1. Happy Globe-ing! (Because in the real world, the Golden Globes matter.)
2. "Is There Ever Too Much Holocaust?": A New York Press feature by Eric Kohn.
["Anyone following the constant ruminations on Holocaust movies in 2008 must surely hope that the clamor dies down soon. Yet for all the talk about the Holocaust on the big screen, none of these recent works have impacted the national conversation. There are no grandiose reevaluations or historic revelations stemming from the cinema. A year of many Holocaust movies appears to be one in which they cancel each other out."]
3. Playing catch-up on some videos and podcasts of note: the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Clint Eastwood roundtable (picture above) featuring Ed Gonzalez, Akiva Gottlieb, Kent Jones, Kevin Lee, and Karina Longworth, moderated by Evan Davis. Further to that: Kevin Lee's three Eastwood video essays (on Changeling, Gran Torino, and Eastwood in general), which cut the podcast to accompanying video footage. Then: Jim Emerson's Best of 2008 in just under 8 minutes; another Film Linc podcast, this one on David Fincher, featuring Kent Jones and Nathan Lee, moderated by Evan Davis; and, finally, the question "Where is cinema heading to?" addressed by Jia Zhang-ke, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Lisandro Alonso, and Albert Serra.
["The wide-ranging discussion covers such topics as the (de)merits of Changeling, the reckoning of Eastwood the director with Eastwood the icon, Eastwood and class, the racial complexities of Gran Torino, Eastwood’s relationship to music and structure, and the director’s ultimate place within American cinema."]
4. More catch-up: Not Coming to a Theater Near You's end-of-the-year issue, very revealing. Plus if you've not checked out the new Aaron Hillis-run GreenCine Daily (now that David Hudson has moved to IFC), get thee hence.
["The perpetuated myth about comedy films is that the content is so lightweight and inconsequential that the films are incapable of maintaining any importance or prestige. But the truth of the matter is that comedy is capable of utilizing this long establish reputation to its advantage by producing incisive critique and commentary that subverts the status quo while deflecting controversy with its “I’m only kidding” shield. Certain truths and values (however hard to confront) can surface in a comedy with ease; particularly those that pertain to matters of public versus private. It’s important to remember that a dirty joke need not be only offensive; it can also be insightful."]
5. "140-year-old lobster's tale has a happy ending": From MSNBC.
["A 140-year-old lobster once destined for a dinner plate received the gift of life Friday from a New York City seafood restaurant. George, the 20-pound supercentenarian crustacean, was freed by City Crab and Seafood. "We applaud the folks at City Crab and Seafood for their compassionate decision to allow this noble old-timer to live out his days in freedom and peace," said Ingrid E. Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals."]
Quote of the Day: Oscar Levant
Image of the Day (click to enlarge): A note from Kenneth Anger to Stephen Elliott.
Clip of the Day: Cats and rats ... living together ... mass hysteria!!!
"Links for the Day": A selection of Links that will hopefully spark discussion. Comments encouraged. Suggestions for links are also welcome. Please send to keithuhlich@gmail.com.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Links for the Day (January 11th, 2009)
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5 comments:
Looking at the #1 picture, I can't stop myself.
How ya doin'?
I cannot stand the tendency of film critics to ascribe narrative elements of a film to the director. Nobody has any difficulty picking out the contributions of actors and cinematographers, but screenwriters by and large just get completely dismissed as creative figures. When looking at the themes of paranoia, isolation, bureaucracy and anti-authoritarianism in "Changeling", why is "Bridges of Madison County" a better point of comparison than "Babylon 5"?
Honestly, I don't get all the praise that Eastwood is getting in the US, France and here in Germany (lately a renowned german critic compared him to Rivette - excuse me???). Especially in the past few years. "Million Dollar Baby" was so insultingly stupid (the white trash family; the black!, german!!, commie!!! killing-machine...) and ridiculously directed in certain moments (the animal-like way Swank eats leftover food after work...the montage that shows her "training" during work as waitress - hilarious...). And "Mystic River" was a huge pile of trite cliches, in conception and direction, that would work as a comic strip, maybe. But Eastwood, as usual, takes himself way too seriously. He is not a bad filmmaker, often he is quite good, actually. But imho he is not the "great artist" that many make him out to be. Sorry if I sound too harsh, but all the hype makes me mad, when way better films don't even get distribution.
Did whatshisface just say fuck when accepting the Globe for Slumdog? I am sure he did. Good for him.
And Anna Paquin won. She is like a female Keanu Reeves lately, her face as lively as a Thom Yorke tune.
Whoever wrote that review of VALKYRIE is a moron. The movie is not a Holocaust film. It's a film about a group of German officers and politicians who plot to kill Hitler.
And when the reviewer claimed that the movie never made it clear why they had plotted against Hitler, it told me that stupid moron did not even pay attention to the film.
What an idiotic review!
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