Oscar's Cinema Journal 2005

Wednesday March 16th

Born into Brothels at SoBe Regal
http://www.filmwurld.com/forums/show...=9500#post9500

Written on the Wind at Cosford Cinema
Douglas Sirk's biggest hit as part of a 4 film retrospective of films the German director made for Universal Studios. George Zuckerman's brilliant script, Sirk's expressive and symbolic use of color and impeccable framing, great perfs by Rock Hudson, Robert Stack, Lauren Bacall, and Oscar winner Dorothy Malone add up to something special. Watch it at the theatre if you get a chance. I would certainly not be the first to conclude that Kyle and Marylee Hadley, at a certain level, represent the rotten core of the "American Dream" of wealth and conspicuous consumption, which doesn't mean they're unidimensional characters, or that you can't ignore the subtext and enjoy it at surface level.

Lapage's film played at the cinematheque but I didn't make it to the screening. I was told it sold out.

The Moab Story looks to be loaded with even more esoteric imagery than Greenaway's previous films.
Hope your prepared.
*wink*

Please post your thoughts- I haven't seen it yet and I'm curious about it.

I think you went a bit overboard on Born into Brothels. You might accentuate the positive a bit more, see what's good about it rather than just what it lacks. You wouldn't criticize My Architect for not being a complete survey of modern architecture, or To Be and to Have for not giving a full picture of modern education in France, would you?

*Will most definitely post comments about Greenaway's film.

Thursday March 17th

I'm glad to hear Robert Lepage's La Face Cachee de la Lune sold out at the Cinematheque, Johann. It's bound to generate more screenings, at least at such specialized theatres. For an artist known primarily for his theatrical works, Lepage is quite inventive in terms of the production of images. The Dark Side of the Moon (English title) is perhaps Lepage's most accesible film because it's funny. The fact that his five films have been recognized by the Canadian Academy, Lepage must have a trophy room full of Genies, has not resulted in any of them receiving wide distribution. I've also seen No and Le Confessional, which takes place in Montreal at the time when Hitchcock was there to shoot I Confess and stars Kristin Scott Thomas. I highly recommend it.
Dark Side of the Moon is a most cinematic adaptation of Lepage's play about two brothers who are opposites in terms of personality, outlook, etc. They feel compelled to reconcile following their mother's death. Both brothers are played by Lapage. It's his most autobiographical work, a FIPRESCI winner at Berlin 2004. I love the way Lepage uses match cuts to transistion from a scene featuring one brother to one featuring the other, and from the present to a flashback. Of course the Genie-awarded screenplay is witty and insightful, but I want to emphasize that Dark Side is a visual treat. Out on region #1 dvd, in French with English subs.

The Tarnished Angels at Cosford Cinema

Like Written on the Wind, this film stars Robert Stack, Rock Hudson and Dorothy Malone, and a script by George Zuckerman (adapting Faulkner's novel "Pylon"). The Tarnished Angels takes place in New Orleans during the Great Depression. WWI air ace Robert Shumann ekes out a living on the crash-and-burn stunt flying circuit, neglecting his wife and son to pursue his true love. When reporter Burke Devin shows up to write a story, he is repulsed by Robert's adrenaline-seeking and fascinated by his parachutist wife LaVerne. All the principals seem tragically trapped in the pursuit of dreams that have only brought anguish and despair. Please avoid the pan-and-scan vhs of this dynamic b&w Cinemascope drama. Amazing flying sequences and street shots of the French Quarter during Mardi Gras. Dave Kehr says it's better not to watch it than watch it at home, but if it's your only choice, TCM apparently shows it in the correct aspect ratio from time to time.

Chris,
With you, Schumann, the Academy, and 90% of critics praising and hailing Born Into Brothels, I couldn't help but express the disappointment and frustration I experienced watching it and thinking about it afterwards. I have to admit that I found it "worth watching", if only because it offers a glimpse into the lives of human beings who are often ignored in the industrialized world (love the scenes with kids talking about their lives). Unlike To Be and To Have, what's shown here raises issues the documentarians refuse to tackle or explore. Granted, Born into Brothels is not nearly as innocuous as Oliver Stone's Comandante. Still, can a documentary be "miramaxical"?

