The Bad and the Beautiful on Reel 13Review of The Bad and the Beautiful
Believe it or not, I had not seen this film before and therefore, it was probably my most anticipated Reel 13 film yet. After all, it's a film I supposed was right up my alley – behind the scenes of old Hollywood, it had some actors I was excited about ... read more Posted on 11/20/08 by: eplromeo8 Comments (0 ) Manito on Reel 13Review of Manito
MANITO, the newest Reel 13 Indie about Puerto Rican brothers trying to escape their families' dark past and make ends meet in a mostly Hispanic neighborhood in Washington Heights, was extremely frustrating to watch – it's very dark (Was it timed down? Did the compression in the transfer crush the ... read more Posted on 11/20/08 by: eplromeo8 Comments (0 ) Fetch on Reel 13Review of Fetch
I don’t have very much to say about FETCH, the first animated short to be aired by Reel 13 (all of this week’s contestants on reel13.org were animated, so it’s not as if the viewers made it so). It was fine. Cute, funny – the animation is very ... read more Posted on 11/20/08 by: eplromeo8 Comments (0 ) Rebel Without a Cause on Reel 13Review of Rebel Without a Cause
Every once and a while, a movie comes around that defines a generation. EASY RIDER, ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and THE BREAKFAST CLUB are all Examples. I would argue, however, that no film better defines the generation it came from than REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE, which aired last night on ... read more Posted on 11/19/08 by: eplromeo8 Comments (0 ) Wilby Wonderful on Reel 13Review of Wilby Wonderful
Reel 13's latest Indie hails from north of the border and features a cavalcade of present day Canadian stars (if there is such a thing), boasting the likes of Sandra Oh, Paul Gross, Maury Chaykin and the current it-girl Ellen Page (before she became super-cute). The film is a wannabe ... read more Posted on 11/19/08 by: eplromeo8 Comments (0 ) No Menus Please on Reel 13Review of No Menus Please
These shorts are starting to annoy me with their consistent lack of quality. And in this case, I actually watched all three competitors so I KNOW that there were better films to choose from. This was actually the worst of all three, but I had a feeling it would win. ... read more Posted on 11/19/08 by: eplromeo8 Comments (0 ) The Magnificent Seven on Reel 13Review of The Magnificent Seven
I love the THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN. It was one of the watershed films of my childhood – such a sense of heroism and decency propagated throughout the film. However, watching it again on Reel 13, I was reminded of something that I always sort of knew, but didn't want to ... read more Posted on 11/19/08 by: eplromeo8 Comments (0 ) A Discouraging Word: Tropic Thunder on DVD
BY SIMON AUGUSTINE Posted on 11/17/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) Boycott Town
Oh Internet, you give voice to the craziest of us. We appreciate that people are upset about Proposition 8, the recently passed ban on gay marriage in California. We also appreciate that people are upset with Mormons for donating upwards of 19 million dollars to help support the divisive proposition. ... read more Posted on 11/17/08 by: TheDailyKirk Comments (0 ) They've Got Short Shorts
Review of bad head day
Our friends over at iThentic.com tipped us off to ShortsNonStop, a year-round short-film festival produced for online and mobile platforms. Presented by Telus, the festival is an extension of the Candian Film Centre’s Worldwide Short Film Festival, which has been going strong now for 13 years. The most recent ... read more Posted on 11/15/08 by: DGSmith Comments (0 ) |
What's New
The Problem with Reality, Part One: Nick Broomfield and Battle for Haditha Smart people have long debated the relation between cinema and reality, but for documentary filmmakers, the question has always been a particularly vexing one. Posted on 04/30/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) The Problem with Reality, Part One: Nick Broomfield and Battle for Haditha
By Damon Smith Smart people have long debated the relation between cinema and reality, but for documentary filmmakers, the question has always been a particularly vexing one. Posted on 04/30/08 by: DGSmith Comments (0 ) 
Romanian Cinema
Shining Through a Long, Dark Night: Romanian Cinema, Then and Now Following a string of critical acclaim in recent years for the films The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, 12:08 East of Bucharest, The Paper Will Be Blue and last year’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, Romania ... read more Posted on 04/30/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) 
Shining Through a Long, Dark Night: Romanian Cinema, Then and Now
Shining Through a Long, Dark Night: Romanian Cinema, Then and Now: Following a string of critical acclaim in recent years for the films The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, 12:08 East of Bucharest, The Paper Will Be Blue and last year’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, Romania has emerged ... read more Posted on 04/25/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) 
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE:
After winning the Oscar for 2003's The Fog Of War, director Errol Morris turns to Abu Ghraib prison for this documentary. Standard Operating Procedure uses two years of research to explore the horror behind the notorious photographs taken ... read more Posted on 04/25/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) 
