About thirty minutes into Chinatown, Jack Nicholson’s JJ Gittes questions Mrs. Mulwray about the death of her husband; specifically, her seemingly blasé attitude towards the event. As a detective pressing for answers, Gittes’ look fits him to a T— three-piece suit, top hat, and a cigarette perched between his fingers. Everything is in its right place, until he utters: “Look. I do matrimonial work. It’s my métier.” Métier? As Roger Ebert also wonders in his Great Movie essay for the film, what is this hard-boiled detective doing with a word like métier? Humphrey Bogart’s Phillip Marlowe wouldn’t be caught dead tossing around a word like that.
From a rising theater talent to America’s most outstanding auteur, Citizen Kane launched Welles’s career, forming the legacy that exceeds him to this day. Yet, that legacy is one of convoluted crossings. For many, Welles is considered one of the cinema’s finest directors. But to some others though, Welles’ legacy remains alive not though his great films, but through a series of fumbling commercial outtakes preserved on YouTube. In color and occurring decades after Kane, the minute and a half video stars an overweight and seemingly over-served Orson Welles pitifully trying to deliver lines for a wine commercial. The video has over one million hits, and there are two, in which case that number can be doubled. This total amounts to more than that of any trailer for any of his films, including Citizen Kane.
As the Oscar date fast approaches, our Best Picture prediction
is growing foggier by the day. Golden Globes and Guild Awards have been spread
out amongst the contenders. With no single frontrunner, 2016’s Best Picture
race is one of the closest in recent memory. A few weeks ago, Las Vegas released their odds for all of
the nominees in the major Oscar categories. With the likes of Leo and Brie
Larson dominating the awards season, it seems that most of the categories will offer
few surprises. But the granddaddy of them all will be a photo finish.
Posted below are the potential winning odds for each of the
eight Best Picture nominees, along with some thoughts as to why they could win
and why they might not.
Spotlight 4 to 5
Why: If any film has a lead, no matter how small, Spotlight might
claim it- at least according to Vegas. This delicately paced yet unnerving
thriller has received nothing but praise since its release, picking up top
prizes from the LA Film Critics and the Critics’ Choice. A –listers abound,
Spotlight boasts an excellent ensemble cast and a wickedly tight-knit
screenplay, two of the Academy’s favorite ingredients. Underdogs searching for
truth against the immoralities of an institution...is this not the very reason
we tell stories and go to movies?
Why Not: Said story deals with sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
Accolades aside, it’s hard to predict how the conservative Academy voters will
react to such abhorrent material. Also, from a purely cinematic standpoint,
Spotlight does not exactly dazzle. One critic cleverly compared the movie’s simple
and muted style to that of Michael Keaton’s khakis. In the celebration of
filmmaking, and with such a dynamic movie like The Revenant hot on its heels, can
Spotlight’s substance trump The Revenant’s style?
Notable Victories thus far: Los Angeles Film Critics
Association, Critic’s Choice Awards
Depictions of the future serve as one of the most alluring aspects of science fiction. Even better is when these cinematic futures become the past. Audiences may relish in the opportunity to nitpick the accuracy of these fictitious creations in the aided benefit of hindsight. (Sorry Back to the Future II, there were no hoover boards yet in 2015. We were still trying to figure out the Segway.)
Unfortunately, 2001: A Space Odyssey does not lend many imaginative depictions of 21st century Earth. Despite a few bone-wielding apes on our prehistoric planet, Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, as its title suggests, takes place mainly on board spaceships trekking through a limitless and (relatively) unchanging galaxy. But onboard any spaceship, technology is aplenty, often times in excess in sci-fi. Arguably the film’s most intriguing character is no man or ape, but a talking computer- the HAL 9000- stoic and physically lifeless. A novel idea in 1968, but almost 50 years later, HAL would simply join the likes of Siri, Watson and our unnamed Google Maps chauffeur on the ever increasing list of “talking computers.” Thankfully, our reliable trio have yet to cause the mayhem of HAL.
