tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1522226996793212132024-03-26T05:04:35.317-04:00China Made My Pants!Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311470972635484335noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-152222699679321213.post-52955939862631016192009-07-05T22:26:00.007-04:002009-07-06T01:17:15.665-04:00A LONG, GLORIOUS EXPOSURE - "Love Exposure" reviewed and my NYAFF wrap-up<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.japansociety.org/resources/legacy/event/uploaded/Love-Exposure_1_450.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 450px; height: 253px;" src="http://www.japansociety.org/resources/legacy/event/uploaded/Love-Exposure_1_450.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" ><br />H</span>oly Maria indeed! My very first New York Asian Film Fest came to a close Friday evening with the epic 4-hour screening of Sion Sono's uber masterpiece on love, faith, fighting, and up-skirt photography, "Love Exposure."<br />It is a breath of super cool fresh air, my friends. A film that will get tongues wagging and eyes bulging for a long time to come, and Twitchfilm.net is once again the place for my review. It plays one more show this Tuesday, July 7th, so if you're in the NYC area, get yer ass to Japan Society in Manhattan! UPDATE - It just won the Grand Jury Prize! HOORAY!<br /><br />Also be sure to check out my coverage on Feng Xiaogang's "If You Are the One" - all time champion of the Chinese box office - as well as full coverage on a host of films by some fine writers and cinephiles. The NYAFF ends today at Japan Society, but a few more Japanese films play under the society's "Japan Cuts" banner until July 12th.<br /><br /><a href="http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/nyaff-09-review-love-exposure#extended">My "Love Exposure" review.</a><br /><a href="http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/nyaff-09-review-if-you-are-the-one/">My "If You Are the One" review.</a><br /><a href="http://twitchfilm.net/site/categories/category/nyaff-09/">Full Twitch coverage on NYAFF 09.</a><br /><a href="http://subwaycinema.com/">NYAFF website</a>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311470972635484335noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-152222699679321213.post-72430983700987034952009-06-21T15:38:00.005-04:002009-07-06T01:15:40.966-04:00Good God! This blog has been (semi) resurrected by the New York Asian Film Festival!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.committedtofilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/nyaff09-02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 285px; height: 134px;" src="http://www.committedtofilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/nyaff09-02.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />H</span></span>ey everybody, and nobody. Back in black (kinda) to shoot some links your way. I'm covering the New York Asian Film Festival for Twitchfilm.net, one of those "idol" sites of mine. It has been a real pleasure and honor to be posting some reviews (and soon interviews) with others from the fest.<br /><br />Below is a general link to all fest coverage and individual links to my reviews so far.<br />But first!<br /><br />The 2009 New York Asian Film Festival runs till July 1st at the IFC Center and then until the 5th over at Japan Society. Their site: <a href="http://subwaycinema.com/">http://subwaycinema.com/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://twitchfilm.net/site/categories/category/nyaff-09/">Full Twitch coverage of the fest</a><br /><a href="http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/nyaff-09-review-written-by/">My "Written By" review</a><br /><a href="http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/nyaff-09-review-high-noon/">My " High Noon" review</a><br /><a href="http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/nyaff-09-review-dream/">My "Dream" review</a><br /><br />There will be more to come!Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311470972635484335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-152222699679321213.post-88736164536462212632009-02-14T02:40:00.006-05:002009-02-14T03:04:41.577-05:00Needle in a Haystack: Choque (Crash)<span style="font-size:85%;"><span><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Needle in a Haystack: a continuing look at low to no budget features, shorts and alternative cinema.</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:180%;" >S</span></span></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >paniard, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1443023/">Nacho Vigalondo</a> made his feature directorial debut with one of my favorites of 2008, the twisted and whimsical time travel via way of Hitchcock </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >Timecrimes . </span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >Nacho, a highly inventive person of film related talent and technique, has a slew of shorts under his belt and today I'm wanting to draw attention to his 10 minute short <span style="font-style: italic;">Choque </span>AKA <span style="font-style: italic;">Crash</span>. A man with an ego ripe for revenge + bumper cars = this little gem. </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qB64ljeQXUo&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qB64ljeQXUo&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span><br /><br /><br /><span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311470972635484335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-152222699679321213.post-41717092571884641272009-01-31T21:16:00.001-05:002009-01-31T23:21:49.863-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Legoz/conezone/revenge.