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MOMA to salute Carlos Reygadas & SILENT LIGHT

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 13:42:00 -0400

Apparently unrelated to the NYFF which is kicking off the same week, MOMA is presenting a week long run of one of the best films from NYFF 07. Carlos Reygada’s SILENT LIGHT, which very surprisingly has never secured any sort of distribution in the US, is inaugurating a new series from MOMA called “Filmmaker in Focus” starting September 24.

In addition to the awe-inspiring SILENT LIGHT, MOMA is presenting Reygadas’ 2 other features (which Reygadas says forms a sort of trilogy) and also a couple of his short films. Of his two other features, the one that is the most known is the devisive BATTLE IN HEAVEN, which I appreciate greatly but many others fault as falsely shocking and exploitative (a charge that, I believe, just means they don’t get it.) His first film, JAPÓN, I saw many years ago and and it didn’t make an impression at the time, so I’ll be checking it out again at MOMA.

But the real news is SILENT LIGHT, which has many recognizable hallmarks of Reygadas’ style but feels worlds different from BATTLE IN HEAVEN. It’s an absolute must-see, and is a fitting way to initiate a discussion on one of the most interesting and thought-provoking filmmakers working today.

I’ve written twice before about Omer Fast’s video...

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 12:52:18 -0400

I’ve written twice before about Omer Fast’s video installation project The Casting, which I found to be the
clear standout of this years Whitney Biennial and which later went on to win Fast the Biennial’s
Bucksbaum award.

Above is a video created by the Whitney featuring clips from The Casting as well as narration from Fast
describing the work. I hope I get a chance to see this amazing installation again someday.

The festival season approaches

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:11:00 -0400

Autumn has always been my favorite season. For many years, the most significant changes in my life (both good and bad) would come in the fall, and as a believer in the idea that “change is good”, I always welcome such changes with open arms. Since moving out to NYC, another aspect of autumn has made it my favorite. For it is in the fall that the most welcome environmental shift occurs, with the change of the leaves and the wonderful onset of cooler weather relieving the oppression of summer humidity.

Since getting into the film biz, something else has emerged to further cement my love of autumn—the onset of the film festival season. Coinciding more or less with Labor Day weekend, three world-class film festivals take place pretty much at the same time: Telluride, Venice and Toronto. Then about a month later, the New York Film Festival arrives as a climax—showcasing what could be looked at as a cross-section of the best international cinema of the year.

Sadly I’ve never been to Telluride, Venice nor Toronto, and I won’t be going this year either. On three occasions, films that I edited were on the verge of playing Toronto but then didn’t for various reasons. I’ve had colleagues with films in Venice, and I’ve heard from a few friends about how Telluride is truly the “Shangri-La” of film festivals. Someday I hope to attend all three.

But I’ve attended the New York Film Festival for the past 4 years, and look forward to it more each time. It’s a festival I had a hard time getting a handle on at first, with it’s reserved seating and elitist air. But after seeing some of the best and most challenging films of the past few years at recent editions, I’ve come to appreciate it’s unique place in the festival spectrum. It’s like the fine arts museum of film festivals—curating films you may have already heard or read about, and showcasing them as a representation of “the state of the art”.

Toronto has been trickling out it’s schedule for weeks now, with the flow picking up dramatically over the past few days. And then this past Tuesday, NYFF released their schedule for their 2008 edition. As is often the case, a large part of NYFF slate has been culled from Cannes, with a fair number of those same films also making it to Toronto. Having been at Cannes this year, I can vouch that many of the most interesting films I saw, and indeed many of my favorites, are on tap at NYFF. There are also many on the slate from Cannes that I was sad to have missed, so I’m thankful to have a second chance to catch them at NYFF.

I’ve pasted some selections from NYFF lineup below (via IndieWIRE—see the full lineup there) with a few notes about what I recommend and what I’m looking forward to:

“The Class” (Entre les murs)
Laurent Cantet, France, 2008; 128m
The Cannes Palme d’Or winner. This is one of several NYFF films that’s getting a theatrical release, and given it’s the opening night film (and will no doubt be a tough ticket) I’ll likely hold off at NYFF and check it out when it’s in theaters.

