You never close your eyes any more when I kiss your lips
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Author: Dan Seeger
Friedkin, Jeffs, Kopple, Laughton, Pollock
The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955). This tale of nefarious preacher with LOVE and HATE tattooed across his knuckles is often cited as of the finest films ever directed by an actor, at least someone far more noted for their acting. I wouldn’t make that claim, but it sure is a wild, offbeat ride. In particular, it’s unbelievably dark given that copyright date, putting the film’s children in constant, gloomy danger as it send them fleeing from the money-lusting villain. The film has a grand theatrical sense, pulling off impactful bits involving distant silhouettes and stark lighting effects … Continue reading Friedkin, Jeffs, Kopple, Laughton, Pollock
Most days you’ll find her in a heat haze looking through the sweet maze that she calls her mind
I feel like I should type up some pithy comments about last night’s awards show, but I’m at a (somewhat exhausted) loss. Instead, I’ll present you with something to help occupy your time. Because there’s nothing that cries out frothy … Continue reading Most days you’ll find her in a heat haze looking through the sweet maze that she calls her mind
Maybe tonight you’re aching for someone you’re dreaming of
As per the tradition around this digital space, the day the long, arduous Oscar season draws to a close is also the day that I type up my version of an actors branch Academy Awards ballot, ranked in accordance with the nominating rules. Were I given the privilege of filling out such a ballot, and if it did it with the utmost honestly–even where tempted to fill in the name of some favorite performer whose work I didn’t necessarily love (or even see) just because I felt they deserved some Academy love for an esteemed career–this is what it would … Continue reading Maybe tonight you’re aching for someone you’re dreaming of
Top Ten Movies of 2009 — Number One
My favorite movie character of the year is Ellie Fredericksen. Ellie doesn’t get much screen time in Up. She’s seen as a little girl, playing pretend in an old house, talking about the world and all its potential wonders with … Continue reading Top Ten Movies of 2009 — Number One
One for Friday: Boy George, “The Crying Game”
It was tough being a film critic in central Wisconsin. Humble Stevens Point may be a college town, but it’s also a community with a fairly small population and an availability of movie screens that’s commensurate with the number on the green highway sign on the way into town. This means that art house films and other offerings with a staggered release schedules took quite a while to get to one of our local theaters, if they arrived at all. This was frustrating throughout the year, but especially during Oscar season. Films that were playing only in major cities (to … Continue reading One for Friday: Boy George, “The Crying Game”
Top Ten Movies of 2009 — Number Two
Jason Reitman’s third feature as a writer-director is perfectly positioned to tap into the dismal zeitgeist of economic hardship and jobs that are vanishing as fast as double scotches in a hotel bar. George Clooney doesn’t just play a businessman who spends most of his life jetting from city to city, entirely untethered from a settled life. He’s a hired hit man, taking up temporary residence in the conference rooms of failing firms to tell a morose parade of professionals that they are are loosing their livelihoods. It’s a bleakly comic reflection of the most downbeat pages of today’s newspaper. … Continue reading Top Ten Movies of 2009 — Number Two
Top Ten Movies of 2009 — Number Three
It’s no mystery why filmmakers are drawn to stories about heists and con artists. The grifters that populate these stories employ a similar artistry to directors and screenwriters and everyone else who collaborates on cinematic offerings, building fictions compelling enough … Continue reading Top Ten Movies of 2009 — Number Three
Gilbert, Psihoyos, Tarantino, Tyrnauer, West
Valentino: The Last Emperor (Matt Tyrnauer, 2009). This documentary tags along with the legendary designer as he prepares for a gala anniversary celebration, one that is rumored, correctly, as a precursor to retirement. Tyrnauer is given broad access to Valentino as he works, and the camera catches interactions that hint at his brilliance and volatility. The glimpse of the fashion industry at its most grand comes across as either rapturously glamorous or decadently wasteful, depending on the point of view that you tote into the viewing with you. I suppose predispositions will equally shape reactions to the understanding portrayal of … Continue reading Gilbert, Psihoyos, Tarantino, Tyrnauer, West
Top Ten Movies of 2009 — Number Four
There was a time when Joel and Ethan Coen were known (and, in some quarters, loathed) for the gymnastics they regularly took their camera through on the way to a finished feature, sending it racing down a bar with a … Continue reading Top Ten Movies of 2009 — Number Four