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 475px; height: 312px;" src="http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Legoz/conezone/revenge.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">R</span></span>emakes: They ain't just for genre pictures.<br /><br />Richard Linklater's <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112471/">Before Sunrise</a></span> stars Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as two intelligent young adults who share a night of charged conversation and romance amongst the streets and river walks of Vienna, Austria. It's a film full of realistic optimism and philosophical musings.<br />Would the youth of today go for such a film? The simple answer is, no they would not.<br /><br />Linklater's film came out in 1995, well before the advent of ipods and web 2.0 social networking, and thus it has dated poorly, translating to near complete gibberish in 2009. The sight of this strange world without camera phones and skinny jeans make heads spin in confusion.<br />So the first thing to consider when financing a remake is this... Let's have Levi's, American Apparel and H&M provide the wardrobe for the movie. It's healthy product placement. Don't doubt such a thing.<br /><br />The next thing to consider:<br />We're in an economic downturn and college and European travel are really out of the question for many young people these days. They won't be able to identify with things that promote forward thinking and growth, let along something that uses one's earnings for anything other than itunes downloads, so it is far better (and safer) to set the film in an "everyman's" suburb. Hell we know it'll just be shot somewhere north of LA, so why not just set it in the valley... and have the young adults *ahem* kids work at the mall. There, location problem solved.<br /><br />Now, the young people in question... Hawke and Delpy were 23 when they made the '95 flick; far too old.<br />Though they are getting close to 23 (they wouldn't look it!) let's have <span style="font-style: italic;">High School Musical</span> alumni Zac Efron and Vanesse Hudgens headline this time out. Heck, they're a couple in real life, so the chemistry is already in place...<span style="font-style: italic;"> boom</span>.<br />They can trade hair care tips over playlists and peach smoothies with protein boosts from Jamba Juice.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Side note: Efron is in fact appearing in Linklater's forthcoming <span style="font-style: italic;">Me and Orson Welles</span>!</span><br /><br />You might ask what would keep two fine young wax figures like Efron and Hudgens working in a mall till sunrise... the mall is having some midnight madness salesathon for the kiddies to celebrate the advent of summer break. It could even feature concert appearances by fellow Disney commodities Miley Cyrus and (the) Jonas Brothers, and how about a pesky mall security guard played by ex-husband of Roseanne, Tom Arnold or better yet current U.S. Box Office champ, Kevin James.<br /><br />The one thing I can't figure out is what kind of role facebook and myspace would play... Perhaps after hours of tween safe lusting and surface chatter about polar bears dying out in the arctic, Efron and Hudgens can come to the sensible agreement that it's best to "friend" each other online in six months. Scratch that, six weeks. There, that sounds reasonable.<br /><br />Kenny Ortega get crackin'!Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311470972635484335noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-152222699679321213.post-53129005537824366262009-01-19T18:14:00.002-05:002009-01-19T20:19:54.111-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lXdzzr69Y6M/SXUmnwWmJgI/AAAAAAAAALw/mtZ6dIytNrU/s1600-h/menace2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 390px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lXdzzr69Y6M/SXUmnwWmJgI/AAAAAAAAALw/mtZ6dIytNrU/s400/menace2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293179401480316418" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">T</span></span>oday, for part 2 of our remake feature we're talking about giant ants. Yes... <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047573/"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">THEM!</span></span></a><br /><br />Gordon Douglas'1954 flick is considered to be seminal sci-fi on celluloid and one of the best of the cautionary creature features. The first atomic bomb goes off in the desert of New Mexico and slowly but surely causes the mutation of teensy weensy normal ants into... yes that is right... GIANT ANTS!<br />Your basic parade of police, military and scientist types have to deal with this insect annoyance, tracking down some newly escaped queen ants. And queen ants can fly! The film gets bogged down by some police procedural work and the general talky-ness of the era before getting back to some good ol' fashion ant blasting in the Los Angeles sewers.<br /><br />The film has been a definite influence on Sci-fi/horror cautionary tales over the years, most recently/notably with Joon-ho-Bong's <span style="font-style: italic;">The Host</span>. So why in the world has this not been turned into a big, noisy American remake? Truth be told the title (without question mark) has been used many times over the years, for all sorts of films and TV shows, but alas, no straight up giant ant action in any of them.