“24 City” (Er shi si cheng ji)
Jia Zhangke, China/Hong Kong/Japan, 2008; 112m
I found it disappointing overall, but nonetheless it’s well worth seeing if for no other reason then for the gorgeous HD footage of the destruction/construction of the “24 city” itself.

“Afterschool”
Antonio Campos, USA, 2008; 122m
A hot ticket in Cannes after some good word-of-mouth following its premiere in the “Un Certain Regard” section. Should be worth a look.

“Che”
Steven Soderbergh, France/Spain, 2008; 268m
I’ll probably try to check this out for no other reason that it may not see the light of day (in it’s full 4 hour version at least) except on the festival circuit.

“A Christmas Tale” (Un conte de Noel)
Arnaud Desplechin, France, 2008; 150m
One of the most lauded films at Cannes, and another that I missed while there. I won’t miss it this time.

“Four Nights with Anna” (Cztery noce z Anna)
Jerzy Skolimowski, Poland/France, 2008; 87m
One of the few “Director’s Fortnight” films in NYFF. This was the first film I saw at Cannes, and while it’s rather heavy to say the least, there’s a darkly humorous undercurrent that makes it worth seeing for the adventurous viewer.

“Gomorrah” (Gomorra)
Matteo Garrone, Italy, 2008; 137m
Another heavily-lauded film that I missed at Cannes (and the eventual Grand Prize winner). It’s on my must-see list.

“The Headless Woman” (La mujer sin cabeza)
Lucrecia Martel, Argentina/France/Italy/Spain, 2008; 87m
My top-pick from the 20 films I saw at Cannes. Martel is one of my favorite filmmakers (who I first found out about when I saw THE HOLY GIRL at NYFF 04). Since this new film has no domestic distribution yet to the best of my knowledge, I’ll be seeing it again at NYFF 08.

“Hunger”
Steve McQueen, UK, 2008; 96m
The first 45 minutes or so justify this film winning the Camera d’Or at Cannes. Highly recommended.

“I’m Going to Explode” (Voy a explotar)
Gerardo Naranjo, Mexico, 2008; 103m
Another intriguing sounding pick that I’m not familiar with. We’ll see how the word is after it premieres at Venice in a few weeks.

“Night and Day” (Bam guan nat)
Hong Sang-soo, South Korea, 2008; 144m
Hong had a film in NYFF in 04, 05 and 06, so his return this year is hardly a surprise. Thankfully in the past he’s always lived up to expectations, so this one’s definitely on my list this year.

“Serbis”
Brillante Mendoza, Philippines/France, 2008; 90m
A highly divisive film at Cannes. It was on my list to see there but I pushed it off after the pans it got. However, upon reading some reviews and analyses later, I may put it back on my list for NYFF.

“Tokyo Sonata”
Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Japan/Netherlands, 2008; 85m
Probably the film I had most wished I’d caught at Cannes. Needless to say, I’ll be seeing it this time.

“Tony Manero”
Pablo Larrain, Chile/Brazil, 2008; 98m
This got pretty heavily panned at Cannes and I’m a bit surprised to see it on the NYFF schedule. As odd and intriguing as it sounds, it’s fairly low on my to-see list.

“Tulpan”
Sergey Dvortsevoy, Germany/Kazakhstan/Poland/Russia/Switzerland, 2008; 100m
I heard virtually nothing about this while at Cannes, but then it turned around and won the Un Certain Regard Prize. Guess that means it’s worth a look.

“Waltz with Bashir” (Vals in Bashir)
Ari Folman, Israel/Germany/France, 2008; 90m
This played before I arrived at Cannes and got a lot of buzz in the first few days. I definitely want to check it out, but will likely wait for it’s planned theatrical release.