Friday March 18th

In a cruel way, it's fitting that End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones, never played in more than ten screens at a time during its limited 2004 release. The Ramones, the most influential rock band since the Beatles, never had a Top 10 hit in a career spanning 21 years. The movement they created, call it punk rock if you will, got swept under the carpet by the mainstream media. Outside of their native NYC, their records got played only in college stations and low power clandestine outfits. In the mid 70s, the Ramones injected rock with much needed humor, power and speed. It can be argued that they invented punk rock, which basically means they re-invented rock 'n roll. Their London gig in '75 is considered by many to have singlehandedly inspired the formation of dozens of bands there, including the Sex Pistols and The Clash. It's the Pistols that got the headlines with their antics_the doc makes the case that the US mainstream media got scared of punk rock in general after the first Pistols tour here, resulting in lack of widespread exposure for the Ramones and the Clash.
The first half of this film documents expertly the emergence of punk rock as a subculture and the Ramones' development as a unit made up of most disparate parts. In retrospect, it seems the band needed to adopt a uniform, a logo and a common surname to foster cohesion, to have symbols to remind them of who they were as a unit. Three of the four (or five when drummer Tommy decided to write and produce and hired Marky to play drums for him) have personalities so distinctive it's a miracle they stuck it out for so long. Joey has to be the ugliest, geekiest front man in rock history. Jewish, ultra-liberal, extremy shy, life-long victim of obsessive-compulsive disorder, in love with luv, meets the girl of his dreams...and Johnny steals her. Johnny was a bully, control-freak, self-described right wing nut, who insisted on making the decisions. And then there was DeeDee, a wacko, clownish, heroin addict who used to turn tricks on 53rd and Third and was probably the band's best songwriter.
The second half of the doc transcends the rockumentary genre by exploring their personalities and group dynamics, and how their love of music and their rabid fans was stronger than the contempt, even hate, they felt for each other (During their induction into the Rock'nRoll Hall of Fame, Dee thanked himself, Johnny thanked Bush, and neither thanked Joey, who had just died of lymphatic cancer). I approached this film with trepidation because I'm one of those rabid fans. This film collects a variety of relevant material from a multiplicity of sources and tells their story very well. It adds more recent interviews that shed light into the past. I thought I would find a lot of it redundant, but I have to admit I learned a lot and gained a fresh perspective on the Ramones and their moment in history.

Sittin' here in Queens
Eatin' refried beans
We're in all the magazines
gulpin' down Thorazines
We ain't got no friends
our troubles never end
No Christmas cards to send
Daddy likes men

We're a happy family
Me, Mom and Daddy

Daddy's tellin' lies
Baby's eatin' flies
Mommy's on the pills
Baby's got the chills
We're friends with the president
We're friends with the pope
We' re all makin' a fortune
sellin' Daddy's dope

We're a happy family
Me, Mom and Daddy

Must have been a nice way to spend Friday for you. Funny I missed it -- it was here, at least for a while -- it's just that they never seemed as sexy to me as the Chili Peppers or Stones or even Metallica, et al. If you'd hyped it last year I'd have gone--I usually catch just about any music documentaries from Neil Young to Yo Yo Ma.

Since you're such a "rabid fan" how come you didn't go out of your way to see it yourself last year -- a pilgrimage to whatever town had it closest to Miami? It seems cruel that you were prevented from doing so. Apparently there are some limitations on your rabidness -- you're not a completely crazed Ramone-head -- though it does show in the fact that you do go a little overboard on some of your claims for the band.

But I'm willing to believe you on most of what you say, if it was just tempered a tiny bit. I wish you had said something more about the filmmakers, though -- whom you don't even seem to mention or credit specifically -- their history, their personal relation to the material, why the film didn't go wider in distribution, etc. Please tell more.

Here in Ottawa on Rideau Street there's a record store called VERTIGO RECORDS, and they have a huge poster of Joey Ramone, with a weird handmade action figure of Joey "at the mic" in front of it, and in big, black bold letters it says:


There are many legends in rock and roll, who push the boundaries, who make an impact.

MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE STILL OWE JOEY MONEY

Originally posted by Chris Knipp
Must have been a nice way to spend Friday for you.

Home with the chills and the pills, probably for the whole weekend. Will try to get to a theatre if the fever goes down. Glad I got out to see Brothels and two Sirks before it hit.

it's just that they never seemed as sexy to me as the Chili Peppers or Stones or even Metallica

If you're looking for "sexy", stay away from punk rock. It's partly a reaction against just that.

It seems cruel that you were prevented from doing so.