<br /><br />Mr. Transformers himself, Michael Bay has been circling around a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's <span style="font-style: italic;">The Birds</span> for years now. Not to diss ol' Hitch, but <span style="font-style: italic;">The Birds</span>, while having a few good set pieces, is one of his films that has not held up all too well over the last decades. I could go into details but I won't because the bottom line is this: Mr. Bay stop thinking about those pesky seagulls and canaries and start thinking about giant killer ants in the desert of New Mexico. You've already done giant killer robots (in the desert), so why not go ahead and blow some shit up while angering a whole new slew of geeks. Your general lack of substance and character fits right in with the insect life style.<br /><br />The original's giant ants were vicious to be sure; gnawing chumps with their pincers, shooting acid, general tunneling, burrowing and even Navy ship attacking, but the puppets used ( as amazing as they were at the time) were slow as molasses. Of course we'd CGI these suckers now, and just like the updated zombie, make them super fast, thus twice, thrice, as deadly!<br /><br />This one is such a no brainer, it hurts.Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311470972635484335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-152222699679321213.post-77950492003787401372009-01-14T00:05:00.008-05:002009-01-14T17:12:05.748-05:00Needle in a Haystack: UMFELD<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Legoz/conezone/umfeld.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 296px; height: 176px;" src="http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Legoz/conezone/umfeld.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Needle in a Haystack: a continuing look at low to no budget features, shorts and alternative cinema.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />T</span></span>he movie in question today could be called experimental or avant garde, but please don't let that dissuade you. Musician Jochim Papp and video artist Scott Pagano have joined forces to create an extremly unique scape of sound and image with Umfeld.<br /><br />Sometime early last year I stumbled upon a behind the scenes trailer and was quite intrigued. At that point the movie had not been released. I forgot to make any kind of note of it (besides a mental one) and thus Umfeld slipped away... until...<br />A few weeks back when I read about it again on the Dutch site, <a href="http://www.onderhond.com/blog/onderhond">onderhond</a>. By this time Umfeld had been released both on DVD and as a free legal download online! The trailer is definitly worth a look, if not the hour long film itself, so head on over to <a href="http://www.umfeld.tv/">Umfeld.tv</a> and enjoy!Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311470972635484335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-152222699679321213.post-85495139031313112622009-01-13T01:39:00.020-05:002009-01-13T21:48:23.356-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Legoz/conezone/attack.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 360px; height: 216px;" src="http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Legoz/conezone/attack.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Verdana;" ><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">R</span></span>emake: </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Verdana;" >Possibly the most dreaded word in all of </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Verdana;" >film geek-dom.<br />Or if you prefer, reimagining...</span> <p style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Plenty of people would argue there are no g</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">ood remakes. These</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> people would be misinformed. A majority of people would cite that John Carpenter's 1982 remake of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Thing</span> is superior to the original 1951 version. Another group - myself included - would say Philip Kaufman's<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Invasion of the Body Snatchers</span> is better than Don Siegel's.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">I see it like this...</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Stories have been passed down and retold in some form or another for centuries but only in this past</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> one, the Go</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">liath known as the 20th, have these reformed, redone, remade stories been scrutinized in such a mass way. Or perhaps no</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">t. I don't currently have any newspaper clippings from 1867 or literary journals from 1768 (Were there any</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> lit journals in 1768), or soundbites from the man on the street in 1434 </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Florence</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> from when I traveled back there in my time machine last August.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><o:p></o:p>Now there is good reason for these remake</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">s to be looked down upon because many are unnecessary and awful. Most are also "genre" pictures and hig</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">h concept, which is an interesting little nugget to ponder, but this entry is not supposed to be about the minutia of such things, because that could/would turn into whining an</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">d this is supposed to be fun.