Since in the 1970s, with the advent of the personal computer
and the very, very earliest existence
of the internet, we have lived in an era known as the Information Age. Right alongside the Ice Age and the Middle
Ages, there will be us— inventors of the personal computer and the internet— for
better or for worse. But that was a long
time ago. Gone are the days of VCRs, flatscreens
and dial-up, what was once breakthrough technology was now an antiquated thing
of the past. We still find ourselves entranced
by the pleasure of new technology just like we were 20 years ago. Only nowadays
everything is just a newer version of what it once was— BluRay, HD, and
wireless. The personal computer can now
be taken anywhere and you can have the entire World Wide Web comfortably inside
your pocket.
The connection this has to movies is both vastly helpful and
slightly critical. The cinema, once a glamorous
night on the town offering visitors an escape into worlds unknown, lost some of
its magic. TVs offer the same escape
from the comforts of one’s family room. No
more worries about traffic or a babysitter.
Today it is even easier. Streaming
sites like Netflix, Hulu and YouTube now offer that entertainment almost
anywhere on your laptop or even smart phone.
There is something lost in that transformation from a duplex movie
theater to a three-inch cell phone screen.
It simply doesn’t compare.
But let us not be too critical and consider this the demise
of the movie theater. After all, these handy
pieces of technology offer audiences a slew of new movies, or a rather a
reintroduction to old ones. Classics and
rare titles, B-movies and foreign wonders can all stay alive on the internet
and be introduced to movie lovers anywhere on the globe. Some sites like Netflix and Hulu have made
fortunes meeting the demand of instant streaming, while others the same and
slightly less in the form of free, (il)legal content.
There comes a time every year, as the leaves turn a new hue and air becomes crisp, when we must finally admit that summer has come to an end. Of the four season, Fall tends to get the short end of the stick, usually best identified as the end of good old summer and the onset of a seriously cold winter (depending on where you live of course.)
And Fall is generally not a special time for movies either. The summer season's blockbuster have all released, and most of the Oscar-worthy flicks don't come out until Christmas time. So there tends to be some time to kill for cinephiles. Fall TV is just o.k. and I have never meet someone who consciously awaits the Emmys. [Did those already happen?] But I personally hold nothing against Fall. It happens to be my favorite season for a number of reasons, and the biggest reason growing up was the coming splendor of Halloween.
I always considered myself a pragmatic kid growing up. Sure I loved Christmas just like any other little Catholic kid, but Halloween was always the best holiday and the reason was quite simple- candy, and lots of it. What Halloween had [has] over Christmas was the simple guarantee of hundreds and hundreds of sweet and neatly wrapped little gifts. As long as you were willing to hike around the block for a few hours in a dorky mask, you would be rewarded with a pillowcase full of candy, regardless if you had been naughty or nice. Santa and his elves could never promise that. The only thing I could guarantee from him was a new pack of underwear, socks and a toothbrush. I never new what else to expect, if anything more. Maybe another Nerf gun, but what if it wasn't the cool one that everyone else had? With Halloween I never had a growing fear that I would open my pillow case full of candy and find 500 Almond Joys.
Unfortunately to this day, I no longer enjoy the chocolaty bliss of trick-or-treating. It is sad, yes, and if it was socially acceptable for a 21 year old to go door to door and ask for candy would I go out there and do it?, you bet I would. But its not socially acceptable so I have to get by other ways.
So as we soon reach the month of October, I write this not just to prove that Fall doesn't completely suck and that Halloween is better than Christmas, but to present the ensuing month-long celebration here at FILMclatter. All posts of the month of October will be devoted to the horror season's best and certainly worst movies, past and present. From delightful treats like Psychoand Jawsto some tricks like Basket Case 2, no horror movie, good or bad (or even really really bad) is out of discussion. Sure its not the most original movie blog theme for October but what could be sweeter, and without a pillow case full of candy, its all I got to chew on.
