02013.02
Films I've watched in February 2013.
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- DirectorPatrick JeanNew York City is invaded by 8-bit creatures.02013.02.02: 2 minute short film. Lots of fun.
02013.02.01: The first day of February I watched a 5 minute home movie: Draculina. It's not listed on IMDB, but it's better than some films I've seen that ARE listed! - DirectorMalik BendjelloulStarsRodriguezStephen 'Sugar' SegermanDennis CoffeyTwo South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.02013.02.03: DSM & I watched this documentary, which was interesting, but I'm not really following the hype. What's that about?
- DirectorMichael WadleighStarsJoan BaezRichie HavensRoger DaltreyOscar-winning musical chronicle that brilliantly captures the three-day rock concert and celebration of peace and love that became a capstone for the Sixties.02013.02.04: DSM & I went to see the almost 4 hour version of Woodstock at IU Cinema. Fascinating to see it in this way. It's been a while since I've seen it and I've never seen this version. On the National Film Registry.
- DirectorGeoff MurphyStarsSteven SeagalEric BogosianEverett McGillCasey Ryback hops on a Colorado to LA train to start a vacation with his niece. Early into the trip, terrorists board the train and use it as a mobile HQ to hijack a top secret destructive US satellite.02013.02.05: I always get a kick out of this one. Watched it while I lounged on the couch. Wasn't feeling well and stayed home to rest. Revisiting this film was just what I needed. Silly. And fun.
- DirectorJohn McTiernanStarsBruce WillisJeremy IronsSamuel L. JacksonJohn McClane and a Harlem store owner are targeted by German terrorist Simon in New York City, where he plans to rob the Federal Reserve Building.02013.02.05: Revisiting fun 1995 action films... apparently. This one is dumb in a surprisingly restful way.
- DirectorMartin McDonaghStarsColin FarrellWoody HarrelsonSam RockwellA struggling screenwriter inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends kidnap a gangster's beloved Shih Tzu.02013.02.06: FINALLY got to see Seven Psychopaths. While it lacked the searing brilliance of In Bruges, it has a great deal to recommend it. Some wonderful performances... quite a number actually. And the meta qualities ... with the overt exploration of screenwriting development process, structure, and theme... were fabulous. I'll revisit many times I'm sure.
- DirectorJean RouchStarsJean RouchA documentary short depicting a Hauka ceremony where young workers are possessed by British colonial officers.02013.02.07: First film in THE SHARED ETHNOGRAPHY OF JEAN ROUCH series at Indiana University Cinema.
- DirectorJean RouchStarsOumarou GandaGambiPetit Touré"I, a Negro" depicts young Nigerien immigrants who left their country to find work in the Ivory Coast, in the Treichville quarter of Abidjan, the capital. These immigrants live in squalor in Treichville, envious of the bordering quarters of The Plateau (the business and industrial district) and the old African quarter of Adjame. The film traces a week in these immigrants' lives, blurring the line between their characters' routines and their own. Every morning, Tarzan, Eddy Constantine and Edward G. Robinson seek work in Treichville in hopes of getting the 20 francs that a bowl of soup costs them. They perform menial jobs as dockers carrying sacks and handy labor shipping supplies to Europe. At night, they drink away their sorrows in bars while dreaming about their idealized lives as their "movie" alter-egos, alternatively as an FBI Agent, a womanizing bachelor, a successful boxer, and even able to stand up to the white colonialists that seduce away their women. These dream-like sequences are shot in a poetic mode. Each day is introduced by an interstitial voice of god omniscient narration from Jean Rouch, providing a universal thematic distance to the movie's events. The film is book-ended by a narration directed at both Petit Jules and the audience from Edward G. Robinson fondly looking back on his childhood in Niger and concluding that his life is worthy of his dreams.02013.02.07: Part of THE SHARED ETHNOGRAPHY OF JEAN ROUCH series at Indiana University Cinema.
- DirectorPip ChodorovStarsPip ChodorovKen JacobsHans RichterWhat is experimental film, and why is it called that? Artists and poet working in celluloid since before WWI have always found themselves in a no man's land. Excluded both from the art world and from the film industry, they bodly created a grassroots network for making and showing their films. They also created a profound body of work that continues to influence our culture. I wanted to share a few of the films I love and introduce you some of the free, radicals artists who made them.02013.02.08: At IU Cinema this evening. I'm looking forward to watching this again when it is out on disc or streaming online. I want to be able to savor the experimental films featured and stop to scribble down some of the keen insights on the need for artists to bring through their visions no matter what others have to say.
