April Film Club

Hey there folks, hope everybody had a great weekend!  A special thanks to everyone who was able to make it to our showing of The Quiet Man, we had about 22 people, let's keep up those numbers!
Now, on to business.  Last year, in April, we watched the film Baraka (click link for trailer), a non-narrative, cinematic adventure that explores nature, mankind and the essence of life, using only moving images and music.  That film came out in 1992.  10 years later (2012), Fricke directed something of a spiritual sequel to Baraka, entitled Samsara.  This will be our film club film for the month of April, which will meet Thursday the 18th.

Samsara is directed by Ron Fricke and produced by Mark Magidson.  The pair had collaborated on Baraka and reunited in 2006 to plan Samsara.  They researched locations that would fit the conceptual imagery of samsara, to them meaning "birth, death and rebirth, or impermanence."  They gathered research from people's works and photo books as well as the Internet and YouTube, resources not available at the time of planning Baraka.  They considered using digital cameras but decided to film in 70 mm instead, considering its quality superior.  Filming lasted for more than four years and took place in 25 countries across five continents.  Fricke and Magidson emphasized avoiding a particular political view in assembling the film.  Frick said, "We just try to keep it in the middle and then we form little blocks of content and then we set them aside until we had enough.  We did all of this without music or sound effects.  We just let the image guide the flow and then we started stringing the blocks together."

Expanding on the themes explored in Baraka (1992) and Chronos (1985), Samsara explores the wonders of our world from the mundane to the miraculous, looking into the unfathomable reaches of man's spirituality and the human experience.  Neither a traditional documentary nor a travelogue, Samsara takes the form of a non-verbal, guided meditation.

Samsara is one of the most moving, most visually breathtaking films you will every experience.  You will not want to miss this film, hope to see you there! (If you are ever unable to make it to one of our showings, all the films shown are available for rental at the library!)

Here's the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp967YAAdNk

March Film Club

Hey folks, thanks to everyone for bearing with the slight technical problems we had a few weeks back.  Despite the uncertainty we ended up having a good turnout for "Manhattan", so thank you again.
Well, March is here and that means a new film.  For the month of March, and in honor of St. Patrick's Day, I've decided to show John Ford's Irish classic "The Quiet Man."

"The Quiet Man" is a 1952 Irish-American Technicolor romantic comedy-drama film.  It was directed by John Ford and starred John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen and Barry Fitzgerald.  It was based on a 1933 Saturday Evening Post short story by Maurice Walsh.  The film is notable for its lush photography of the Irish countryside and was an official selection of the 1952 Venice Film Festival.  In the 1920s, Sean Thornton (John Wayne), an Irish-born American from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, travels to Ireland to reclaim his family's farm in Innisfree.  He meets and falls in love with the firery Mary Kate Danagher (Maureen O'Hara), the spinster sister of the bullying, loud-mouthed landowner Squire "Red" Will Danagher (Victor McLaglen).  The film was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, of which it won 2 for Best Director (John Ford) and Best Cinematography (Winton C. Hoch and Archie Stout).  The film holds an 89% Certified Fresh rating on the aggregate review site Rottentomatoes.com out of 37 critical reviews.

Come and join us for this wonderful film.  We will be meeting Thursday, Mar. 21st at 6:15pm, hope to see you there!

Here's the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH4OFXlvzKA

85th Academy Awards

The Oscars aired last night, and I spent the hours between 6:30 and 11:00 watching every moment.  There were a few surprises, but not many disappointments as far as winners were concerned.  Here follows my breakdown and reaction to some of the results of last night's event.

Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway

-I knew this was going to happen.  Anne definitely brought the heartbreaking emotion that deemed her worthy to win this award.  She won for her role as Fantine in "Les Miserables."

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz

-This one surprised me, but in a good way.  I wasn't sure if they were going to give it to him or not.  I was secretly hoping for Philip Seymour Hoffman for the win, since "The Master" didn't get the attention it deserved but I was very happy to see Christoph win.  He won for his character Dr. King Schultz in the excellent "Django Unchained."