Happening only once every ten years, the Sight and Sound
poll always proves to stem its fair share of excitement and procrastination to
cinephiles everywhere. Even during those
odd years, one certainly has enough internet at their hands to pass the time, memorizing
each of the previous five polls s to get them through until the next
voting. And with the poll taking place
this past July, so begins our long nine year hibernation. But just like any animal heading towards
their long winter’s nap, we have to be adequately prepared and make sure there
is substantial feeding for our hunger.
And we got it quite recently when Sight and Sound released
the all-extensive statistics outlying every movie voted for and the Top 10
lists from all 946 directors, critics, programmers, scholars who partook in
this year’s poll. Thousands of films and
thousands of links to click; I found myself overwhelmed by the magnitude of
what we now had. But after almost two
hours, I found it difficult to differentiate my feverish clicking from what’s
called procrastination. I knew nothing
was getting done so I decided to put my efforts towards something remotely more
proactive, if that can even be said.
Below is my Sight and Sound Top 10*, though I must say the
asterisk is stressed. Instead making one
of those typical “these are the 10 best films in my opinion” list, I decided to
make it more difficult and place some restrictions on my selections. I decided that the films I was going to
choose could not be in the Top 25 from either the Directors Top 100 or the
Critics Top 250 lists. That was a big
sacrifice and mean leaving many sure picks like Kane, 2001, and Seven Samurai
off-limits. But rules are rules, even if you're the one that made them up.
So below you will
find my Sight and Sound Top 10*. I tried
not to dwell too hard on my selections, but at the same time tried to make them
as diverse as possible, picking one from various countries, genres and
movements. If anyone else would like to
partake in creating a Top 10 list under these restrictions, please feel free. I would love to see what others think and
maybe it could be some sort of Blog-a-thon or something.
Every once in a while, you will come across a movie who’s
explanation goes far beyond the use of words. Our English language contains tens of thousands of adjectives that could certainly fit
the description of just about any possible scenario one could think up, so it surely it must be done. But in the case of movies, there always that feeling of something missing when dissolving a
moving pictures into words. Describing
Ingmar Bergman’s Personaas “a lucid, fever dream of a masterpiece”[1]
gives viewers an appropriate emotional context, but still does not match all that
lies within the film. Other movies like The Tree of Life or Triumph of the Will leave me without words after each
viewing. Then again, this task of describing
what we see should not necessarily come easily. I see it as a testament to any filmmaker who can create worlds so inexplicable that it leaves viewers speechless.
But above all, I must say this holds most applicable to the genre of B-movies. As I pretend to be going off on some philosophical tangent about the vast possibilities contained in the cinema, I
am really here for reasons much less technical but equally as appreciative. I
am introducing the newest category here at FILMclatter titled 'What on Earth?'. Working twosome with my other addition,
The Killer B’s, this will serve as bona fide proof that not everything can and should be described in words. From each horrible
B-movie reviewed in The Killer B’s, What on Earth? will feature an array of
screenshots from the movie that best displays schlock cinema’s tremendous ability for crafting images where words have no place. The images will be chosen based on the merits of unfathomed absurdity, ridiculousness, and the occasional illogic. But that's a description right there. I know, this is all a bit of an oxymoron and I continue to contradict myself the more I type.
The point of this category is not to try and stump the dictionary. It serves no greater purpose than sheer entertainment and an appreciation for the most unimaginable things movies have to offer. Even better, this gives me a chance to be lazy and throw up a legitimate post consisting of five pictures and ten words. I'll take that any day.
When I first came across the news that a sequel to Raging Bull was in the works, I thought the
rumors would dispel pretty quickly.Soon
after though, I came across a production still from the upcoming project
that affirmed this insensible reality.There
were no rumors at all; a movie named Raging Bull II was actually being made. Neither Scorsese nor DeNiro are involved in it
either. I originally began working on a
post where I would basically do nothing more than complain about the fact that
a Raging Bull sequel was being made,
but that would only waste everyone’s time.
People can agree that Raging Bullis a near-perfect film. From its gritty black and white
cinematography to a flawless script to the ever encompassing, mad-house
performance from Robert DeNiro (the greatest acting performance that isn’t
Stanley Kowalski), Raging Bull stands
on its own as one of the greatest American movies ever made.