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">No, today I present to you the first of a slew of stories that could possibly be remade, adapted or what have you... and have a chance of being just as relevant, just as good, or even better than older versions.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><o:p></o:p>Bold wo</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">rds? maybe... Let's get to it.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055830/"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="font-size:180%;">C</span></span><span style=";font-family:Verdana;font-size:180%;" >ar</span></a><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055830/"><span style="font-size:180%;">nival of Souls</span></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lXdzzr69Y6M/SWw5Nm-vcmI/AAAAAAAAAKw/Bm5UjCQ3OPo/s1600-h/carnivalofsouls.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 289px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lXdzzr69Y6M/SWw5Nm-vcmI/AAAAAAAAAKw/Bm5UjCQ3OPo/s320/carnivalofsouls.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290666568218276450" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:Verdana;font-size:180%;" >H</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">erk H</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">arve</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">y's and John Clifford's 1962 cult classic about a woman who survives a freak drag racing accident, </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">and then is subsequently haunted by a ghoul of a man on h</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">er way to a new job in Utah has in fact already been rem</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">ade... by Wes Craven! Scratch that, it was <span style="font-style: italic;">presented</span> by Craven... Looking at the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120627/plotsummary">plot synopsis</a> provided by the ever reliable IMDb (note sarcasm), thi</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">s 1998 version doesn't even sound remotely like the '62 original, minus the title and a car crashing into a river. Perhaps more similarities would become apparent if I saw the thing, but I have no desire to. Not because it is a remake, but because it looks like plain old garbage.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The Ingmar Bergman and Jean Cocteau inspired surrealism of </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Harvey</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family:Verdana;">'s film is really something special, so why try and repeat that? The picture is in</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> the public domain so it'd be no problem copyright wise to go ahead, and the film's </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">themes of alienation are certainly<o:p></o:p> timeless and possibly more relevant now but...</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lXdzzr69Y6M/SWw8-btd6pI/AAAAAAAAALY/Ti5dJsrmsWw/s1600-h/nyc50s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 207px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lXdzzr69Y6M/SWw8-btd6pI/AAAAAAAAALY/Ti5dJsrmsWw/s400/nyc50s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290670705541507730" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><o:p></o:p> </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">... Let's set our remake in 1950s </span><st1:state><st1:place><span style="font-family:Verdana;">New York</span></st1:place></st1:state><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. A few years before </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Harvey</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family:Verdana;">'s film. Now fans might say this is ridiculous, that much of the original's appeal cam</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">e from the film's use of Saltair, an abandoned open air pavilion and amusement park on the </span><st1:place><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Great Salt Lake</span></st1:place><span style="font-family:Verdana;">. True enough.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Now if we set this in </span><st1:state><st1:place><span style="font-family:Verdana;">New York</span></st1:place></st1:state><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> it might very well mean no carnival either, or drag race... So why even call it a remake? Let's call it a reimagining, then. And I guess we can't call it "C</span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">arnival of Souls"...</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lXdzzr69Y6M/SWxEaPWE27I/AAAAAAAAALg/WJR2XtFq_Ig/s1600-h/nellie2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 113px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lXdzzr69Y6M/SWxEaPWE27I/AAAAAAAAALg/WJR2XtFq_Ig/s400/nellie2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290678879839902642" border="0" /></a></p><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Verdana;" >Candace Hilligoss' Mary Henry was an organist, so<o:p></o:p> let's have our </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Verdana;" >"M</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Verdana;" >a</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Verdana;" >r</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Verdana;" >y</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Verdana;" >"</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Verdana;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Verdana;" >b</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Verdana;" >e a </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Verdana;" >jazz pianist and nightclub singer. Why not go </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Verdana;" >for a wild card in casting, an</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Verdana;" >d</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Verdana;" > c</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Verdana;" >h</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Verdana;" >oose eccentric musi</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Verdana;" >cian Nellie McKay? She talks right out of an old radio sho</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Verdana;" >w </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">and exudes a certain paranoid and schizophrenic whimsy.