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Jennifer Lawrence

-This one also surprised me.  Personally, I was voting for Jessica Chastain who was kind of incredible in "Zero Dark Thirty" but I wasn't disappointed to see Lawrence win it.  Her character was great and she put the intensity and realism into it that pushed her to the forefront.  She won for her character Tiffany in "Silver Linings Playbook."

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Daniel Day-Lewis

-To say this was no surprise would be an understatement.  Daniel Day-Lewis is such a fine and exceptional actor that I didn't doubt for a moment that he would take this one.  His portrayal of Abraham Lincoln (like his other roles) made me forget I was watching an actor playing a character, and made me feel I was watching Lincoln himself come to life.  He absolutely deserved it.  Daniel Day-Lewis won for his portrayal of (obviously) Abraham Lincoln in the film "Lincoln."

Best Writing Original Screenplay:  Quentin Tarantino

-I was actually surprised by this because I didn't expect them to give this one to Quentin.  That said, I was pretty happy for him.  First of all, I believe they snubbed "Looper" for this category, but such is the Academy.  I thought they might give it to Mark Boal for "Zero Dark Thirty", a decision I would've been ok with, but Tarantino deserved it.  He won for "Django Unchained."

Best Writing Adapted Screenplay:  Chris Terrio

-I was perfectly content with Chris Terrio winning this category.  The other nominees all would've been good choices, but I think this was the right choice.  Chris Terrio won for his screenplay for "Argo."

Best Cinematography: Claudio Miranda

-Nope.  I wasn't happy with this choice at all.  Roger Deakins should've taken this one easily for his work on "Skyfall," or Robert Richardson for "Django Unchained."  Honestly, I think "The Master" should've been up for this category, but then again, it should've been up for Best Picture as well.  Claudio Miranda won for his work in "Life of Pi."

Best Original Song: "Skyfall" by Adele

-This one deserved it, though I was pretty fond of "Before My Time" by Scarlett Johansson and Joshua Bell from the wonderful film "Chasing Ice."  Adele brought an energy to this song that captured the essence of James Bond, harkening back to the old days while at the same time making it sound fresh.  This would also sum up how I feel about the film itself: an effective blending of old and new.

Best Visual Effects: "Life of Pi"

-I wasn't happy with this decision either.  Almost the entirety of this film is CGI, but there isn't a clear reference to reality to make it seem impressive, whereas "The Avengers" completely recreated New York City for it's remarkable action sequences.  Even "Prometheus," would have been a more acceptable choice (despite any reservation you may have with the plot), the visuals were breathtaking.  I don't even feel like I have to point out that it aslo beat "The Hobbit," just shameful.

 

Best Director: Ang Lee

-I thought Ang would take this one, though personally I would've picked someone else.  I was hoping Spielberg was going to snatch this one up, or maybe David O. Russell for a surprise win.  I do believe there was some snubbing at a criminal level going on with the absence of Ben Affleck from this category.  Ang Lee won for "Life of Pi."

Best Picture: Grant Heslov, George Clooney, Ben Affleck for "Argo"

-I stand behind this decision fully, and I knew from the start that this film would take it.  I think Ben Affleck has really found his niche in the role of director.  Each of his efforts has been better than the last and I eagerly look forward to his next project.  It isn't the full speech (which is a great speech) but here's a clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxIla3MDbWA

I'm glad that Grant Heslov let Ben speak since he was snubbed in the Best Director category.  He fully deserved this honor.

Well, there you have it, just a few of my Oscar reactions.  For a full list of all Oscar nominees and winners, click the link below:

http://www.imdb.com/oscars/nominations/?ref_=rto_nb_acd

February Film Club

Greetings!  Thank you to everyone who made it out for Rashomon, we had a good turnout.  I'd also like to doubly thank those you who were willing to stick around for a bit of discussion.  I'm going to try and continue that trend so we can have some communication, or at least some sort of dialogue about these great films.  Discussions after the films will definitely continue for all those interested in participating.  I look forward to hearing your reactions.

