Comme des Garcons - Wonderwood - Quay Brothers film

New short film by the Quay Brothers on the theme of Comme des garcons new fragrance:wonderwood.

Judex - introduction

the haunting beginning.

Stieg Larsson's work on screen

Swedish Thriller based on Stieg Larsson's work due out soon. Looks promising. Due to open Cannes Film Festival 2009.

Sorcerer Trailer

For future reference.

Der Baader Meinhof Complex

This looks excellent. I don't think it will arrive in the United States until sometime next year. (I was recently reminded of it in this post.).

Holidays - radio - Metropolis

Happy Canada Day, Bonne Anniversaire Quebec, Happy Independence Day!

I will do 4 hours of radio on WZBC 90.3fm tomorrow night from 18:00 to 22:00 EST.

Listen in.

AND this exciting news: a Restored print of Fritz Lang's film METROPOLIS is in the works!

off for a day of film in Cambridge

On this blustery day I intend to go for a walk about.

From noon on the Boston Underground Film Festival takes over Harvard Square.
I hope to see a large portion of today's films.

I'll let you know.

Berlinale 2008 - February 7-17, 2008

The Berlin International Forum of New Cinema just kicked off yesterday. Ekkehard Knörer recently published a good review of what is on the menu this year. A couple of films of note are Erick Zonca's "Julia" (director of "the Dreamlife of Angels", his new film stars Tilda Swinton), and Mike Leigh's new film "Happy-Go-Lucky".
Also of note is Isabella Rossellini's Green Pornos, exposing her fascination with entomology.

NOTE: Der Spiegel has an excellent section on the Festival.

NOTE: Good video on some of the smaller films on the IHT site.
Plus this roundup by Dennis Lim can be found there as well.


(to be updated)

Chantal Akerman: Moving through Time and Space

Chantal Akerman: Moving through Time and Space
19 Jan—29 Mar 2008
In her first major US museum exhibition, Belgian-born artist Chantal Akerman presents five multimedia video installations dating from 1993 to the present. Best known for her politically charged pieces, the exhibition brings together D'Est, 1993, De l'Autre Côté, 2002, Sud, 1999, Là-Bas, 2006, and a new work created in Siberia especially for the exhibition. After its premiere in Houston, the show travels to the M.I.T. List Visual Arts Center, Cambridge (1 May-6 July), the Miami Art Museum (16 October-18 January 2009) and the Contemporary Art Museum, St Louis (8 May-2 August 2009). Categories: Contemporary Video & New Media Contemporary (1970-present)

first stop: BLAFFER GALLERY
University of Houston, 120 Fine Arts Building 77204 - 40
+1 713 743 9530

(Information provided by: The Art Newspaper.

Happy New Year! (reflections on the double)

A new day begins today.

But first, a moment for the past:

Recently, I finished reading The Memory Wars by Frederick Crews, which essentially dismantles the whole Freudian edifice and the 'recovered memory' movement. My head was buzzing with latent disgust with the whole Freudian project. Then I saw Francis Ford Coppola's version of Mircea Eliade's "Youth Without Youth". The film is, on the whole, pretty good. It is very faithful to the novel. However, by the same token, I wonder why would anyone want to make a film of this book. The book seems to be steeped in the application of Freudian theory (to some extent) to language. This is evidenced in the main character's project of recovery of the origins of language. The film also enlists the aid of a double. There are entire scenes where the main character (well played by Tim Roth) holds entire conversations with himself. This notion of the double or doppelgänger is reminiscent of Vladimir Nabokov's Despair, (or of Edgar Allen Poe's story "William Willson" which was filmed by Louis Malle amongst others) which was elegantly brought to the screen by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. These are just a few examples of the double in film and literature that I can think of at the moment. They are not without merit, however, in the case of "Youth Without Youth" they add another layer to the general impression that the director is going-for-broke obscurity. Prior to seeing the film, I read the novel and was prepared for the story. On the other hand, If I neglected to do so, I might have been a bit lost or at the very least would have left the film feeling I might have got more out of it had I read the book.

