa, 1963)
(01/12, 4:30PM)
The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955)
(03/02, 9:15PM)
Must-See Cinema
The Apartment (Billy Wilder, 1960)
(01/19, 9PM)
Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1942)
(02/09, 8:55PM)
New Releases
The Wrestler (Darren Aronofsky, 2008)
(01/16, 9:20PM)
Entre les Murs (Laurent Cantet, 2008)
(01/30, 6:35PM
Waltz with Bashir (Ari Folman, 2008)
(02/06, 7:05PM)
Che Part 1 (Steven Soderbergh, 2008)
(02/27, 6:50PM)
Friday, December 19, 2008
quotes
"After all, you made me sit through “No Country for Old Men” twice, so I figure you owe me one." - Dave K
"PANIC ROOM is a meditation on our desire to invade Jodie Foster’s privacy . . ." - David Boxwell
"Maybe ZODIAC is only ostensibly a serial killer movie in conventional terms, but it’s pretty clearly some sort of commentary on serial killer movies or meta-serial-killer movie — which may qualify it AS a serial killer movie." Alex Hicks
"David, if THUMBSUCKER is faithful to Walter Kirn, then I’ll be staying away from his novels. After his idiotic review of James Wood’s book, I was planning to anyway." - Kent Jones
"PANIC ROOM is a meditation on our desire to invade Jodie Foster’s privacy . . ." - David Boxwell
"Maybe ZODIAC is only ostensibly a serial killer movie in conventional terms, but it’s pretty clearly some sort of commentary on serial killer movies or meta-serial-killer movie — which may qualify it AS a serial killer movie." Alex Hicks
"David, if THUMBSUCKER is faithful to Walter Kirn, then I’ll be staying away from his novels. After his idiotic review of James Wood’s book, I was planning to anyway." - Kent Jones
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Must-See Cinema
Gran Torino (Clint Eastwood, 2008)
*the final film in a trilogy that began with Unforgiven and continued with A Perfect World - Glenn Kenny
Wendy and Lucy (Kelly Reichardt, 2008)
*exercise in minimalist cinema about ultra-ordinary people. - Andrew Sarris
The Wrestler (Darren Aronofsky, 2008)
*mickey rourke has an edge and a magnetism and a pure, sweet smile that surprises you. - Pauline Kael
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (David Fincher, 2008)
*a big-budget studio film whose central theme is human mortality - Dave Kehr
Ashes of Time Redux (Kar Wai Wong, 2008)
*its about human disconnections; how we choose, for the sake of honour, love or greed, to avoid the physical present. - Mark Sinker
(Bytowne Cinema, 324 Rideau Street, 12/17)
*the final film in a trilogy that began with Unforgiven and continued with A Perfect World - Glenn Kenny
Wendy and Lucy (Kelly Reichardt, 2008)
*exercise in minimalist cinema about ultra-ordinary people. - Andrew Sarris
The Wrestler (Darren Aronofsky, 2008)
*mickey rourke has an edge and a magnetism and a pure, sweet smile that surprises you. - Pauline Kael
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (David Fincher, 2008)
*a big-budget studio film whose central theme is human mortality - Dave Kehr
Ashes of Time Redux (Kar Wai Wong, 2008)
*its about human disconnections; how we choose, for the sake of honour, love or greed, to avoid the physical present. - Mark Sinker
(Bytowne Cinema, 324 Rideau Street, 12/17)