“Wendy and Lucy”
Kelly Reichardt, USA, 2008; 80m
On my list for Cannes but played after I left. Another that I will probably hold off to see until it’s December theatrical run at Film Forum.

Isaac Hayes 1942-2008

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 16:18:00 -0400

Isaac Hayes 1942-2008

Pic of the Day: Strangers by Hsu, Sheng-Yuan. Full gallery here....

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 00:06:36 -0400

Pic of the Day: Strangers by Hsu, Sheng-Yuan. Full gallery here. (Via gmtPlus9)

Pic of the Day: Viggo Mortenson and Kodi Smit-McPhee in a still...

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:11:53 -0400

Pic of the Day: Viggo Mortenson and Kodi Smit-McPhee in a still from THE ROAD, the upcoming film from John Hillcoat based on the book by Cormac McCarthy. This is definitely a film I’ve got big expections for. It’s due for release in November, which seems to bode well for an NYFF slot.

More at this USA Today article (via Twitch).

Secret screening of Tibetan doc shut down in Beijing

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:08:00 -0400

Secret screening of Tibetan doc shut down in Beijing:
A couple days before the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, a secret screening of an underground doc made by Tibetans was prematurely shut down by authorities. Not exactly surprising, but in light of the demonstration yesterday, it seems that Tibetans and their supporters aren’t exactly planning to keep quiet during the Olympics. It could be an interesting couple of weeks. (link via GreenCine)

Don Draper imparts his opinion of Pall Malls

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 23:40:00 -0400

whatwoulddondraperdo:

52. Dear Don Draper, I just started smoking and find that it calms my nerves as well as making me appear mature and sophisticated. I know you’re a Lucky Strike man, but what’s your opinion of Pall Malls?

Pall Mall has a slogan: “Wherever particular people congregate.” It’s fine for the converted, but their campaign needs a punch. Look at the coat of arms printed on the front and back of every package of Pall Mall cigarettes. A Latin phrase on the shield, “Per Aspera Ad Astra,” translates as “Through Difficulty to the Stars.” Underneath the shield, a banner reads “In Hoc Signo Vinces” or “In this sign, you will conquer.” Pall Malls are never uncertain - they’re with you in difficult times and in victorious ones. They’re the familiar something you carry with you or follow into battle. A sign, an honest code. A package of Pall Malls is security in your pocket: always there and waiting for your return, like home, wherever it may be. Pall Malls are a taste of home.

Video of the day: Apple “time capsule” from 1984....

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:26:13 -0400

Video of the day: Apple “time capsule” from 1984. (via Laughing Squid)

Video of the Day: Trailer #1 for Oliver Stone’s W. (via...

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 23:01:31 -0400

Video of the Day: Trailer #1 for Oliver Stone’s W. (via Peter Debruge/Variety)

Johnny Griffin “The Little Giant” 1928-2008

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:31:59 -0400

Johnny Griffin “The Little Giant” 1928-2008

Roger Ebert - The balcony is closed

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:52:00 -0400

Roger Ebert - The balcony is closed:

Back many years ago, I made a ritual of watching Siskel & Ebert. I think it was my first real encounter with film criticism. I greatly enjoyed the duo’s often-contentious debates, but beyond that, I really credit the show with opening my eyes to independent film.

Often during the show, Gene & Roger would recommend non-mainstream films. They would always say something to the effect of “seek this film out if it’s playing in your area”, and my being in L.A. at the time, the films often were. On one of these shows, they reviewed a first film produced & directed by a pair of brothers. They raved about this film, saying it was one of the best of the year. It was a modern noir and the clips made it look really promising, so I made a note and decided to check it out.

The film was BLOOD SIMPLE, and it ended up being one of my favorite films of the era. I talked to some friends who had also heard about it on Siskel & Ebert, and told them they had to go. They did, and also loved it. I’m not sure how much credit to give Gene & Rog for the success of BLOOD SIMPLE, but the exposure they gave it had to have had an impact. It certainly had an impact for me, as it became one of the first indie films I saw that really inspired me to get into filmmaking.