Unlike smaller cities like Cleveland, Seattle and Austin, Miami is most definitely not a rock town. It's Latin, club music (with a heavy Euro influence), and hip hop that predominate. Because of geography, demographics and cultural issues, Miami is closer (figuratively) to America Latina and Europa than to the rest of the USA. Mostly, it's the rock "dinosaurs" who bring their live sets here. But the Ramones came five times to delight a thousand or so local kids like myself who loved them back. The memories of those five shows are deeply sustaining. No doc can measure up.

Apparently there are some limitations on your rabidness -- you're not a completely crazed Ramone-head

I guess I'm not a completely crazed anything-head. I resist adulation and fandom as much as I can. I try to maintain a critical stance regarding any record or film no matter who is the artist. But it's hard sometimes. The Ramones stood for the celebration of the ugly and geeky inside everyone and for a DIY (do it yourself) aesthetic that resulted in the formation of tons of bands, little mags, and indie record labels virtually overnight. They inspire worship and idolatry for many reasons, including their love of the music and their fans which resulted in constant touring.

you do go a little overboard on some of your claims for the band.

Given who I am, I'm more inclined to idolize Talking Heads because of their art-school persona, or The Clash because of their proletarian politics (of course it's a given I think their music is special). But I've never read any rock criticism that denies The Ramones' position as at least the catalysts of a whole movement. They sort of have influences and antecedents in The Stooges, the New York Dolls, and Lou Reed, but play their debut album and what you hear seems to have been made on a planet of their own. So radically different, so contrarian to what was popular in the mid 70s. I have to recognize that that moment in history may not be accessible with the same meaning and intensity to those who were not teens at that time. I also recognize Loud 'n Fast (and lyrics like the one I posted) is not everyone's idea of good music.

I wish you had said something more about the filmmakers, though

Michael Gramglia and Jim Fields have no previous filmmaking experience (that I know of). They practically did everything themselves in true punk spirit. But don't be afraid, the final product looks quite professional and well made.

Thanks Chris and Johann for your responses and your interest. Sometimes it's hard to gauge how much or how little I should write about anything. I think it's good to be brief and wait for questions and comments, and proceed from there. I also have to strike a balance bet. time at the computer and time watching film. After the post I watched yet another film introduced to me by my Canadian pal. Comments about Valerie and Her Week of Wonders coming up.

Quote:

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If you're looking for "sexy", stay away from punk rock. It's partly a reaction against just that.

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No doubt you're right that it is, but you're being a little naive in saying this because people are going to want to sleep with any lead singer of whatever genre or sex and any loud band with young musicians is going to be a turn-on to its fans. People are also attracted to self-destruction and violence, the Sid Vicious type. Or the pathos and doom type, like Trent Reznor or Kurt Cobain. It doesn't have to be conventionally sexy or healthy. It certainly doesn't have to be healthy.

The Clash, the Talking Heads; what about the Smiths? I was wondering because my socialist boyfriend who liked the Clash also listened a lot to them.

I was thinking of the New York Dolls myself when I was reading your post about this movie on the Ramones. I've had one of the Dolls albums since the late Seventies and on the cover they're very sexy in their andrygenous pretty looks and provocative tight pants with bulging crotches. The Ramomes didn't make it in the looks department but they didn't give up tight pants for a neutral art school look like the Talking Heads.

I can see how Miami would let Latin music overwhelm rock.

I actually attended an early Talking Heads concert in San Francisco in the early Eighties when they opened for Lou Reed. I was lured there by a close artist friend who was the mother of Peter Kraemer of Sopwith Camel. Very "art school," as you say. I was left pretty cold but I knew "Take a Walk on the Wild Side" very well and Lou Reed was a cult figure by then even to me. Meanwhile, The Basketball Diaries was out in paperback and Jim Carroll was in the city singing his songs and reading poems.

Quote:

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I also have to strike a balance bet. time at the computer and time watching film.

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Yes you do and so do we all but time spend at the computer (including review writing time) considerably enriches and even motivates my watching time now.

Sorry you've got chills and pills and hope you get better soon.

Funny you mention Valerie just now oscar.

The best video store in this city has a vhs (duplicate) copy and I was going to make you a tape.

Did you buy the DVD?

