Tag: 2011 movies

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Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

Sheesh. I just realized that this didn’t post on Saturday as I intended. I’m inclined to pile this into this weekend’s Spectrum post, but I’ve actually got a lot of background to add to the things I wrote this week. On top of that all, I don’t think I’m going to have time to finish my intended post for today, so…that’s that. Here a bonus, delayed midweek Spectrum Check. There was a stretch in the early-nineties when it felt like crossover foreign cinema–to the degree that foreign cinema ever truly crossed over to broader audiences–was defined by crusty old-timers bonding … Continue reading Spectrum Check

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Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

This week, my Spectrum movie review duties absolutely gave me the chance to see a fine film that I probably wouldn’t have gotten to otherwise. I’m pleased as can be that John Sayles still gets to make movies, and clearly make them in exactly the fashion he pleases, but it’s been all too easy to let his most recent offerings go by as inconsequential. Beyond the growing unlikelihood that he’ll ever again make a film that crosses over enough to become necessary viewing for those who want to engage in spirited debates over the current state of cinema, there’s a … Continue reading Spectrum Check

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Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

There are a few things I will always, always, always be ready to do. One of them is expounding on my admiration for the films, artistry and general cinematic passion of Martin Scorsese. I was given the opportunity to do just that for the current Best Living Directors series. I did the best I could, but it always feels like there’s more to say, more to write about the way he both honors and reshapes classic Hollywood narrative storytelling. Someday I’ll get it right. I also wrote a new film review about a film that’s about as grimly nutty as … Continue reading Spectrum Check

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Arteta, Feig, Hayward, Malick, Ritchie

Dan Seeger

Youth in Revolt (Miguel Arteta, 2009). This was Arteta’s first film in almost a decade after some quick, buzzy success to kick off his career. All the time between features didn’t eliminate his slightly arid style, which has a tendency to deaden the drama after a while. More problematically, the film exhibits a offbeat pushiness as it heaps in quirky details and disaffected anguish. It simply tries to hard. Michael Cera plays a sweet, timidly pining young man who conjures up an imaginary tough-talking alter ego who drives him to get the girl while also slipping deeper into a quicksand … Continue reading Arteta, Feig, Hayward, Malick, Ritchie

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Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

This week, I had the chance to write about one of those dark indie sensations with the stuff to become an instant cult classic. This is exactly the sort of film I would have probably missed out on without this side writing gig, so it was a nice reminder of the ample perks that go along with the banging out a few hundred words a week for the site. I also contributed to a feature about the best movies of the past ten summers, getting a welcome opportunity to profess my affection for Toy Story 3. I would, however, like … Continue reading Spectrum Check

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Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

This week, I did my duty on the film side of the site, reviewing a new French thriller, which largely served as a reminder that same curve of quality applies across all facets of film. There are just as many drab, by-the-numbers movies available for the art houses as there are in the multiplexes. I also wrote about the latest Lykke Li album for a feature on the best music of the year so far. If pressed, I’d probably still designate the latest PJ Harvey record as the best of the year, but I’ve already written about that one for … Continue reading Spectrum Check

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Spectrum Check

Dan Seeger

Only a couple of things from me this week. First, I reviewed a new documentary about El Bulli, the famed Spanish restaurant that revolutionized gourmet food, essentially expanding the parameters of how it could be prepared and the level of creativity that could show up on each plate. Every time someone on Top Chef makes a “foam” or drags liquid nitrogen through the kitchen, there’s a dotted line leading back to El Bulli. I’m especially grateful that I reviewed Frederick Wiseman’s Boxing Gym last year because that gave me a vital vocabulary to use in discussing the structure of this … Continue reading Spectrum Check