- DirectorChristian PetzoldStarsNina HossRonald ZehrfeldRainer BockA doctor working in 1980s East Germany finds herself banished to a small country hospital.02013.02.08: Exquisite film. Breathtakingly self-assured work of art... and by that I do NOT mean heavy or tedious. I mean very human.... very alive. Thanks, IU Cinema and Ryder Film Series for bringing this film to the big screen for us to experience.
- DirectorJoshua SanchezStarsE.J. BonillaEmory CohenAja Naomi KingOn a hot 4th of July night, sparks fly between four people as they test the limits and possibilities of their own freedom.02013.02.09: Watched a screener of this film - sent to me as part of the Independent Spirit Award nomination process. I did not go for this film... though I did watch it from beginning to end. I did not feel engaged with any of the characters.
- DirectorScott ThurmanStarsStanley Tucci02013.02.09: This documentary is frightening. Truly.
- DirectorFrank BorzageStarsJanet GaynorCharles FarrellNatalie KingstonA woman on the run from the law finds her past catching up to her just as she is on the verge of true happiness.02013.02.10: Started watching last night and finished this morning. Watching this almost silent film starring Janet Gaynor, who won an Oscar for her performance, as part of a coursera class, The Language of Hollywood: Storytelling, Sound, and Color - https://www.coursera.org/course/hollywood
- DirectorPeter UstinovStarsRobert RyanPeter UstinovMelvyn DouglasWhen a kind-hearted sailor is made to join an English vessel at war in 1797, he finds himself caught between devotion to his crewmates and obedience to their hated, cruel master-at-arms.02013.02.10: Terrific film. Finally getting to watching this one that's been on my list for a long time. Terence Stamp is phenomenal. I am in the process of going back through Stamp's career to see films I've never seen and to appreciate his work again in his films I have seen. A great talent. There are so many other wonderful performances in this film along with strong design and direction.
- DirectorBraden KingStarsPeter CoyoteBen FosterDatekiv KharibyanCartographer Will Shepard hits the road for his latest job: to create a new, more accurate satellite survey of Armenia. During his assignment, he forms a bond with an Armenian expatriate and art photographer.02013.02.10: This film is nominated for Best Cinematography in Independent Spirit Awards. Lol Crawley - cinematographer. It's beautiful.
- DirectorJosef von SternbergStarsGeorge BancroftBetty CompsonOlga BaclanovaA blue-collar worker on New York's depressed waterfront finds his life changed after he saves a woman attempting suicide.02013.02.10: Wonderful film. Love the cinematography by Harold Rosson. This one's on the National Film Registry.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsDenzel WashingtonNadine VelazquezDon CheadleTroubling questions arise after airline pilot Whip Whitaker makes a miracle landing after a mid-air catastrophe.02013.02.11: Dismal. Truly. What a mess.
- DirectorChristopher KenneallyStarsDerek AmbrosiMichael BallhausAndrzej BartkowiakThe documentary investigates the history, process and workflow of both digital and photochemical film creation.02013.02.11: I'm going to have to revisit this film again and again. I'm intrigued by the different takes on the question of digital v. film.
- DirectorRouben MamoulianStarsHelen MorganJoan PeersFuller Mellish Jr.A burlesque star seeks to keep her convent-raised daughter away from her low-down life and abusive lover/stage manager.02013.02.12: An awesome film from the early days of All Talk Films. We really enjoyed this one. First time we'd seen it.
- DirectorPeter NicksStarsSean BennettGo behind the doors of an American public hospital struggling to care for a community of largely uninsured patients.02013.02.13: Seriously considering giving The Waiting Room my vote for Best Documentary in this year's Independent Spirit Awards. It's gripping.
- DirectorBen LewinStarsJohn HawkesHelen HuntWilliam H. MacyA man in an iron lung who wishes to lose his virginity contacts a professional sex surrogate with the help of his therapist and priest.02013.02.13: Streamed on Amazon Instant Video.
- DirectorAlexander MackendrickStarsAlec GuinnessJoan GreenwoodCecil ParkerAn altruistic chemist invents a fabric which resists wear and stain as a boon to humanity, but big business and labor realize it must be suppressed for economic reasons.02013.02.14: My sweetie and I had a wonderful time seeing the newly restored version of this hilarious Alec Guinness film. I remember loving this film when I saw it as a teenager. Just as funny this time.
- DirectorJake SchreierStarsPeter SarsgaardFrank LangellaSusan SarandonIn the near future, an ex-jewel thief receives a gift from his son: a robot butler programmed to look after him. But soon the two companions try their luck as a heist team.02013.02.14: We enjoyed this film. Frank Langella's always been one of my favorites....
