June 2008
29 posts
Woody Allen’s Sleeper: silent film era physical comedy, Vaudeville era dialog, set to original ragtime, 200 years in the dystopian future.
enjoying the insightful commentary on “The Station Agent” DVD.
The Station Agent: minimalist dialog and comfortable silences propel the small cast, like relentless diesel trains moving at a walking pace.
Kung Fu Panda: better than expected, but tired of movies about slackers who discover inner greatness without real work or dedication.
“When something terrible happens, sometimes it leaves a trace. It’s like an echo repeated over & over, waiting to be heard.” -Sergio Sanchez
next flick in our dystopian series will be Woody Allen’s “Sleeper”.
resumed early ’70s dystopian fest with “Logan’s Run” (1976); a natural followup to “Soylent Green”, every passing year has made it cheesier.
El Orfanato: rich imagery painted in the syntax of horror illuminates this mysterious psychological portrait.
utterly alone in a remote 150 year old inn, trapped by a dramatic midnight thunderstorm, Saturday we watching “El Orfanato” (The Orphanage).
The Wire: (three episodes in) it passes the time; the acting underwhelms. we’re not hooked; debating whether to watch a few more.
best explanation of chess i ever saw or heard: “The Wire” episode 3.
it’s incredibly difficult for a TV series to truly pull you in on the first episode.
watching “The Wire” for the first time.
1st episode of “The Wire” establishes cast neatly. cinematography and choreography are unremarkable. we’ll watch the 2nd and 3rd, then see.
possibly the worst ever commentary track on “The Sopranos”: Robert Iler (AJ) on Season 6B Episode 7; he sounds a lot like his character.
reading the lengthy “The Sopranos: Definitive Explanation of The End”, on @AreAitch’s recommendation.
have now watched every episode of The Sopranos (in order), no less than twice.
Soylent Green: a muttered apocalypse based on the “wild” premise of global warming. made 35 years ago. http://amyphetamine.com/post/38348572
watching Hitchcock’s “Secret Agent” (1936) you see the story’s influence on later espionage writers. http://twurl.nl/frn486
The Machinist: psychological drama, well crafted in muted colors, a dangerously skinny man, mysteries in his head + some sneaky creepy gore.
studying production techniques of “Sin City” (while mindlessly and manually deleting 800 duplicate blog posts at http://Daily.Mykl.org).
Iron Man: an after school cartoon for little boys. shame about the music. also about the sequel.
it’s fabulous living so close to a drive-in, you can pop out for a movie + fresh air on 10 minutes notice — almost more fun than childhood.
studying how “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” was shot (Janusz Kaminski) & directed (Julian Schnabel) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401383
watching a movie directed by a painter from the POV of a speechless paralytic.
there are no accidental ducks on The Sopranos.
producer David Chase has accomplished wonders in the medium of television. but his commentaries on “The Sopranos” always sound depressed.
College Road Trip: 30 seconds in you know — this is a weak and soulless 1/2 hour sitcom stretched to 90 minutes (89.5 minutes too far).
Prince Caspian: battles, darkness, evil witch, benevolent paganism, bowed heads - did i mention battles? - god’s breath, singer-songwriter.