Tour of Duty
An Interview with Nick Broomfield Documentary filmmaker Nick Broomfield turns his attention to the war in Iraq in this fiction film. Using a real-life military massacre in Haditha as his starting point, Broomfield tells the stories of young American soldiers and Iraqis that is sympathetic to both perspectives in ... read more Posted on 04/25/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) 
Hot Docs Day Six. No more exclamation points.Okay, I am quite sure I will hate documentaries by next week. I cannot take it anymore. I have now missed several films that I was very excited about at this time last week. I am very fickle! At the Death House Door looks at the life of Carroll Pickett, ... read more Posted on 04/25/08 by: Aaron Comments (0 ) 
Hot Docs Day Five!I am already feeling Doc Fatigue. That shit can get heavy, yo. So today i forego my original plan of a brutal death and war double bill in favour of checking out Man on Wire, the film about Phillipe Petit's tightrope walk between the twin towers of the World Trade ... read more Posted on 04/24/08 by: Aaron Comments (0 ) 
Hot Docs Day Four!I start my day by discovering I have spilled a large bottle of citrus oil degreaser in my courier bag. The contents of this waterproof bag have soaked up so much of this junk that I find a Slayer sweatshirt weighing about ten pounds and my Hot Docs program and ... read more Posted on 04/24/08 by: Aaron Comments (0 ) 
Hot Docs
Documentary Film Festival blog This year we'll be covering the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in Toronto, Canada. The festival is celebrating its 15th year showcasing new docs from around the world. This year features over 170 documentaries from 36 countries covering a tremendous array of subjects ... read more Posted on 04/24/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) 
An evening at the Jacob Burns Film Center
We caught up with producer Mary Jane Skalski and lead actress Danai Jekesai Gurira at the Jacob Burns Center to chat about their new film, The Visitor, directed by The Station Agent's Tom McCarthy. The two joined us for in-depth one-on-ones and then hoped on stage to ... read more Posted on 04/24/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) Against the Future of Cinema: There is No Such Thing as Small Movies
Against the Future of Cinema: There is No Such Thing as Small Movies by Anthony Kaufman Posted on 04/24/08 by: anthony Comments (3 ) Against the Future of Cinema: There is No Such Thing as Small Movies
Against the Future of Cinema: There is No Such Thing as Small Movies by Anthony Kaufman Posted on 04/24/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) After the Mumbles
After The Mumbles When I was younger and falling in love with the French New Wave, I was shocked to learn that this revolutionary tide of cinematic exuberance lasted only for a few years: most "scholars" of the movement mark the beginning as 1959, and the end ... read more Posted on 04/24/08 by: ZacharyWigon Comments (0 ) 
Hot Docs Day Three!Considering this is only the first weekend and third full day of screenings at Hot Docs, the Sunday schedule is remarkably weak. Or perhaps my taste is terrible? Either way, instead of going to screenings I spent the day drinking vodka and lemonade with a friend, then vodka and whatever ... read more Posted on 04/23/08 by: Aaron Comments (0 ) 
Hot Docs Day Two!My festival going is off to a quiet start. It takes a while for me to get revved to see ten hours of movies a day, so today I am only catching two joints: Nursery University and Beautiful Losers. Since 9/11 the population of pre-school age children in New York ... read more Posted on 04/22/08 by: Aaron Comments (0 ) 
Hot Docs Day One!Today was the first full day of Hot Docs in Toronto, the largest documentary film festival in North America. This is the fifteen year of the festival and Hot Docs is celebrating the achievement by screening over 170 documentaries from 36 countries. Big time stuff! I kicked off my slate ... read more Posted on 04/22/08 by: Aaron Comments (0 ) WEEKENDFriday night, ripped that wrap off of "Alvin and the Chipmunks"and an Amy's frozen pizza -- whole wheat pesto. "Alvin and the Chipmunks" still fun -- excellent voice talent and I've always liked Jason Lee, although I do not watch "My Name is Earl". Then Saturday: "Forbidden Kingdom" -- was ... read more Posted on 04/22/08 by: lonelypond Comments (0 ) 
After the Mumbles
After The Mumbles When I was younger and falling in love with the French New Wave, I was shocked to learn that this revolutionary tide of cinematic exuberance lasted only for a few years: most "scholars" of the movement mark the beginning as 1959, and the end ... read more Posted on 04/21/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) 
Tribeca Film blog
After six years of bloat, the Tribeca Film Festival is finally trimming the fat, running fewer films in competition and keeping its financial and spiritual nerve center squarely in Lower Manhattan—the original intent of founders Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff. This is ... read more Posted on 04/21/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) 
GLASS
GLASS: A PORTRAIT OF PHILIP IN TWELVE PARTS PARTS: In July 2005, filmmaker Scott Hicks started shooting a documentary about the composer Philip Glass to celebrate his 70th anniversary in 2007. Over the next 18 months, Scott followed Philip across three continents - from his annual ride on the ... read more Posted on 04/20/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) Dark Matter