I also think people can agree on the fact that
sequels are wild cards. Done right they
can escalate a film’s fortune to new heights as with The GodfatherandThe Lord of the Rings. But flip that around and watching
a sequel turns into nothing more than a waste of time and money. And as I always say in defense, I hate being
too critical. In this age, nothing is
truly a failure if it breaks even, and for a Hollywood picture, that is no less
true.
In hindsight, a sequel to Carriewasprobably not necessary or in any high demand, especially when it came out 22
years after the original movie. Yet as
it stands, I have to be honest in saying that The Rage: Carrie 2 is a movie I am incapable of creating and
as much distaste as I might have for it,
there remains a whole lot of skill that goes into making something of that caliber
and that must not be ignored. Hate
Michael Bay as much as you want, but put yourself in his shoes and Transformers 2 would probably have
been even worse. Maybe it should not be
called a movie as much as it is a capitalist venture. Besides, there's no denying that Hollywood is a conglomerate service business that occasionally puts out terrific products the year.Then in this case, Mr. Bay is one hell of an entrepreneur. His $200 million investment into the Transformers
sequel turned into a staggering $900 million from box office sales alone. Warren Buffet would be thoroughly impressed.
“After Thoughts” is a new category I have decided to begin here
at FILMclatter. My first post dealing
with the recently viewed movie Eyes
Without A Face [1960] will follow within the next few days. The idea for this new category is fairly
simple- at any point during my viewing experience, there always seems to be one
aspect of the production that stands out and sticks with my throughout the film’s
end and well after that. This facet can
come as early as the opening credits or as late as the movie’s final shot and
it can be just about anything in between.
Even if Humphrey Bogart stands before me in the middle of the frame
smoking a cigarette, I might catch something as miniscule as the hanging
picture behind him or the lighting above his head and find it more interesting. After Thoughts is where I get to discuss
these small instances, within the boundless restraints of this blog.
Although I must foreworn, these posts will inadvertently contain spoilers and explain elements of the movie in specific detail. So if you have not seen the movie, I would recommend that you put these posts on hold and wait to read them until after watching the movie because we all know there is no greater tragedy than a spoiled movie. The point of this category is to pick out, analyze and come to understanding of why this particular piece of the movie stuck out to me and what it might mean in the greater scope of the film. But if all else fails and I can come to no certain resolution, After Thoughts will lend me the space to vent about this particular mind-numbing element of the movie- but I would rather not waste everyone’s time. So hopefully After Thoughts can serve as a productive column for both you and me. As it can allow me to therapeutically release my stifling thoughts on the matter, hopefully it will also give other readers (viewers of the film) a chance to explore an idea of the movie they might not have noticed in their own viewing maybe even learn a thing or two and in the end join in on the never ending discussion of movies.
From The Tree of Life- This was an unplanned post until I
accidentally came across the video while searching for the new Beach House
song. (How that happened, I have no idea.)
It’s a scene from Terrence Malick’s 2011 film, The Tree of Life. If you have not seen it, then you have definitely
heard about. That conversation could have either classified the film as an
elegant masterpiece or as a pretentious, metaphysical waste of time- and that’s
without discussing the dinosaurs.
Anyways, hate it or love, The Tree of Life will always be remembered on
either one of these grounds and that same debate will probably keep that title
in circulation for some years to come.
The video posted below is a segment from the film where Malick depicts
the creation of the world, or at least, that’s what we think it is. I would say that we are all probably doing
this movie an injustice by watching its most visually intense sequence on a
tiny computer screen but oh well, better than nothing I guess.
If you’ve seen the movie, then you probably remember this scene as the point where you begin to question everything- What the hell is going on? Who is that
whispering? Where did Sean Penn go? These questions were swarming my mind and
as the opera grew to that thunderous crescendo half way into the video while I was bombarded with these images on the IMAX screen, I was certain my head was going to explode.