So, February will be here in four days and that means a new film approaches.  For the month of February, we will be watching:

Manhattan

Directed by: Woody Allen

Manhattan is a 1979 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Woody Allen from his screenplay co-written with Marshall Brickman and produced by Charles H. Joffe.  The film opens with a montage of images of Manhattan accompanied by George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.  Isaac Davis (Woody Allen) in introduced as a man writing a book about his love for New York City.  He is a twice-divorced, 42-year-old comedy writer for television dealing with the women in his life who quits his unfulfilling job.  He is dating Tracy (Mariel Hemingway), a 17-year-old girl attending the Dalton School.  His best friend, Yale Pollack (Michael Murray), married to Emily (Anne Byrne), is having an affair with Mary Wilkie (Diane Keaton).  Mary's ex-husband and former teacher, Jeremiah (Wallace Shawn), also appears.  Isaac's ex-wife Jill Davis (Meryl Streep) is writing a confessional book about their marriage.  Jill has also since come out of the closet as a lesbian and lives with her female partner Connie (Karen Ludwig).  Isaac himself ends up falling in love with Mary (Diane Keaton).

Manhattan was filmed in black-and-white.  The decision to shoot in black and white was to give New York City a "great look".  The film also features music composed by George Gershwin, including his arguably most famous musical piece, Rhapsody in Blue, which inspired the idea behind the film.  Allen described the film as a combination of his previous two films, Annie Hall and Interiors.

The film was met with widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for two Academy Awards:  Best Supporting Actress for Hemingway and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for Allen, although it lost both awards.  Often considered Allen's best film, it ranks 46th on AFI's list of top comedy films.  In 2001, the United States Library of Congress deemed the film "culturally significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.  The film holds a 98% "Certified Fresh" rating on Rottentomatoes.com (Click for more info) based on 49 critical reviews.

This is one of my absolute favorite Woody Allen films, not quite as funny as Annie Hall but not quite as serious as Interiors, Manhattan is a wonderful blend of both.

We will be meeting Thursday, February 21st at 6:15pm

Hope to see you there!

Here's the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuU6XU0_Gfs

January Film Club

Happy New Year everyone!  Hope you all had a safe and enjoyable holiday.  A new year brings a whole new lineup of films to view over the course of this year, so, for the returning Film Club members, I hope to see you again, and for all those who have yet to join, what are you waiting for!?  We'd love to have you watch a film with us.
I was also toying with the idea of a somewhat different format, well, not a different format, just I'd like to include some discussion time if possible.  I believe these films have a great deal of material to talk about, so I was thinking of implementing that.  Any feedback would be appreciated.

Now, on to business.  The film for January will be:

Rashomon
Directed by: Akira Kurosawa

Rashomon is a a 1950 Japanese crime drama film directed by Akira Kurosawa, working in close collaboration with cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa.  It stars Toshiro Mifune, Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyo and Takashi Shimura.  Rashomon introduced Kurosawa and the cinema of Japan to Western audiences, albeit to a small number of theaters, and is considered one of his masterpieces.  The film opens on a woodcutter and a priest sitting beneath Rashomon gate to stay dry in a downpour.  A commoner joins them and they tell him that they've witnessed a disturbing story, which they then begin recounting to him.  The woodcutter claims he found the body of a murdered samurai three days earlier while looking for wood in the forest; upon discovering the body, he says, he fled in a panic to notify the authorities.  The priest says that he saw the samurai and the woman traveling the same day the murder happened.  Both men were then summoned to testify in court, where they met the captured bandit Tajomaru, who claimed responsibility for the rape and murder.

From here, the film goes on to recount the story from the point of view of the bandit, the woman, the samurai and the woodcutter.  What really happened?  Who's story is the correct story?  Come and see the film and find out for yourself.

This a film that is so rich in style and technique, storytelling and humanity (or lack thereof), you won't want to miss this genuine masterpiece.  Hope to see you there!
For those who are interested, Rashomon holds an impressive 100% certified fresh rating on the aggregate review site: rottentomatoes.com

Here's the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCZ9TguVOIA

December Film Club

Hey everyone, thanks for all who could make it out to see Take Shelter.

For the month of December I've decided to show Frank Capra's classic, life affirming tale: It's a Wonderful Life.

Released in 1946, the film stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who has given up his dreams in order to help others, and whose imminent suicide on Christmas Eve brings about the intervention of his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers).  Clarence shows George all the lives he has touched and how different life in his community would be had he never been born.