Liu Xing (Liu Ye) arrives at a big Western university with plans to study the origins of the universe. At first, his experience is a heady rush of expectation and optimism. He finds other Chinese students to share a cheap apartment with him, and flirts with an ... read more Posted on 04/19/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) 
Body of War
Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro direct this intimate and transformational feature documentary about the true face of war today. Meet Tomas Young, 25 years old, paralyzed from a bullet to his spine - wounded after serving in Iraq for less than a week. Body of War ... read more Posted on 04/19/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) HEAVEN AND EARTHCaught this film on one of the many digital cable channels we can scroll through for another week or so without adding to our cable bill. My brother Beau brought it out years ago and the breathtaking scenery stayed with me and as I watched it again, once more I ... read more Posted on 04/18/08 by: lonelypond Comments (0 ) RIP THAT WRAPThe new Friday night tradition in our house, which you might want to adopt if you're not in the opening night audience for "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" or Forbidden Kingdom," is to pull something out that you acquired by gift ("Devil Wears Prada"), for $1 at Target (Adventures of Gumby or ... read more Posted on 04/18/08 by: lonelypond Comments (0 ) 
New Directors/New Films
2008 New Directors/New Films Series at NYC's Lincoln Center Now in its 37th edition, the eclectic, always adventurous New Directors/New Films series offers a high-quality grab bag of world-cinema offerings selected by curators at the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. ... read more Posted on 04/16/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) 
Gamblin' Man
21 is inspired by the true story of the very brightest young minds in the country- and how they took Vegas for millions. Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) is a shy brilliant M.I.T. student who- needing to pay school tuition- finds the answers in the ... read more Posted on 04/16/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) Second Wave
by Zachry Wigon The release of Love Songs, the French filmmaker Christophe Honore's latest effort, marks a significant step in the careers of its helmer and its star. That star, Louis Garrel, teamed up with Honore once before, in last year's phenomenal Dans Paris. While Love ...
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Posted on 04/16/08 by: FCFeatures
Comments (0 ) Second Wave
The release of Love Songs, the French filmmaker Christophe Honore's latest effort, marks a significant step in the careers of its helmer and its star. That star, Louis Garrel, teamed up with Honore once before, in last year's phenomenal Dans Paris. While Love Songs is not as stellar ... read more Posted on 04/14/08 by: ZacharyWigon Comments (0 ) TO TAG OR...To tag or not to tag...and what to do when the numbers of tags (be polite) threatens to exceed the word count of the entry...still trying to figure out the style/approach to take -- how much to say. how low can my culture go on such a tending to the ... read more Posted on 04/11/08 by: lonelypond Comments (0 ) MISSING MOVIESMinnie Driver recommends movies on this site and yet no "Beautiful," Minnie Driver directed by the excellent Sally Field and co-starring "Chasing Amy's" Joey Lauren Adams as well as the Pepsi Girl Hallie Kate Eisenberg. Driver and Eisenberg do a great job of sharing a pout; this contains beauty pageant ... read more Posted on 04/11/08 by: lonelypond Comments (0 ) 
My Blueberry Nights
In a Wong Kar Wai debut English language feature, the internationally acclaimed director takes his audience on a dramatic journey across the distance between heartbreak and a new beginning. After a rough break-up, Elizabeth (played by songstress Norah Jones in her screen debut) sets out on a journey ... read more Posted on 04/10/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) 
The Visitor
In a world of six billion people, it only takes one to change your life. Sixty-two-year-old Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) is sleepwalking through his life. Having lost his passion for teaching and writing, he fills the void by unsuccessfully trying to learn to play classical piano. When ... read more Posted on 04/10/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) 
French Kisses: Christophe Honoré Updates the New Wave Musical with "Love Songs"
by Damon Smith Critics who were irritated by the manic-depressive ethos of Christophe Honoré’s last film, Dans Paris, are not likely to be won over to his latest, a modern-day musical in the mold of Jacques Demy’s The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and Godard’s Une femme est une femme. For ... read more Posted on 04/04/08 by: DGSmith Comments (0 ) 
FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON
Suzanne is charming but she is a mother snowed under by obligations. With her puppet shows, the classes she teaches and the two children, Simon and Louise, that she has been raising alone since their father left, she hasn't got a minute to herself. ... read more Posted on 04/04/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) 
City of Men