If you never saw the movie and only heard all the fuss about the film,then here’s your chance to for a quick glance at what they’re all talking about. Sure there is more to the movie than a bunch of existential, mind boggling swirls from space, but to me, this was what really defined the movie for me and set it apart from any other movie I had ever scene. Check it out- no spoilers, I promise. (if its even possible)
+Just posted this over at my music blog TUNEclatter. It contains two film references, so I figured why not go ahead and re-post
One of the best aspects of music is its ability to mesh the most unlikely disparities into one very pleasing tune. Think about the new Jack White song, “Love Interruption.” He sings longing for love, but that request comes the most an array of unromantic desires- “I want love to roll me over slowly stick a knife inside me, and twist it all around...” to name one. Another example goes by the name “Pumped Up Kicks,” the popular Foster the People song. [Check out those lyrics.] These two songs share the perverse ability to turn such shocking statements into a something far from unfavorable.
That isn't the exact case of the Arctic Monkey's song "Fluorescent Adolescent." No, its lyrics doesn't demand any such ill mannered requests; here it’s the visuals that are called to questioning. The music video for "Fluorescent Adolescent" involves a man and his posse dressed up as clowns trying to bash the brains of a rival group. Other than the unfortunate association these characters have with serial killers and messed up B-horror films, clowns used to be seen as symbols of impeccable joy and childlike entertainment. Bu these clowns share none of these qualities.
When I first watched this, I immediately called to mind a comparison with a scene from Stanley Kubrick’s 1971film adaptation of “AClockwork Orange”- you have a bunch of weirdoes dressed up in outlandish clothing trying to kill each other. But unlike the mindless chaos brought forth by Alex in “Clockwork,” our clown here seems to acknowledge his wrongdoings. Working in stride with Turner’s lyrics- “Where did you go?” the clown puts down his fists for a moment to think. He looks back and remembers what he was once-a sweet-hearted and innocent young boy, now grown up and dressed up as a clown mindlessly whacking people’s brains out. “The best you ever had is just a memory...” Something he realizes a bit too late.
I know this is totally illegal but like I said before I can't stand having to publicly make these predictions. Last week I finally posted my predictions for the Oscars but that isn't enough to get me through til Sunday. As much as I want to think The Descendants is most deserving, the whole world seems set on The Artist for Best Picture. The way I see it, you have two options when making any sort of prediction. One, you do your research, find out what most people are saying and go with that. Its a conservative approach but in the end, you'll probably get most picks right. The second option then is to go with the dark horses. Picking The Tree of Life for Best Picture, is quite rebellious, but maybe too extreme. In this case where the obvious front runner is The Artist, anything besides that would work.
With the Oscars approaching in less than two weeks, I finally realized that I should get around to posting my predictions because after next Sunday, they really won't matter. I tend to dislike making predictions of any sort solely for the fear of being wrong. Of course every year I fill out a March Madness bracket for the NCAA basketball tournament, [which I will inevitably be doing within the next few weeks] but I cannot recall the last time I actually found the courage to total up my losses after the championship game. In the case of the Academy Awards, the rumors and gossip in the weeks [or months at this point] heading up to that Sunday in February seems just as important as the actually awards ceremony. Being a movie fanatic as well as movie blogger, it seems that this is post is something of a requirement. Nevertheless, Oscar predictions have become an important part of today's movie culture and if anything, it promotes further discussion and engagement with movies enabling me to start up something like FILMclatter.
+The bold selection indicates my primary prediction and anything underlined is a secondary guess
Best Picture
"The Artist" Thomas Langmann, Producer
"The Descendants" Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" Scott Rudin, Producer
"The Help" Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
"Hugo" Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
"Midnight in Paris" Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
"Moneyball" Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
"The Tree of Life" Nominees to be determined
"War Horse" Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers
This is a post I wrote for my music blog TUNEclatter, and aside from it being a song, I fgured it carried some film relevance worth reposting.
To give comparison, Zola Jesus sounds sort of like Adele. They both have generally deep voices and have the ability to belt it out in their songs, screaming with the perfect pitch. Adele maybe arguably the most popular female vocalist out right now, but Zola Jesus might not be too far behind. Her song “In Your Nature” sounds like an avant Florence + the Machine track, only sung by Adele, not to say that Zola is just a copy of these two because she’s not.