- DirectorDavid BrothersCrispin GloverStarsMargit CarstensenSteven C. StewartCarrie SzlasaAn autobiographical, psycho-sexual, fantastical retelling of Steven C. Stewart's point-of-view of life.02013.02.15. We saw this film at IU Cinema this evening.
- DirectorAlex J. SemchuckStarsAlex J. SemchuckThrough archival photographs, raw modern day footage, and interviews you will witness the rise, fall and uncertain future of Gary, Indiana; while examining the many perceptions and misconceptions about the city.02013.02.16
- DirectorLee Toland KriegerStarsRashida JonesAndy SambergElijah WoodA divorcing couple tries to maintain their friendship while they both pursue other people.02013.02.16: Nominated for Best First Screenplay in the Independent Spirit Awards. It is not winning my vote.
- DirectorRichard FleischerWilliam Cameron MenziesStarsCharles McGrawMarie WindsorJacqueline WhiteA woman planning to testify against the mob must be protected against potential assassins on the train trip from Chicago to Los Angeles.02013.02.16: TCM 31 Days of Oscar film noir.
- DirectorUrsula MeierStarsLéa SeydouxKacey Mottet KleinMartin CompstonA drama set at a Swiss ski resort and centered on a boy who supports his sister by stealing from wealthy guests.02013.02.16: Nominated for Best International Film in the Independent Spirit Awards. I'm watching this one now. By the time I've watched this one I'll have seen 3 of the 5 nominated films. And that's all I'll get to see before I vote.
- DirectorNorman Z. McLeodStarsGroucho MarxHarpo MarxThe Marx BrothersOn a transatlantic crossing, The Marx Brothers get up to their usual antics and manage to annoy just about everyone on board the ship.02013.02.16: Watching this early Marx Brothers comedy part of The Language of Hollywood: Storytelling, Sound, and Color coursera class ... First time I've seen it.
- DirectorLynn SheltonStarsMark DuplassEmily BluntRosemarie DeWittIris invites her friend Jack to stay at her family's island getaway after his brother's death. Jack's drunken encounter with Iris' sister Hannah at their remote cabin kicks off a revealing stretch of days.02013.02.16: This is not my kind of movie. I get really tired of these unbelievable relationship trouble low on any kind of actual drama/comedy/reason for me to really be watching activity of any kind.
- DirectorBennett MillerStarsBrad PittRobin WrightJonah HillOakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to assemble a baseball team on a lean budget by employing computer-generated analysis to acquire new players.02013.02.17: Revisiting this one. There's so much going on in this film. Today I'm particularly aware that I enjoy this film because it is about perceptual shifts changing what manifests in the world.
- DirectorRichard BoleslawskiStarsMarlene DietrichCharles BoyerTilly LoschThe star-crossed desert romance of a cloistered woman and a renegade monk.02013.02.18: deliciously dramatic and beautifully shot.
- DirectorDavid SilvermanMaggie Simpson spends the day in the Ayn Rand School for Tots.02013.02.19: Oscar Nominated Animated Short. Finally seeing this one. Saw the others a few weeks back.
- DirectorDominique MolleeVinny SissonStarsJamie AdlerSteven AdlerAnnika AlliksooMy Way begins with the conventional "small-town girl livin' in a lonely (corporate) world." Yet instead of taking the midnight train, Rebekah Starr trades her pants-suit for a Les Paul, grabs her sassy Estonian tambourine-banging sidekick and hits the highway-destination: Sunset Strip. When Rebekah's marriage falls apart in real time, we realize her dream is not a whim. It is a burning passion for music that comes with its share of real world sacrifices. Thanks to the support from her newfound rock n roll legend friends such as Steven Adler (Guns n Roses) and Rikki Rocket (Poison), Starr re-commits to her mission and accomplishes what she set out to do. Her contagious optimism acts as the film's through line, hoping to inspire anyone feeling trapped by their circumstances.02013.02.19: Road Tripping Rock 'N Roll girl band.
- DirectorHoward HawksRichard RossonStarsPaul MuniAnn DvorakKaren MorleyAn ambitious and nearly insane violent gangster climbs the ladder of success in the mob, but his weaknesses prove to be his downfall.02013.02.20: I can really see how this spawned far more in the gangster genre than just the Al Pacino remake. Watching this as part of my coursera class, The Language of Hollywood: Storytelling, Sound, and Color.
- DirectorJoseph L. MankiewiczStarsMarlon BrandoJean SimmonsFrank SinatraIn New York, a gambler is challenged to take a cold female missionary to Havana, but they fall for each other, and the bet has a hidden motive to finance a crap game.02013.02.22: Every time I see this film I notice different things. It's funny.
- DirectorMitchell LeisenStarsCharles BoyerOlivia de HavillandPaulette GoddardStopped in Mexico by U.S. Immigration, Georges Iscovescu hopes to get into the country by marrying a citizen.02013.02.22: First time I've seen this film. Really enjoying it. Olivia de Havilland is wonderful. Deserving of her Oscar nomination. I'm on a Charles Boyer kick.
- DirectorKatie GreenCarlye RubinStarsHope EdelmanJane FondaLetitia Guimaraes-LyleThree women bound by the shared experience of having lost their mothers during adolescence yet whose paths never cross.02013.02.22: exploring mother loss.
- DirectorBart LaytonStarsAdam O'BrianNicholas BarclayCarey GibsonA documentary centered on a young man in Spain who claims to a grieving Texas family that he is their 16-year-old son who has been missing for 3 years.02013.02.22: This film left me flat. Not sure what other people find so compelling about it.
- DirectorErnst LubitschStarsMaurice ChevalierClaudette ColbertMiriam HopkinsAn amorous lieutenant is forced to marry a socially awkward princess, though he tries to keep his violin-playing girlfriend on the side.02013.02.22: Another funny Ernst Lubitsch film starring Maurice Chevalier. Claudette Colbert is lively.
- DirectorPaul WeitzStarsPaul DanoRobert De NiroJulianne MooreWorking in a Boston homeless shelter, Nick Flynn re-encounters his father, a con man and self-proclaimed poet. Sensing trouble in his own life, Nick wrestles with the notion of reaching out yet again to his dad.02013.02.23: Finished watching this afternoon. I found it somewhat interesting. I'm not sure why people got it into their head to cast De Niro as an Irishman. It always gets under my skin.... every single time.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsNoomi RapaceLogan Marshall-GreenMichael FassbenderFollowing clues to the origin of mankind, a team finds a structure on a distant moon, but they soon realize they are not alone.02013.02.23: Watched this one as part of my interest in watching as many 2013 Oscar nominated films as possible. Prometheus is nominated for Best Achievement in Visual Effects. It is impressive visually. The story wasn't as annoying as I assumed it might be given the reviews.
- DirectorJacques AudiardStarsMarion CotillardMatthias SchoenaertsArmand VerdurePut in charge of his young son, Alain leaves Belgium for Antibes to live with his sister and her husband as a family. Alain's bond with Stephanie, a killer whale trainer, grows deeper after Stephanie suffers a horrible accident.02013.02.24: Rust and Bone is stunning. I had the opportunity to see it this afternoon at Indiana University Cinema.
- DirectorJacques TatiStarsJacques TatiBarbara DennekRita MaidenMonsieur Hulot curiously wanders around a high-tech Paris, paralleling a trip with a group of American tourists. Meanwhile, a nightclub/restaurant prepares its opening night, but it's still under construction.02013.02.25: I saw this film at Indiana University Cinema. I experienced it as an exquisite, escalating ballet of sound and movement... like being on a mirrored merry go round running out of control.
- DirectorMichael AptedStarsBruce BaldenJacqueline BassettSymon BasterfieldDirector Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born adults after a seven-year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.02013.02.27: Finished watching 42 Up today. I've been watching it in pieces in the past few weeks. next... 49 Up and then this weekend I'll be ready for the screening of 56 Up through the Ryder Film Series in Bloomington, Indiana.
- DirectorMark RobsonStarsRichard DixRussell WadeEdith BarrettThird Officer Tom Merriam accuses Captain Will Stone of being a homicidal maniac, but no one believes him.02013.02.27: Watching this as part of my coursera class, The Language of Hollywood: Storytelling, Sound, and Color. Netflix DVD.
- DirectorAbbas KiarostamiFive sequences : 1) A piece of driftwood on the seashore, carried about by the waves 2) People walking on the seashore. The oldest ones stop by, look at the sea, then go away 3) Blurry shapes on a winter beach. A herd of dogs. A love story 4) A group of loud ducks cross the image, in one direction then the other 5) A pond, at night. Frogs improvising a concert. A storm, then the sunrise.02013.02.27: I'm relishing Five Dedicated to Ozu. A meditation filmed at the beach in Spain by Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami. Netflix DVD.
- DirectorMichael AptedPaul AlmondStarsBruce BaldenJacqueline BassettSymon BasterfieldDirector Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born adults after a seven-year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.02013.02.28: I get to see 56 Up this weekend. I've been moving through the entire Up Series in preparation. Some - like this one - are new to me. The earlier episodes I'd seen. It's a fascinating process.