A Zed and Two Naughts - this Saturday at the MFA in Boston

More information on Peter Greenaway's film.




Once again:

A Zed and Two Naughts dir. Peter Greenaway
playing at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts - Saturday, December 8, 2007 at 3:40pm

regading CONTROL

Things I enjoyed about CONTROL:

1. the black and white photography

2. hearing 'warszawa' in the background when Ian chats with Annick
(it made me want to listen to LOW by David Bowie, which I haven't done in far too long.)

3. the general experience of the film fit the subject

Control - in Boston October 26!!!

One Week Only!
Starts Friday, October 26 at the Kendall Square Cinema

Director: Anton Corbijn

Cast: Sam Riley, Samantha Morton, Craig Parkinson, Alexandra Maria Lara, Joe Anderson, James Anthony Pearson, Toby Kebbell, Harry Treadway, Andrew Sheridan, Robert Shelly

MPAA Rating: R

Run Time: 2hrs 1min

Release Year: 2007

Country Of Origin: UK

Excellent "Control" Article

Katrina Onstad looks at Anton Corbjin's "Control" in her article Ode To Joy.

Official site.

Room for one more! {Boris Karloff / Val Lewton Double Bill}

Tonight at the Harvard Film Archive -- two Horror classics.

Produced by Val Lewton - Starring Boris Karloff

THE BODY SNATCHER & ISLE OF THE DEAD.

Enjoy.

recent articles of note - large update

12 Nations put on Copyright Piracy List, Alice Rawsthorn on Design for the Unwealthiest 90 Percent, Tyler Brûlé on Trade Shows, Alice Rawsthorn on Milan's supersized creations, The French are on Kings Road, Mark Kermode gives a brief introduction to British End-Of-The-World Cinema, Bidisha talks of Zombie Films, as the House of Hammer Horror rises the dead, [Jonathan Miller's documentary on Atheism still controversial in America, Jonathan Glancey on Norwegian Architecture, Mark Di Ionnio on how Food Companies have Marketed us to Death, reports on Poorly Designed Crop Insurance and who benefits in America, Jeffrey H. Birnbaum reports on the Farm Bill, a book review of the recent Sassy book which explores the like between indie and populist, Natalie Hanman can't stand The Simpsons" and I'd have to agree, Eric Alterman's report from Planet Republican, John Harris weighs in on the Sixties and its diminished 'values', the CBC looks at Leisure Time, Peter Bradshaw's top ten picks at Cannes, the CBC on CONTROL - Anton Corbjin's Ian Curtis biopic and Peter Bradshaw's praise for the film-- [Admittedly, given that fact that it is Corbjin's project, it must look stellar--as so much of the band's existence is known through his photographs. A pity it wasn't shot in Macclesfield though.], Quintessential English Eccentric Isabella Blow Passed Away and her husband reflects on her Originality Author Lloyd Alexander Passed Away, Antony Gormley's latest exhibit explores a tastefully English Fog, Colby College in Maine receives a large gift of American Art, and A distinctly Belgian Contest for the Birds.

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The Legacy of Rachel Carson is Celebrated this Weekend.

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A slideshow of Montreal's Sanchez Brothers' work.

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The World Without Oil Scenario
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Harold Pinter Retrospective at the HFA

People have asked me why this is happening

I don't have an answer, at least not one they want to hear at any rate. The film festival starts tonight. This year's line up looks alright however not as promising as the one circa 2005. That was indeed a time to remember. In terms of programming, on a certain level I can understand why some basic so-called indie romances are included however they just don't provide any interest for me-- at all. I'd prefer more somewhat didactic documentaries, or ones that are at least educational to a certain degree-- something that the Canadians and Europeans seem to excel at.