More importantly, a remixed version has recently been created by legendary auteur David Lynch. One of my favorite filmmakers, David Lynch is a true artist and one of the best of our time. Mostly recognized as the creator of such cult favorites like Erasherhead, BlueVelvet and the hit show Twin Peaks, David Lynch has also established himself as a painter, musician and even furniture designer.
His remix of Zola Jesus’ song “In Your Nature” is really something. I’m almost never a fan of remixes, but in this case I find myself preferring the remix over the original. It was a close call but I got to hand it to David Lynch for creating this. It’s not the kind of remix that is sped up and with a faster bass pedal where the chorus is just repeated 10 times or something. This remix is nothing of that sort; Lynch actually slows the song down. What really works for this song and gives it its success is the minimalist approach Lynch took while working with the song. Combined with those Florence and Adele elements, Lynch’s small touch gives the song a mystical sort of dreamy feel to it. I could see it as a perfect ending to one of his surrealist films from back in the 80s. Like if Blue Velvet had some sort of warm, reassuring ending
With the Academy Awards looming (Feb 26th) and most of the big hitters out by now, I decided to post some predictions for the major categories. Not that sound-mixing and make up are not important, I just can't differentiate explosions or eyebrows as easily. As we near the date and the official nominations come out, I will post those and then make my final predictions.
+ these are in no particular.
+ designates additional nomination beyond allowed five
Best Picture
The Artist
The Descendants
The Ides of March
The Help
J. Edgar
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
The Tree of Life
War Horse
Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius The Artist
Tomas Alfredson Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Alexander Payne The Descendants
Terrence Malick The Tree of Life
Martin Scorsese Hugo
+ Sean Durkin Martha Marcy May Marlene
Actor In A Leading Role
Leonardo DiCaprio J. Edgar
Jean Dujardin The Artist
Gary Oldman Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Brad Pitt Moneyball
Demian Bichir A Better Life
+ Michael Fassbender Shame
Actress In A Leading Role
Viola Davis The Help
Michelle Williams My Week With Marilyn
Glenn Close Albert Noobs
Charlize Theron Young Adult
Meryl Streep The Iron Lady
+ Elizabeth Olsen Martha Marcy May Marlene
Best Supporting Actor
Christopher Plummer Beginners
Patton Oswalt Young Adult
Nick Nolte Warrior
Jonah Hill Moneyball
Kenneth Branagh My Week With Marilyn
+ Armie Hammer J. Edgar
Best Supporting Actress
Octavia Spencer The Help
Bérénice Bejo The Artist
Shailene Woodley The Descendants
Jessica Chastain The Help
Carey Mulligan Shame
+ Melissa McCarthy Bridesmaids
Best Original Screenplay
Woody Allen Midnight in Paris
Tom McCarthy and Joe Tibani Win Win
Diablo Cody Young Adult
Mike Mills Beginners
Jeff Nichols Take Shelter
+ Dustin Lance Black J. Edgar
Best Adapted Screenplay
Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan Tinker, Tailor
Soldier Spy
Tate Taylor The Help
John Logan Hugo
Aaron Sorkin & Steven Zaillian Moneyball
Nat Faxon, Alexander Payne & Jim Rash The Descendants
+ Steven Zaillian The Girl With The Dragon Tattooo
I decided to stop after the main eight categories. Like I said, I don't know enough to make guesses on each and every category, and these eight are always the most talked about. The selections above seem to be the general consensus around the web, with a few of my own particular hopes thrown in the mix.
By the way, here's a short little trailer for the upcoming ceremony hosted by Billy Crystal. Its a bit goofy, but I think their off to a better start than last year.
So here it is, the first of what should be many posts as part of my new blog/hobby "FILMclatter." Within the topic of movies, plenty will be discussed here including new movie reviews, old movie reviews, Hollywood news (minus all the celeb drama), and much, much more. Please feel free to comment on any post and keep it interesting. Enjoy!
