Sunday, August 31, 2008

Beautiful Losers (Aaron Rose and Joshua Leonard2008)


Beautiful Losers (Aaron Rose andJoshua Leonard. 2008)
Rating: 3.4
Beautiful Losers is a collection of interviews from various artists and creative minds influenced by DYI , graffiti, skateboard and punk rock, including Mike Mills, Harmony Korine, Ed Templeton, Geoff McFetridge and others. It is meant to inspire as well as celebrate their work. Aside from the really faddy stuff that all looks the same, that you see on every graphic t-shirt these days, I do enjoy a lot of the work these artist's have done, however this format makes for a very uninteresting cinematic experience. It pretty much encapsulates everything I hate about documentaries. It mostly consists of stock footage, interviews with stuttering awkward responses and collages of artwork, but not much information in return. I'd much rather see their art for myself in person or read up on these artists on my own than see it presented in such a format, and anyone into their work should already be inspired by them. The film only briefly touches on a worthwhile subject when it addresses the "controversial" subject of the value of pop art, commercial art, community service signs, corporate advertising, and how each can be used as a medium to perpetuate underground art. I definitely wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone, unless they were really into this group of creative people.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Stellet licht (Carlos Reygadas, 2007) aka Silent Light


Silent Light (Carlos Reygadas, 2007)
Rating: 3.7

The biggest disappointment of the year for me...I mean, yeah visually I can understand the comparisons to Malick, as it looks a lot like Days of Heaven in some parts, but so what...it has to amount to something. I haven't seen Ordet, from what I've read he sort of copies a lot from that film. It also reminds me of Bergman's trilogy a little bit and even Tarkovsky, but I don't see it as anything more than an amateur trying to mimic the greats, but failing to come up with something original let alone engaging.

Sanxia haoren (Zhang Ke Jia, 2006) aka Still Life


Still Life (Zhang Ke Jia, 2006)
Rating: 9.2

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Boccaccio '70 (Mario Monicelli, Federico Fellini, Vittorio De Sica, and Luchino Visconti, 1962)


A wonderful eros themed anthology that updates some of the stories in Boccacio's Decameron with strong women character's in each and directed by some of Italy's most celebrated filmmakers.

Boccaccio '70 (Monicelli, Fellini, De Sica, and Visconti, 1962)
Rating: 8.8


"Renzo e Luciana" by Mario Monicelli
Rating: 7.1

"Le tentazioni del dottor Antonio" by Federico Fellini
Rating: 8.0


"Il lavoro" by Luchino Visconti
Rating: 8.0


"La riffa" by Vittorio De Sica
Rating: 8.0

Friday, August 15, 2008

Ivan Groznyy I (Sergei M. Eisenstein, 1944) aka Ivan the Terrible Part One


Ivan the Terrible Part One (Sergei M. Eisenstein, 1944)
Rating: 9.0

Incredible costuming and decor, and as always wonderfully interesting compositions and a traces of the montage style can still be seen, mostly through the use of multiple reaction shots.

Saturday, August 09, 2008

Traité de bave et d'éternité (Isidore Isou, 1951) aka Venom and Eternity


Venom and Eternity (Isidore Isou, 1951)
Rating: 6.5

Interesting stuff, but I disliked the director's self righteous declarations and I would have preferred it if he didn't point out all of the unique things he was doing in the film, that almost defeated the purpose to me. The third chapter was easily the best part, as it is a clear influence for Stan Brakhage's films.