Speaking of Canadian film-- that is to say Quebecois cinema-- "Congorama" (dir. Philippe Falardeau is one of the last films that Jean-Pierre Cassel starred in before passing away. I'm looking forward to that as well as Sarah Polley's (who is also on this year's Cannes jury) first feature film: "Away From Her". At any rate, this is all due to materialize in the near future.

What has piqued my attention in the many news stories regarding this year's Cannes Film Festival are Fatih Akin's new film "Yasamin Kiysinda", which includes Hanna Schygulla among its cast, and a film version of Marjane Satrapi's work Persepolis.

Recent Articles of note

The Minitel evolves; Public Art & Plagiarism are considered ; Pop music is sacred; sports get exclusive; Newspapers don't know how to handle blog comments; drugs and morality get the spotlight; The curse of retro-cinema is upon us; more end of the world scenarios profligate; Jean B and Kurt V passed away; Troxler's Swiss poster Tradition; Excellent look at the Ennio Morricone series that's been about; Jacques Rivette resurfaces; How to tell real drugs from fakes; what cyberchat does to the brain(cuts off inhibitions); A look at current Swedish Design; British seaside towns are in decline; Germany is booming.

That's most of what I've enjoyed reading in the past month or so news-wise.

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Kick off your weekend with an informative look at theAu Pairs.

Independent Film Festival Boston 2007 - tentative schedule

Below is my tentative schedule for the IFFB at the end of this month.
This is all subject to change.

Wednesday April 25, 2007
7pm “Fay Grim” dir. Hal Hartley at Somerville Theatre

Thursday April 26, 2007
Somerville Theatre
7pm “Congorama” directed by Philippe Falardeau

9:45pm “Great World of Sound” directed by Craig Zobel

Friday April 27, 2007
Somerville Theatre
6:45pm “The Cats of Mirikitani” directed by Linda Hattendorf

9:45pm “Monkey Warfare” directed by Reginald Harkema

12:00 “The Beach Party at the End of the World"
dir. by Kevin Wheatley & Jonny Gilette

Saturday April 28, 2007
Somerville Theatre
12:00pm “Lake of Fire” directed by Tony Kaye
12:15pm “The Unforseen” directed By: Laura Dunn

6:00pm “Away From Her” directed by Sarah Polley

10:45pm “The Living and The Dead” directed by Simon Rumley

Sunday April 29, 2007

12:00 “King Corn” directed by Aaron Wolfe at the Brattle

Somerville Theatre
3:00 “Strange Culture” directed by Lynn Hershman Leeson

9:00 “Fido” directed by Andrew Currie

Monday April 30, 2007
Somerville Theatre
5:15pm “Pretty In the Face” directed by Nate Meyer

Serge Daney: Postcards from the Cinema

I just placed an order forPostcards from The Cinemaby Serge Daney; translated by Paul Grant, published by Palgrave MacMillan. I can't wait to read this. I've head so much praise about his ideas.

UPDATE: A good overview/review of Daney's writings that have been translated into English can be found here.

From the publisher:

"Description
Postcards from the Cinema is the book Serge Daney, one of the greatest of film critics, never wrote. It is based around an interview that was to be the starting point for a book, a project cut short by Daney's death. Postcards turns a history of cinema into a profound meditation on the art and politics of film. Daney's passionate and lucid engagement with film, combined with his concern for journalistic clarity, effectively created film criticism as a genre. Equally at home with the theories of Deleuze, Lacan and Debord as he was with the movie-making of Bunuel, Godard and Ray, Daney was also a fan of Jerry Lewis and Hitchcock. At the same time - and before his time - he championed the critical analysis of television and other audio-visual media. Long-awaited, this is the first book-length translation of Daney's work, testimony to a life lived with a fierce love of film.

Author Bio
Serge Daney was a writer, and eventually editor-in-chief, for the highly influential film journal Cahiers du Cinéma. He went on to write for the newspaper Libération, and founded the film journal Trafic."