It's a Wonderful Life is an American Christmas drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra, that was based on the short story "The Greatest Gift", written by Philip Van Doren Stern in 1939.  The film is considered one of the most inspirational and best loved movies in American cinema as it currently holds an 8.7/10 rating on IMDB consumer reviews and a 93% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Join us for a screening of this Christmas Classic, Thursday, December 20th at 6:15pm.  Hope to see you there!

Here's the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJfZaT8ncYk

The Name's Bond...James Bond.

Well, the wait is finally over, Skyfall has arrived, marking the 23rd film in the Bond franchise, starting with Dr. No.  I have seen it and let me tell you, it is phenomenal.  While I was visiting the theatre (attending a showing of Wreck-it Ralph, a fantastic film in it's own right) a friend who was accompanying me found there was a midnight showing of Skyfall, (a full day before we even thought it was released), so we decided to stay and watch.  I loved Skyfall so much, and found it to be such an impressive return to what made me love James Bond in the first place all those years ago when I first watched them with my father.  Recently the Bond series seems to have been "rebooted", with the release of Casino Royale back in 2006 (a film that blew me away, especially in the wake of the travesty that was Die Another Day) and then in the follow-up film (that was, sadly, nowhere near the caliber of greatness presented in Casino Royale), Quantum of Solace.  But where Casino Royale brought a freshness, as well as, a seriousness back to Bond (when it was plunging back into the depths of 'camp' and ridiculousness, not entirely unlike the end of Roger Moore's stint as the beloved hero), Quantum of Solace brought a mopey, revenge-driven Bond that behaved more like a Jason Bourne than a James Bond.  Now, don't get me wrong, Quantum of Solace has some incredible moments in it and displays a talented filmmaker, but it had no business being called a James Bond film, it did the opposite of what Casino Royale did, which is why I was skeptical when I first heard that this new "Bond 23" was being made.  Little did I know, they had everything under control.

Skyfall is directed by Sam Mendes (a director I am fond of and a good one at that, my first reassurance) and photographed by Roger Deakins (cinematographer for such films as: No Country for Old Men, Revolutionary Road, also directed by Mendes, and The Shawshank Redemption, my second reassurance).  The film opens differently than many of the past Bond films, saving the down-the-barrel-shot for the end of the film, but much like the Bond of late, instead throws us into the action.  It's good action and well crafted, and leads perfectly into the theme song (a Bond staple), a fantastic theme that harkens back to the older Bond films, performed by the ever wonderful Adele.  This feeling of familiarity that I got with the tone of the theme would not be a one-time thing.  All throughout this film is a return to the way things were, a return to the past, but all at the same time, a leap forward.  This film takes Bond into the present and makes him, and the idea of what he does, relevant for today.  Much of this film is about the old, or even antiquated, being entirely necessary and incredibly relevant, both in plot and in actuality.  The characters make a return to the old, but so does the film.  It returns to almost the same form and function the past films followed, and as a (near) lifelong Bond fan, I can honestly say, I was blown away.  When the film ended I wanted to get up and yell "Now THAT'S a Bond film!"  Because that's what it was, a pure Bond film that joined the ideas and (albeit formulaic) structure of the old films with the new ideas, pacing and style of the recent films.  We have a Bond that is charming without being smarmy, dangerous without being driven purely by revenge, and funny but not ridiculous, and he is joined by a whole new cast of fresh faces that feel right at home in the roles played by many others throughout the years.  This is the beginning of a new era of Bond, one that will hopefully follow the example set by Skyfall.  I have heard they are already working towards another Bond film and if they have one shred of intelligence or common sense in their collective brains, they will pay close attention to this film and take notes diligently, because THIS film is a success, a wonderful success.

I don't say this lightly, but Skyfall may be the very best James Bond film I've ever seen, if not, it's definitely in contention for the top.  If you're a fan (and even if you're not) do yourself a favor and see this film, in IMAX if you have the budget for it, because it is stellar.

Here's the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kw1UVovByw

and if you're like me and couldn't wait to hear the theme, here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeumyOzKqgI