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Celluloid Notes - what are you watching?

Celluloid Notes - July 2007

The movie news for July 31, 2007: Antonioni, Serrault, Toronto Film Fest

Newsworthy

Michelangelo Antonioni 1912-2007



screenshot from 'L'Eclisse'

At age 94 legendary filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni has passed away last night at his home in Rome. Famous for his cinema of alienation and his fantastical visions, he, along with Federico Fellini, turned Italy away from the Neorealistic visions of Vittorio de Sica and Roberto Rossellini towards a cinema of the imagination. though he was far from being a typical Italian filmmaker, some of his most famous films created in England. With films such as 'Blow-up' and 'L'Avventura' he can only be considered one the world's greatest cinematic assets. His trilogy on alienation and the open spaces spaces surrounding the human psyche, including the aformentioned ' L'Avventura,' 'L'Eclisse,' and 'La Notte,' still stands, ironically along with Bergman's 60s trilogy, as one of the most tortured series of films on humanity, while remaining entirely humanistic. Jack Nicholson once said of Antonioni, while presenting him with the lifetime achievement Oscar, "In the empty, silent spaces of the world, he has found metaphors that illuminate the silent places our hearts, and found in them, too, a strange and terrible beauty: austere, elegant, enigmatic, haunting." Nicholson starred in Antonioni's 'The Passenger' which is emblematic of his paced, contemplative style. The film ten minute finale is filmed in complete silence, which had (and has) some viewers ripping their hair out while still recieving standing ovations from others (this happened just last year when I went to see a restored print at the the cinema). Antonioni made films through the end of his life, collaborating with Wong Kar-Wai and Steven Soderbergh on the pasted together 'Eros,' in 2004. Walter Veltroni, the mayor of Rome, put it lightly hen he said, "With Antonioni, not only has one of the greatest living directors been lost, but also a master of the modern screen."

screenshot from 'The Passenger'


Click here for the Wikipedia article on Antonioni.
A Tribute to Antonioni from The Financial Times

Scorsese on 'L'Eclisse:'


Michel Serrault, 1928-2007

French film actor Michel Serrault passed away yesterday at age 79. Serrault appeared in over 130 films throughout his career, not to mention a plethora of stage performances. His depection of a transvestite in 'La Cagge aux Folles' (The Birdcage), on both stage and screen, catapulted him to stardom.

Click here for the Wikipedia article on Serrault.

Toronto Film Fest Announces Line-up

The Toronto International Film Festival (click here for their website has announced their 2007 line-up for the festival which runs from September 6-15. Festival favorites this year include Martin Gero's 'Young People Fucking,' George A. Romero's much anticipated new film 'Diary of the Dead,' DAvid Cronenberg's 'Eastern Promises,' Ang Lee's 'Lust, Caution,' 'Hotel Rwanda' director Terry George's 'Reservation Road,' and many others still to be announced on their website. This years line-up also includes a host of lectures and speakers, including Michael Moore, and a retrospective of new 35mm prints, including Jean Vigo's 'L'Atlante' and 'Zero de Conduite,' Robert Flaherty's 'Nanook of the North,' and Vittorio de Sica's 'Bicycle Thieves.' Check out their website for more information.

Trailer for 'Bicycle Thieves:'
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The movie news, sort of.

Newsworthy:

Ingmar Bergman dies at age 89




Famed Swedish director Ingmar Bergman died Monday morning at his home in Sweden. Bergman was one of the world's greatest filmmakers, along with legends like Godard, Fellini and Kurosawa, he can be said to have revealed the potentials of cinema as an art form as much as an individual in film's short history. He was best known for his personal, tormented films on the human psyche, movies as divergent as meditations on mental illness, familial abuse and plague. He broke barriers, broke the fourth wall, and created what we consider cinema as much as Griffith did. Making films up until his continuation of 'Scenes from a Marriage,' 'Saraband,' in 2003, and writing a TV play in 2005. His death is great loss to art in the world at large. Woody Allen noted, in 1988, that Ingmar Bergman was "the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera."
This week, in the reviews section, look for the other two parts of his trilogy (along with Through a Glass Darkly, that was published last week) as tribute to his passing, as well as his close friend and frequent cinematographer, whom also passed this month, Sven Nykvist.

Woody Allen discusses Bergman's genius. From the New York Times

Click here for a photo essay of Bergman's career from The Gaurdian.



Frank Miller blames the Weinstein's for the delay on Sin City 2

During a panel at this year's Comic-Con Frank Miller was asked, repeatedly, what the delay has been on production of 'Sin City 2,' as he has noted numerous times that he and Robert Rodriguez have finalized the screenplay. He laid the blame solely on the shoulders on the Weinstein's who seem to be skeptical after the luke-warm reception of 'Grindhouse.' In their defense, their latest endevours have not been entirely successful, as Rotten Tomatoes notes. (see: Miss Potter, Bobby, The Matador, Derailed, Pulse, Breaking and Entering, Harsh Times, DOA, The Gathering, Unknown, The Ex, Nomad, School for Scoundrels, Black Christmas, Arthur and the Invisibles or Factory Girl) But really, 'Sin City 2' sounds like box office gold.

Trailers-n-Posters

New TV spot trailer for Rob Zombie's 'Halloween' posted online




Iron Man Trailer

Though it will probably already have been taken down a camera shot of the Comic-Con preview of the new Iron Man film has been posted online. Try either perma link or The Playlist

Dark Knight Photos





taken from Hollywoodchicago.com

Links-n-essays

Today begins a countdown of the fifty greatest film sex scenes created by the IFP and Nerve Film Lounge. Today is 50-41, ten more will posted every day. Click here to see #50-41


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Review: The Simpsons Movie: ***1/2

The Simpsons Movie

Dir: David Silverman
written by: Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, etc. etc.
Starring: Everyone who’s ever been on the Simpson’s, Green Day and Tom Hanks


Eighteen years after The Tracy Ullman Show the longtime creators of The Simpson’s cannot be expected to create an hour and a half of brilliance when they’ve only tried this plot in 22 minute slots. The film reads much like the plot of every Simpson’s episode you’ve ever seen (saying ‘I’ve never seen an episode right now would be un-American). Homer does something that creates a problem, it tests his family’s love for him, he does something ever dumber to prove his love and everyone learns something. This time Homer dumps his pig feces silo into the lake and creates major problems for Springfield. The plot, surprisingly, holds out for the duration of the film, it’s nothing special, but it doesn’t fail like most adult-cartoon films (See Family Guy: The Stewie Griffin Story or Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters). Best of all the film remains consistently funny. The first half hour is a non-stop barrage of jokes (including possibly the greatest Simpson’s song ever, “Spider-Pig), after that the jokes thin in an attempt to keep the plot from treading water. But it holds up.


In typical Simpson’s fashion there are a few guest stars in the film, but they keep it to a minimum so they film doesn’t begin to feel more like a reminiscence of the last eighteen seasons. It’s more or less a lengthy episode; they don’t even really abuse their ability to do things that they are unable to on TV. A little bit of enhanced animation, a ‘god-damn,’ a middle finger and Bart’s penis sufficed. It is easily the best of the new adult-cartoon features that are appearing. And it’s good enough to keep the audience excited over the prospect of a sequel, which is all but promised during the closing credits of the film.


Just some trailers:



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The news, sort of.

Newsish:

Moore Subpoenaed


Michael Moore has announced, during an interview with Jay Leno, that the Bush Administration has issued a subpoena for his trip to Cuba while filming 'Sicko.' Journalist's have access to Cuba and Moore claims that his documentary was an act of Journalism. (whether you support Moore or not it's journalism...) During filming Moore took a crew of 9/11 workers to Guantanamo Bay to recieve medical treatment, as they could not recieve any in New York.

for on this and a clip of the interview go here: from thinkprogress.org

Grindhouse DVD Released (almost)

Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's 'Grindhouse' will see DVD release as two sperate fimls. Both Tarantino's 'Deathproof' and Rodriguez's 'Plant Terror' will be released with an extended edition, the 'missing reels,' deleted scenes and commentary tracks, among other special features. 'Deathproof will be released September 18th and planet Terror on October 16th.

and other news, deemed less important by it's lack of headline...

Johnny Depp strikes a deal for a fil version of the 60s vampire soap opera 'Dark Shadows.'

from Rotten Tomatoes

Teasers-n-Trailers:

A higher quality version of the 'Dark Knight' Teaser has made it's way online thanks to whysoserious.com. who seem intent on finding out as much about this movie as they can.

see it here from Whysoserious


Tim Burton debuted this poster for his new film 'Sweeney Todd' at this years comic-con.


Links:

An interview with Alfonso Cuaron from Rotten Tomatoes. Touching on everything from the community of Mexican filmmakers, the perils and pleasures of making big budget and small projects and a possible return to Harry Potter.

from Rotten Tomatoes
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Retro-Review: Through a Glass Darkly: ****


Directed by: Ingmar Bergman
Cinematography: Sven Nykvist
Starring: Harriet Andersson

This will be the first of three reviews in the coming week or so that will address Ingmar Bergman’s films of the early sixties, in particular the trilogy including ‘Winter Light,’ ‘The Silence,’ and ‘Through a Glass Darkly.’ For anyone who isn’t familiar with Bergman or, perhaps, with this trilogy, they are more of a theoretical or conceptual trilogy. These come at a point in Bergman’s career when his films began to have a slight shift into what could be considered his “later work.” These films begin to reveal Bergman dealing with the issue of god in his life. Raised by a clergyman who eventually become consultant to the queen of Sweden, he rebelled against his father’s teachings but never came to grips with where he really stood and how interpreted the question of god. These film show Bergman trying to answer the question for himself.

Through a Glass Darkly marks one of the first collaborations between Bergman and his long time cinematographer Sven Nykvist (who passed away this last September). Nykvist shot films as varied as Lasse Hallestroms ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape’ to Woody Allen’s ‘Crimes and Misdemeanors.’ The signature mise-en-scene of Bergman owes a great deal to the Nykvist-Bergman collaborations.

Bergman’s screenplay is a transitional one because of the scarcity of saturation, which marks many of his early films (expressionistic tendencies, casts of hundreds, sweeping scenery, etc.). Using a cast of only four and one location, a country home on an island off the coast of Sweden. Karin (Harriet Andersson) is slowly going mad, her family (fiancée, father and brother) are trying to understand and hoping not to send her away, trying to let her know that things may be alright as she descends into hysteria, talking to walls, waiting for god to come out of the closet.

The film is quite simply a masterpiece. A tense portrayal of descent into madness and the effect on others that feels more grounded in reality than even the best of films on madness (see: Shock Corrider – Samuel Fuller, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Milos Foreman, or The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada – Tommy Lee Jones) Nykvist’s mostly static camera gives the film a brooding sense of anticipation, lingering motionlessly, allowing the actors to move freely into deep frames, marginalizing themselves as they move about the large empty frame. The camera even goes so far as to linger a little too long at times, waiting long after the actors have exited the frame, making sure that the audience is aware that the hollowness, these spaces they live and think in exist without them, these voids the audience is watching never go away.

These sentiments are echoed by the well penned script. The father’s regret over the madness of his deceased wife, the husbands jealousy, his inability to act, the nearly sexual love the brother feels for Karin, his isolation and inability to get over his immaturity. It’s a delicately woven, exquisitely beautiful film on the landscapes of the mind and the solitude of life and the search for god. A good introduction to the psychological drama of Bergman for anyone unfamiliar with one cinema’s masters.



Click here for a great essay on the film from the Criterion Collection DVD
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the news, sort of.

Newish:
the Venice Film Festival open august 29th, and they've just announced the line up. For the 75th anniversary of the festival Tim Burton will recieve the lifetime acheivement award and Tarantino will curate a retrospective of spaghetti westerns. Among the films in competetion are new reels from Ang Lee (Lust, Caution), Wes Anderson (Darjeeling Limited), Brian De Palma (Redacted), Kenneth Branagh (Sleuth), Peter Greenaway (Nightwatching), Paul Haggis (in the Valley of Elah), Ken Loach (...it's a free world), Todd Haynes (I'm not there), Takashi Miike (Sukiyaki Western Django) and Eric Rohmer (Les Amours d'Astree et Celadon). directors with accepted films that haven't been included for competition are Woody Allen (Cassandra's Dream), Claude Chabrol (La Fille coupee en deux), Takeshi Kitano (Glory to the Filmaker!).

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Film Review: Crank: *1/2


Dir: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor
Starring: Jason Statham


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The News, sort of.

NEWSWORTHY:

Richard Kelly's second film, 'Southland Tales,' will finally get a, very, limited release in November. (Isn't there enough interest in Richard Kelly that this should have been done months and months ago, I mean last Fall they published a big article on it in Filmaker.) Sounds like it's kind of weird (and it stars The Rock and Justin Timberlake


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Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix:***1/2


Directed by: David Yates
Starring: Every British actor you've ever heard of. Except for Helen Mirren, she won an oscar, you can expect her to dress up like a wizard


[ Click here to read more ]
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Hello, welcome to Celluloid Notes

Hey there, this isn't going to be an elaborate introduction into this site, but we're going to be posting lots of movie reviews (new and old films) and buzz/news on upcoming/ongoing projects from independent and studio productions. Over the next couple of days there will be a lot of posts here as I update the archive from our former home at Really Long Link Meanwhile that site will continue to have new reviews daily until later this week or early next. If you have any suggestions for a series of films you'd like reviewed or news tips feel free to e-mail me at dlukenelson@gmail.com Otherwise keep checking back. Celluloid Notes will be updated five to six times per week. Every weekday, and sometimes on the weekend for bigger news and/or weekend reviews. Thanks for coming and checking the site out. Please leave a comment and let me know who you are and from where you're blogging.

To give you a rough idea of what my star system is about here's a brief explanation, because I hate reviewers (Chris Hewitt, Collin Covert) whose rating system seems to have no basis or format. i think ratings are an effective method of short criticism, but they have to carry at least some meaning otherwise it's as arbitrary as asking a friend


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Review: Black Sheep (2007): ***


Dir: Jonathon King
Starring: Nathan Meister, Danielle Mason, Peter Feeney


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Review: Planet of the Apes: **


Dir: Franklin J. Shaffner
Starring: Charlton Heston and thousands of apes


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Review: The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes: ** 1/2


Dir: The Quay Brothers
The credits rolled and I sat staring, the afterimage of a burning white face and bench buried in the snow still resonating in my eyes, the final image of the film. I wasn't sure if I was blown away, confused, enraged or all three


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Review: The Hidden Blade: ****


This film is easily one of the best samurai films to emerge since Kurosawa's 'Ran' in '85. The almost shallow color palette, graceful use of setting and mise-en-scene, dense landscapes, especially the winter landscpaes, all resonate in the tone of 60-70s samurai auteurs like Okamoto and Inagaki.

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Film Review: Apocalypto: **


dir: Mel Gibson
Your text goes here
What appears to be Braveheart in Mexico, with a stuffed jaguar, turns to be a much smaller, more fragile film. Mel Gibson seems to have, at least initially, found a story that takes a major period of Latin history and made a small, intriguing film. That’s how I felt after the first half hour. Then he brings in elements of Predator, Evil Dead and the plot-negating ending of an M. Night Shamalyan film


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