Ace struggles with his newfound responsibilities as a young father while Wallace searches for his errant father. Meanwhile, a brutal turf war breaks out around them, and Ace is reluctantly swept up into one of the gangs after threats on his life leave him with little ... read more Posted on 04/04/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) 
Love is in the Air
Ismael (Louis Garrel) and Julie (Ludivine Sagnier of Swimming Pool) are the ideal young Parisian couple. They both have good jobs, a great apartment and are considered part of each other’s families. After several years together, they decide to add a spark to their relationship ... read more Posted on 04/03/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) 
The Cinema of Discomfort: Two Filmmakers Who Want to Get Under Your Skin
Most people go to the movies for one of three reasons: to escape and be entertained, to discover new worlds or ideas, or to be immersed in an imaginative experience (space travel; the future; John Malkovich’s brain) that is wholly unique to film. But what happens when a director shuns ... read more Posted on 04/02/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) 
Rough Trade
Interview with Olivier Assayas Asia Argento is Sandra, a sexy ex-prostitute who hooks up again with a debt-ridden ex-love (Michael Madsen). Mixed signals incite the former lovers to give another go, but remaking an old romance isn't on Sandra's agenda. After a steamy S&M encounter, ends in violence she ... read more Posted on 04/02/08 by: FCFeatures Comments (0 ) |
The Bad and the Beautiful on Reel 13Review of The Bad and the Beautiful
Believe it or not, I had not seen this film before and therefore, it was probably my most anticipated Reel 13 film yet. After all, it's a film I supposed was right up my alley – behind the scenes of old Hollywood, it had some actors I was excited about ... read more Posted on 11/20/08 by: eplromeo8 Comments (0 ) Manito on Reel 13Review of Manito
MANITO, the newest Reel 13 Indie about Puerto Rican brothers trying to escape their families' dark past and make ends meet in a mostly Hispanic neighborhood in Washington Heights, was extremely frustrating to watch – it's very dark (Was it timed down? Did the compression in the transfer crush the ... read more Posted on 11/20/08 by: eplromeo8 Comments (0 ) Fetch on Reel 13Review of Fetch
I don’t have very much to say about FETCH, the first animated short to be aired by Reel 13 (all of this week’s contestants on reel13.org were animated, so it’s not as if the viewers made it so). It was fine. Cute, funny – the animation is very ... read more Posted on 11/20/08 by: eplromeo8 Comments (0 ) Rebel Without a Cause on Reel 13Review of Rebel Without a Cause
Every once and a while, a movie comes around that defines a generation. EASY RIDER, ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and THE BREAKFAST CLUB are all Examples. I would argue, however, that no film better defines the generation it came from than REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE, which aired last night on ... read more Posted on 11/19/08 by: eplromeo8 Comments (0 ) Wilby Wonderful on Reel 13Review of Wilby Wonderful
Reel 13's latest Indie hails from north of the border and features a cavalcade of present day Canadian stars (if there is such a thing), boasting the likes of Sandra Oh, Paul Gross, Maury Chaykin and the current it-girl Ellen Page (before she became super-cute). The film is a wannabe ... read more Posted on 11/19/08 by: eplromeo8 Comments (0 ) No Menus Please on Reel 13Review of No Menus Please
These shorts are starting to annoy me with their consistent lack of quality. And in this case, I actually watched all three competitors so I KNOW that there were better films to choose from. This was actually the worst of all three, but I had a feeling it would win. ... read more Posted on 11/19/08 by: eplromeo8 Comments (0 ) The Magnificent Seven on Reel 13Review of The Magnificent Seven
I love the THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN. It was one of the watershed films of my childhood – such a sense of heroism and decency propagated throughout the film. However, watching it again on Reel 13, I was reminded of something that I always sort of knew, but didn't want to ... read more Posted on 11/19/08 by: eplromeo8 Comments (0 ) They've Got Short Shorts
Review of bad head day
Our friends over at iThentic.com tipped us off to ShortsNonStop, a year-round short-film festival produced for online and mobile platforms. Presented by Telus, the festival is an extension of the Candian Film Centre’s Worldwide Short Film Festival, which has been going strong now for 13 years. The most recent ... read more Posted on 11/15/08 by: DGSmith Comments (0 ) Two Harbors on Reel 13Review of Two Harbors
Hmm…this is an interesting left turn for Reel 13 Indies. TWO HARBORS is a black and white 75 minute film from Minnesota that features non-actors and is about two people finding a connection through a search for alien life. I applaud the boldness of the Reel 13 programmers of thinking ... read more Posted on 11/14/08 by: eplromeo8 Comments (0 ) La Casita on Reel 13Review of La Casita
So, I came home yesterday and told my roommate about how I met this girl at a party. She was really nice. And so, I decided to make a movie about it – not about meeting the girl, but instead about me telling my roommate about meeting the girl. That's ... read more Posted on 11/14/08 by: eplromeo8 Comments (0 ) |
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