</span><o:p></o:p></span><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><o:p></o:p>Let's take an atmospheric cue from Alexander Mackendrink's "Sweet Smell of Success." Nothing says bright lights big, bad city quite like this film.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uXULG-UKVq8&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uXULG-UKVq8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><o:p></o:p>But something's still missing... An ethereal, unsettling nature. We've got to capture the suffocating nightmare of the streets; everyday faces are strangers of the strangest kind. Each corner turned is fear incarnate. Alleyways are tunnels into the deepest darkness upon which Mary might never return. But life will go on... amongst this sense of not belonging to this world.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Our nightmare needs to be grounded in a certain reality. For this, let's turn to the example of Hiroshi Teshigahara's self proclaimed "documentary fantasy."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Watch the first part of this clip and then move onto the 2nd:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HyKPjz-kcPc&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HyKPjz-kcPc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pzaBJzSBxqA&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pzaBJzSBxqA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><o:p></o:p>Granted, these are examples steeped in Japanese pathos circa the 60s, but what better national cinema to cite than that of </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Japan</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> when addressing the feeling of not belonging? Well there is </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-family:Verdana;">America</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family:Verdana;">...<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">In sculpting a retelling of <span style="font-style: italic;">Carnival of Souls</span>, it is best to steer clear of modern horror elements such as excessive gore and cheap, jumpy scares. To honor </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Harvey</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family:Verdana;"> and Clifford's original one must focus on the psychological unwinding of a woman who feels increasingly out of place in the world around her.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Stay tuned for next time when we will discuss... <span style="font-style: italic;">THEM!</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">In the meantime, why not comment with your own thoughts or remake ideas. Participation means a happier tomorrow. <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311470972635484335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-152222699679321213.post-28219109819724654002009-01-09T18:14:00.000-05:002009-01-09T20:14:40.227-05:00Needle in a Haystack: DIE SCHNEIDER KRANKHEIT<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I</span></span>f it wasn't for the Toronto based website Twitch I wouldn't know about half the movies I am interested in seeing over the next year and beyond. I have to thank them enormously for all the news, trailers, posters, fest coverage and reviews they bring to the web. They make a tough job look easy and that is golden in my book. So, something else that is golden? The trailer for the sure-to-be-cult short film <span style="font-style: italic;">Die Schneider Krankheit . </span>And guess who is hosting it? Twitch!<br /><br /><a href="http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/a-trailer-for-javier-chillons-very-odd-die-schneider-krankheit#extended">Head on over for some Retro Sci-Fi goodness! <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span></span> </span></a>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311470972635484335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-152222699679321213.post-31497518874737169732008-12-16T14:35:00.003-05:002008-12-16T14:55:14.030-05:00Status of my pantaloons<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Legoz/conezone/lettherightoneinreview.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 351px; height: 172px;" src="http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Legoz/conezone/lettherightoneinreview.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I</span></span> really have no way of gauging if anyone reads this blog. I assume no one does, as I have no comments. And I'm sure if anyone<span style="font-style: italic;"> was</span> reading it they are gone now as I have neglected my duties as a blogger and let this blog fall to the wayside.<br />This is due to my near complete absence from the net during the month of November because of a family matter. Not to sound too dramatic or downtrodden but I am still dealing with said matter and do not have ample computer time or access... SO for the time being, this blog will have to be put on hold.