1. Hot off the presses: Reverse Shot's latest symposium, which explores the career of director Gus Van Sant. Click here for Jeff Reichert and Michael Koresky's introduction. Among the House contributors to the symposium: Adam Nayman on Gerry, Ryland Walker Knight on Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, and Travis MacKenzie Hoover on My Own Private Idaho.
["It’s undeniable that Gus Van Sant is currently enjoying something of a career renaissance after enduring the late Nineties in the wilds of declining critical approbation and varying commercial prospects. Yet, why does this filmmaker, whose work was ostensibly some of the most artistically viable during the most formative era of our film consciousness, and whose taste has seemingly evolved along with our own aesthetic refinements (we were discovering Béla Tarr around the same time that Van Sant was), leave so many of us so cold? Van Sant is an artist whose career has been more controversial than it would initially appear, whose genre-hopping has been tagged as opportunistic as often as visionary and whose aesthetic has been as malleable as putty—what better way to try and pierce the core of a wholly unique (if not wholly successful, in our eyes) oeuvre than with an in-depth symposium? So, despite the consternation, or at least bored eye-rolls, of some of our staff writers, we’ve forged ahead and devoted our 21st issue to Gus Van Sant."]
2. A reminder that today sees the release of Charles Burnett's Killer of Sheep on DVD. This excellent package from Milestone Film & Video also includes two versions of Burnett's second feature, My Brother's Wedding, several of his short films (The Horse is a particular treasure), and numerous extras. Click here for our own Andrew Chan's essay on Burnett.
["Who would deny that the revival of Charles Burnett's career has been the major film event of the year?"]
3. One of the major discussions of the moment is now happening at Jim Emerson's blog Scanners, in regards to Jonathan Rosenbaum's review of No Country for Old Men. Let's keep it going.
["From the Scanners comment section: Hi Jim, Maybe you don't understand what I mean by "ideological impulse," but you sure do a good job of illustrating it when you opt for what you rightly call "word games" without ever bothering to mention the core of my argument--the occupation of Iraq and the daily killings and torture that we simultaneously support and strive to ignore. Sounds to me a bit like what some academics call a structuring absence. Best, Jonathan"]
4. "Delbert Mann, Director, Is Dead at 87": From the New York Times. GreenCine Daily gathers the (so far) sparse mentions across the web. Add your thoughts if the spirit moves.
["Delbert Mann, a director from the heyday of live television who won an Oscar for his first big-screen effort, “Marty,” in 1955, died Sunday in Los Angeles. He was 87 and lived in Los Angeles. The cause was pneumonia, his family said."]
5. "51 Things Ryan Is No Longer Allowed To Do (As Of The End Of 1LS)." By RT Murphy of Maritime Expatriate.
["47. Not allowed to affect an accent long-term over the semester for the sole purpose of answering questions in a humorous fashion."]
Quote of the Day: Daphne du Maurier
Image of the Day (click to enlarge): From Curb Your Enthusiasm, Episode 60, "The Bat Mitzvah."
Clip of the Day: Imagine a world without writers. (Hattip: Annie Frisbie.)
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"Links for the Day": Each morning, the House editors post a series of weblinks that we think will spark discussion. Comments encouraged.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Links for the Day (November 13th, 2007)
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6 comments:
Best Christmas card ever. Maybe the best Curb season ever?
Just to add truly pointless Oscar trivia, Mann's passing means that the still-living Oscar-winning director who won longest ago is now Mike Nichols for The Graduate in 1967. That's pretty recent when you think that earliest best actor winner still with us is Ernest Borgnine (1955), earliest best actress is Luise Rainer (1936), earliest s. actor is Karl Malden (1951) and earliest s. actress is Celeste Holm (1947). What does that say about the profession of directing?
Larry rediscovering love and gaining a new family made for an oddly sweet and heart-warming Curb Your Enthusiasm finale. It played out almost like an anti-Seinfeld.
I can't help wonder whether the sweetness was intended ironically, but to me it was very endearing.
I kinda like "I could have been a really, really good boxer" . . .
I had the opportunity to meet Del Mann very late in his life and despite a somewhat dehabilitating condition he was an astoundingly affable and generous man.
Part of the old guard of Hollywood directors he earned the respect of all his peers and will be missed greatly. The saying may be tired, but it makes it no less true - they don't really make 'em like Del anymore.
Thanks so much for the link! I was pleasantly surprised.
Oddly enough, that had been kicking around on my hard drive for months before I posted it up on a whim.
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