Now many years later, what was left of Siskel & Ebert is coming to an end. Roger’s blog entry (at the link above) is a sad but fitting eulogy to the show. He also embeds the terrific YouTube clip of he and Gene trying to get through a promo, bringing back happy memories of that aforementioned contentiousness.

Roku Netflix player is a no-brainer

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:29:49 -0400

FedEx delivered my Roku Netflix player today, and after less than 10 minutes of set-up, I was up and watching THE RED BALLOON.

The box, which in theory is competition to Apple TV, Amazon Unbox, etc, is the easiest-to-use piece of electronics I’ve ever encountered. Even my mom could do it! Apple prides itself on brain-dead ease-of-use, and while this thing isn’t quite as sexy as a piece of Apple hardware, it’s as intuitive as anything that’s ever come out of Cupertino.

Not to mention the fact that it’s a measly $100! That’s a one-time charge—no additional subscription required aside from the Netflix subscription you probably already have. No bullshit “expires after X hours”, no taking up hard disk space on my computer on something I’ll only watch once. The quality is somewhere around non-HD digital cable, which is fine for most people and something I can live with. Like Apple TV, HD-quality content is a promised upgrade somewhere down the line.

The Roku player creates the first viable download service, and in my opinion, may become the killer app for downloadable content. Yes I know you can get the same content without the Roku box, but when I want to watch a movie I want to sit on the couch, relax, and watch it on my TV, not on my computer screen. That’s the thinking behind the Apple TV, but the Roku player does it better, simpler and cheaper. It’s the missing link, and now Apple, Microsoft, Sony and everyone else get to play catch-up.

NYC looking into bike sharing program

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:24:00 -0400

NYC looking into bike sharing program:

I previously wrote at length about the ultra-cool bike sharing program I saw in action in Paris this past May, and I fretted why a similar program hadn’t been considered for New York City.

Well as usual I spoke too soon. The NYC DOT today put out a “Request for Expressions of Interest” (linked above) for just such a program. Here’s hoping the idea survives the bureaucratic crapfest it’s sure to endure and actually comes to fruition.

And just as exciting and worthwhile, The Forum for Urban Design is holding the New York Bike Share Program 2008, an experiment to test the viability of just such a program. It runs from July 10 through the 14th.

Maysles opens a non-profit doc theater in Harlem

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 22:03:05 -0400

Maysles opens a non-profit doc theater in Harlem:
From the “Why have I heard nothing about this?” dept (via GreenCine Daily)

Pic of the Day: The “Manned Cloud”, a 690-foot...

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 21:46:03 -0400

Pic of the Day: The “Manned Cloud”, a 690-foot zeppelin shaped like a whale (with a luxury hotel attached). From an NYT article on the new age of airships. Photo/rendering from NYT: Courtesy of Jean-Marie Massaud

Pic of the day: Guadalupe by Michael Eastman. From the show...

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:04:10 -0400

Pic of the day: Guadalupe by Michael Eastman. From the show Vanishing America. (via gmtPlus9)

Video of the day: “Step Out” by Vamoose (featuring...

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 23:19:00 -0400

Video of the day: “Step Out” by Vamoose (featuring Wade Allain-Marcus, who is also one of the stars
of my short film Ratana.)

Brian Romero’s Zero Dollar Bill. (via Laughing Squid)

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:23:59 -0400

Brian Romero’s Zero Dollar Bill. (via Laughing Squid)

In honor of the New York Asian Film Festival beginning this...

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 22:02:00 -0400

In honor of the New York Asian Film Festival beginning this weekend, here’s the trailer for last year’s
edition. I still believe this has to be the best film festival trailer ever made (this years trailer, which you can
see here, doesn’t come close.)

This is possibly the ultimate “guilty pleasure” festival for an art film snob like yours truly and I’ll be going
as much as I can, although work commitments will keep me from seeing as many films as I’d like.
Reviews of those I do see will, as always, be capsule-reviewed in my Twitter feed.