<br /><br />In the mean time, if anyone is reading this, do yourself a favor and see Tomas Alfredson's <span style="font-style: italic;">Let The Right One In</span>. It is my favorite film of the year thus far. Or if it is not playing near you (IE within two hours travel time from your doorstep), why not rent <span style="font-style: italic;">WALL-E,</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">The Visitor</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Transsiberian</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">The Fall?</span>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311470972635484335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-152222699679321213.post-74503391028235928492008-10-30T21:14:00.010-04:002008-11-01T13:58:35.063-04:00Needle in a Haystack: FORGOTTEN PEACE<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lXdzzr69Y6M/SQtVttCgJaI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/C6KFD03RPD4/s1600-h/BabyCarriage.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lXdzzr69Y6M/SQtVttCgJaI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/C6KFD03RPD4/s320/BabyCarriage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263394833185121698" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />T</span></span>he second feature I'll try to keep up will be this one, currently under the monikier "Needle in a Haystack". I'll try to cover low to no budget indie features and shorts that might not get a lot of love other wise.<br />We will see how this works... This could feature trailers, posters, reviews or in the case of a short, the actual film itself. The bottom line: it is about spreading the word. I won't pretend to be the source for finding all these films and will give credit where credit is due. So let's get to it!<br /><br />I'll start with a short film that was made by New Jersey based filmmaker, Michael Casperson. Over the course of a year living in Philadelphia, Mike captured the cultural current of Northern Philly with this short. I think Mike's words speak of it best:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Combining an experimental documentary with narrative storytelling, Forgotten Peace is a harsh and realistic view of society in North Philadelphia. Anger, rebellion, and violence consume many who reside in this troubled area. Seen from the eyes of an outsider, there is an undeniable struggle that exists. Beyond all of the chaos and fear, a hope for peace remains. While it may seem far away, it is buried right in the heart and soul for all those who choose to find it.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=30568450">Forgotten Peace</a><br /><object width="425" height="360"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="movie" value="http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=30568450,t=1,mt=video,searchID=,primarycolor=,secondarycolor="><embed src="http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=30568450,t=1,mt=video,searchID=,primarycolor=,secondarycolor=" allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="360"></embed></object><br /><br />For a series of photographs that accompany the film please visit Mike's <a href="http://www.myspace.com/michaelcasperson">myspace page. </a>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311470972635484335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-152222699679321213.post-82406637393099964092008-10-29T16:26:00.014-04:002008-10-29T18:24:54.100-04:00In the year 2009: 3 to watch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lXdzzr69Y6M/SQjccro-eqI/AAAAAAAAAIY/GTBsJMujt3k/s1600-h/tokyo_sonata_poster.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 231px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lXdzzr69Y6M/SQjccro-eqI/AAAAAAAAAIY/GTBsJMujt3k/s320/tokyo_sonata_poster.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262698549891463842" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I</span></span>t has become apparent (to no one but me) that perhaps a regular feature or two on here might be good, and since there are some exciting and eclectic films from around the world on the new year's horizon, why not feature them here, show a little love. So today I'll talk about three films that are of particular interest to me... and hopefully that interest will extend to you.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">1)</span></span> Winner of the Un Certain Regard award at this year's Cannes festival, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0938341/">Tokyo Sonata</a> is set for a limited release in the U.S. on March 13th through Regent Releasing. I was hoping for the film to make an appearance theatrically this year but it is still making waves at many late year fests. So if you have an opportunity to catch it early, do so.<br />K. Kurosawa, known for his detective and horror films such as <span style="font-style: italic;">Cure</span>, tackles seemingly different material here, as Tokyo Sonata charts the disintegration of a Japanese family after the father loses his job. Though there are no ghosts or serial killers here, the film still appears to be classic K. Kurosawa as it explores themes of emotional detachment and decline in that of the Japanese male.<br /><br />And yes, here is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsRNft84Ks0">the trailer.</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2)</span></span> Austrian director Gotz Spielmann's <span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1173745/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Revanche</span></a> </span>made the festival rounds this past year, and is Austria's official entry in the Foreign Language category at the Oscars.