I rented Valerie from Nicheflix and saw it twice today. Then Chelsea started watching it and I sat with her for some of it. I think its otherworldly images are permanently imprinted on my memory bank thus I don't plan to buy it. Thanks for the generous impulse to make me a copy Johann. Will write a bit about it later and provide a link to your excellent post.

Sat. March 19th

Jaromil Jires' Valerie and her Week of Wonders on region 1 dvd (Kino). I learned about this film from Johann:http://www.filmwurld.com/forums/show...=4102#post4102 Mr. Jires' The Joke is one of my favorite Czech films of all time so I was looking forward to Valerie. It's an altogether different film that speaks volumes about the director's range. It's basically about the dreams/fantasies of a girl during her first menses. It's as if her whole conscious and unconscious had been emptied out and turned into beautifully rendered images. It's a most inter-textual work that mixes medieval mythology, Freudianism, classic fairy tales (Perrault, Grimm), vampire legends, anti-clericalism,etc into a non-linear narrative in which identity and reality are highly fluid concepts. This gumbo is anchored in the character of Valerie, a 13 year old awakening to sensuality and forced to do figurative battle with repressive forces, most prominently the family and the Catholic church. Valerie is a feast for art lovers in general and surrealists in particular. Valerie is not a film for those looking for a clear, linear narrative, and has the potential to offend (an IMdb comment or two use the word "pedophilia", it's definitely anti-clerical and some may argue it's anti-Christian and anti-family but I don't).

Thanks to the British Film Institute for this dvd release of Otto Preminger's Fallen Angel (1945), his follow-up to the better known but not necessarily better Laura. The first half of Preminger's career is extremely consistent at a high level of quality. Most of his films from the 40s and 50s share thematic (love triangles, deception, innocent being framed) and stylistic elements (action largely centered in a few sets, fluid camera work, mostly medium shots no close-ups, no reaction shots). I predict that if you like one of these you'll like the others: Laura, Fallen Angel, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Daisy Kenyon, Whirpool and Angel Face. There are enough distinctions among them to watch them all. Preminger's harmony of form and content, mobile camera and objective detachment make him one of my favorite directors of Hollywood's golden age.

In response to CK's earlier post:
*The Smiths were Morrisey and he got better when he went solo. Some adore his witty hypersensitivity. I like it.
*If you have one Dolls album, you have half their official recording output. Some people may actually call them punk because they played relatively fast and wrote about "pills" and "trash". For me, they are simply an amazing, awe-inspiring rock band that came together when glam was in vogue. Those 22 songs they recorded are explosive, brilliant,...If you value virtuosity there's no doubt that David Johansen is a better singer than Joey Ramone or Joe Strummer (The Clash), or just about anybody. And Johnny Thunders was an extremely talented guitarrist who refused to show off (I hate long solos except from geniuses like Hendrix, Verlaine,Clapton).
*Jim Carroll can write but can't sing.

Thanks for taking the time to reply to my relatively clueless music notes, Oscar.

I see you know a lot about this stuff. True enough Jim Carroll wasn't much of a singer. I'm impressed by what you say about the Dolls. I wonder if I can find that album....I had no idea.I take it you have no special interest in the Smiths as such.

Sorry I now nothing about Jires or Valerie--another one to get to know...

Speaking of the BFI I'm reading in the BFI-sponsored book on Wong Kar Wai. "In," because I don't plan to read it through, but just consult the chapter for each film as I re-see the films.

Watched Wong's As Tears Go By, which was the first one I ever saw of his in a theater, yesterday in a new DVD from Korea I bought from HKFlix. It seems pretty conventional to me, though it has visual charms, some "classic" Wong sets to be used in some version into the future, and for Wong fans it is essential to study it because the roots of his later ideas are largely there hidden in the conventional material, as well as some of the great stars. Maggie Cheung in this one--you wonder what all the fuss is about, from the way she was then. She has certainly acquired immense glamour charm and sex appeal since the little blank eyed girl she was then. Andy Lau was very young and kind of cool looking. The gangsters' bug-eyed mugging is totally unreal and rather annoying at times. The subtitles in this KOrean copy are terrible. Unlike the earlier HongKong Wong tapes, you can read them, but they make little sense, go by too fast, and there is a mistake in English grammar and idiom in practially every line or phrase. You really can make only minimal sense of much of the dialogue as a result. Pathetic. I should have gotten a better DVD version, assuming there is one. I may write more about this somewhat forgotten Wong Kar Wai film later. Perhaps interesting to contrast it with 2046.