<br />The film, on paper sounds like a typical crime thriller, but through an intimate and isolated rural setting and the collision of different worlds, it looks to be a brooding and meditative piece on the state of revenge and obsession.<br /><br />Check out the masterfully cut trailer at <a href="http://www.revanche.at/">the official site</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">3)</span></span> Erik Poppe's <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0948544/">DeUsynlige</a> currently has no known release dates outside of it's native Norway, but with a possible American remake on the way (shudder) one can only hope that the original will get released, somewhere, somehow next year for more to see.<br />It promises to be a strikingly original Nordic treat, and I do not throw any of those words around lightly (especially Nordic).<br />If you don't believe me just go and explore <a href="http://www.deusynlige.no/">the official website</a> (In Norwegian but easy to navigate).<br /><br />Writing silly plot synopsis and linking is a lot harder than I thought. But when looking at these films I think it is safe to polish off that old saying - "A picture speaks a thousand words."<br />Or rather 24 pictures a second...<br /><br />Nuff' said.Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311470972635484335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-152222699679321213.post-44255423088690980372008-10-28T18:14:00.013-04:002008-10-29T15:57:41.596-04:00Swedish Vampires, Swedish Singers and the Mississippi Delta, OH MY!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lXdzzr69Y6M/SQePJ5cYm7I/AAAAAAAAAE4/kZZmE9DCEzE/s1600-h/ballast_onesheet_sm2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lXdzzr69Y6M/SQePJ5cYm7I/AAAAAAAAAE4/kZZmE9DCEzE/s320/ballast_onesheet_sm2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262332089807182770" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >T</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">hese</span> are the things that occupy my mind at the moment.<br /><br />Swedish Vampires = the film <span style="font-style: italic;">Let The Right One In</span><br /><br />I'll being seeing this soon enough in NYC and can not wait.<br />The film has been getting a lot of attention this year at fests around the globe including Toronto. It is in limited release right now in the states, expanding by a few cities weekly.<br /><br />So the story?<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"> Oskar</span>, a 12 year old who's a regular target for bullies, befriends the new neighbor girl, Eli only to find out that well... she is a vampire. Blood and mayhem sprinkled with awkward adolescent love in the biting cold of the Swedish winter ensue.<br /><br />Check out the trailer <a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/magnolia/lettherightonein/">here</a>.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A</span></span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">pparently</span> the Swedish musician, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Lykke</span> Li is very popular. I had no idea who she was and to be frank when I first heard her I was very torn... Liked a lot of the melodies and instrumentation but wasn't crazy about what she was doing vocally. Since a day has passed I've grown more fond of her voice and debut album <span style="font-style: italic;">Youth Novels</span>. Though sometimes lyrically trite, the songs exude an ethereal, atmospheric chamber pop sound mixed with catchy electronic beats and an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Ennio</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Morricone</span> edge.<br /><br />Take a listen over on her <a href="http://www.myspace.com/lykkeli"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">myspace</span>.</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">N</span></span>ow back to movies. <span style="font-style: italic;">Ballast</span> from director Lance Hammer, won the awards for directing and cinematography at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Sundance</span> this year, was pretty much unanimously cited as the best film of the fest and then found no distributor. Bummer, because the trailer knocked me for a loop.<br />The film centers around a small Mississippi town ship and the aftermath of a suicide.<br />Luckily the filmmakers took matters into their own hands and the film is slowly making its way around the U.S. Check the official website for screening info and to take a gander at that trailer!<a href="http://ballastfilm.com/"> </a><br /><br /><a href="http://ballastfilm.com/">http://ballastfilm.com/</a>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311470972635484335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-152222699679321213.post-69789069474019520962008-10-26T00:56:00.008-04:002008-10-29T15:58:32.628-04:00Movie Review: Bashing (2005)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lXdzzr69Y6M/SQP6WNSp0EI/AAAAAAAAAA8/-vB-KuxwOV8/s1600-h/bashing.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lXdzzr69Y6M/SQP6WNSp0EI/AAAAAAAAAA8/-vB-KuxwOV8/s320/bashing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261324049130836034" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div class="reviewfull" id="full_review_977" style=""><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0456836/">Bashing (2005)</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Director:</span> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0462029/">Masahiro Kobayashi</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cast:</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Fusako Urabe, Nene Otsuka, Ryuzo Tanaka</span><br /><br /><p>An aptly titled film, that is for sure.</p> <p>I humor myself, for what is a heavy, grim film, that leaves your stomach in knots. Almost never has the sound of the phone ringing been so agonizing or the whisper of the cold, ocean air so foreboding.<br /><br />Masahiro Kobayasji's film based on actual events deals with Yuko (Fusako Urabe) a foreign aid worker who is held hostage in Iraq. Upon returning home to Japan she falls into an ostracized position as her friends, her community, her country view her actions as an aid worker, and position as a hostage, shameful and dishonorable. She is put into a media spot light (which is not focused on in the film) harassed daily and loses her job; the repercussions of all this extending the burden to her working class father and step mother (Ryuzo Tanaka, Nene Otsuka). </p> <p>If one isn't familiar with Japanese culture the national attitude can seem so bizarre and frustrating. And when one thinks about that and views the positive reception the film received overseas compared to the negative or rather non existent one it received in Japan, well... one is not surprised and I would assume Kobayashi made this for his nation, wanting them to see their prejudice, but knowing full well they would reject it.<br />It is the power of cinema, the gift of cinema to both criticize and love the country that the film and filmmaker originate from.</p> <p><span style="font-style: italic;">Bashing</span> is also a film which presents the Japanese psyche in a fairly accessible palette to Western culture. The reservations, customs, emotional and psychological compartmentalizing of the Japanese based around their rich history (from centuries of self enforced isolation to postwar) is all here in some way, but make no mistake this is a human story, and the film never uses the characters for some grander social or political statement. This is thanks in large part to Urabe's performance which is so earnest, seemingly one note - dejected, depressed... cold. But she is not. Her fear as she states to her stepmother is becoming cold, shut off, like everyone around her. An infinitely universal feeling and one that Kobayashi, as writer and director, quietly sympathizes with and champions.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311470972635484335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-152222699679321213.post-54191802832390103462008-10-23T12:41:00.005-04:002008-10-23T13:07:25.797-04:00I've been hit in the head with 30 ROCK(s)Well someone did something very wrong, which means it is very, very right...<br /><br />Follow the link below and you'll find the 3rd season premiere of 30 Rock already online (legit on NBC.com) 1 week before its air date.<br /><br />Since Arrested Development left the air waves and Flight of the Conchords is still on hiatus, 30 Rock is the funniest show on TV right now (Sorry Office), so I do suggest you go and enjoy a laugh or two (or 30).<br /><a href="http://www.nbc.com/30_Rock/video/episodes/?vid=780481#vid=780481"><br />Taste the strawberry lip gloss, feel the sweet sting of solid gold nunchucks, find out what imperative means!</a>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311470972635484335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-152222699679321213.post-18028913681205493932008-10-22T17:34:00.001-04:002008-10-29T15:59:58.405-04:00Sound the Trumpets! BLOG START!And action...<br /><br />Hello.<br /><br />So apparently my blog has been created. This is the message that came up on my screen after I entered some random letters and numbers and decided to type some words in some other blank fields.<br />This is what one must do to create a blog. A-mazing.<br /><br />Saying "A-mazing" reminds me of the word maze, which in turn makes me think about Native American's word for corn which is maze isn't it?<br /><br />So that means this whole blog will be about... CORN! Which has ethanol in it right? And then there is corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup and all sorts of other assorted evil corn syrups.<br /><br />I. DON'T. LIKE. CORN. SYRUP.<br /><br />I figure I can say anything I want here since no one will ever read this. EVER!<br /><br />But... I suppose if anyone does stumble on to my little pixel of the interwebs, they'll ask themselves several things -<br /><br />1) How did I get here?<br /><br />2) Why am I here?<br /><br />3) How can I get out of here?<br /><br />And maybe, hopefully, with some luck by my side...<br /><br />4) What is this person, Ben talking about?<br /><br />To answer question 4 (And only question 4!)... I'm not quite sure. Do you like humor? Yes, of course you do, and there could end up being some here. Do you like movies, *ahem* I mean cinema? Probably... Do you like the ramblings of a twenty something on such matters? Probably not, you've probably had your fill by now, especially if you live in LA or NYC or Seattle or some other hipster city.<br /><br />One thing I can promise you is this...<br /><br />Hold on give me a second...<br /><br />Just wait a moment...<br /><br />Okay, fine. I'll get back to you all later.<br /><br />In the mean time, please check out my sister's blurg.<br /><br /><a href="http://erinumstead.blogspot.com/">http://erinumstead.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br /><br />With a Cornish game hen in hand,<br /><br />BenBenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11311470972635484335noreply@blogger.com0