Baby Driver
Billed as the best heist/getaway movie since.... well name any one from the past 25 years and that's the reception being given Edgar Wright's latest adenalized feature, "Baby Driver". It's also a musical, of sorts, combining an impressive swath of pop/rock/hip hop and classical tunes against a violent narrative of bank robbers and lonely getaway drivers in the concrete jungle of Atlanta. It's still not a very good movie, despite all those things just mentioned. Any pleasures to be gained from Wright's finger snap editing of image and musical notes is overwhelmingly drowned out by monotone characters, cheap diversions of the crime genre and a sadistically overwrought final third.
Endless Poetry
A singular vision from a singular filmmaker like Jodorowsky. Full review on Dallas Film Now.
The Little Hours
Written and directed by Jeff Baena, The Little Hours owes much to the comedy of Monty Python or the sanctimonious subversion of Luis Bunuel and Pasolini. Loosely based on a couple of stories from “The Decameron,” it doesn’t make much sense to try and make literal connections. The film is its own beast. Deftly paced and breathlessly acted by all involved (especially a late appearance by Fred Armisen that had me in stitches), it’s a film that understands its purpose of fully formed characters and well designed situational laughs.Full thoughts at Dallas Film Now.
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Thursday, July 06, 2017
If I Programmed a Film Festival #5
Haven't done one of these in quite a while. The mood has struck.
The Itsamadmadblog Film Festival, July 2017 edition
Day 1
Opening Night Premier: "A Ghost Story" (2017), directed by Texas native David Lowery
Regional Filmmaking Feature: "Bomb City" (2017), directed by Jameson Brooks
The Auteur Series, Japanese Master edition featuring Yoshitaro Nomura: "Castle of Sand" (1974)
Midnight Madness feature: "Family Portraits" (2003), directed by Douglas Buck
Day 2
Quasi science fiction from Europe series: "Deathwatch" (1980), directed by Bertrand Tavernier
Premiers day:
"Wind River" (2017), directed by Taylor Sheridan
"GoodTime" (2017), directed by the Safdie Brothers
"You Were Never Really Here" (2017), directed by Lynn Ramsey
Regional Filmmaking feature: "A Teacher" (2013), directed by Hannah Fidell
The Auteur Series, Japanese Master edition featuring Yoshitaro Nomura: "Writthing Tongue" (1982)
Quasi science fiction from Europe series: "Until the End of the World" (1991), by Wim Wenders
Midnight Madness: "Inside" (2007), directed by Julian Maury and Alexandro Bustillo
Day 3
The Auteur Series, Japanese Master edition featuring Yoshitaro Nomura: "Village of 8 Gravestones"
"In the Fade" (2017), directed by Fatih Akin
Quasi science fiction from Europe series: "France, Inc" (1973), directed by Alain Corneau
The Auteur Series, Japanese Master edition featuring Yoshitaro Nomura: "The Incident" (1978)
Quasi science fiction from Europe series: "On the Silver Globe" (1988), restored edition directed by Andrzej Zulawski
"Call Me By Your Name" (2017), directed by Luca Guadagnino
"Radiance" (2017), directed by Naomi Kawase
Closing Night Film: 70 MM presentation of "Dunkirk" (2017) with Christopher Nolan in attendance
The Itsamadmadblog Film Festival, July 2017 edition
Day 1
Opening Night Premier: "A Ghost Story" (2017), directed by Texas native David Lowery
Regional Filmmaking Feature: "Bomb City" (2017), directed by Jameson Brooks
The Auteur Series, Japanese Master edition featuring Yoshitaro Nomura: "Castle of Sand" (1974)
Midnight Madness feature: "Family Portraits" (2003), directed by Douglas Buck
Day 2
Quasi science fiction from Europe series: "Deathwatch" (1980), directed by Bertrand Tavernier
Premiers day:
"Wind River" (2017), directed by Taylor Sheridan
"GoodTime" (2017), directed by the Safdie Brothers
"You Were Never Really Here" (2017), directed by Lynn Ramsey
Regional Filmmaking feature: "A Teacher" (2013), directed by Hannah Fidell
The Auteur Series, Japanese Master edition featuring Yoshitaro Nomura: "Writthing Tongue" (1982)
Quasi science fiction from Europe series: "Until the End of the World" (1991), by Wim Wenders
Midnight Madness: "Inside" (2007), directed by Julian Maury and Alexandro Bustillo
Day 3
The Auteur Series, Japanese Master edition featuring Yoshitaro Nomura: "Village of 8 Gravestones"
"In the Fade" (2017), directed by Fatih Akin
Quasi science fiction from Europe series: "France, Inc" (1973), directed by Alain Corneau
The Auteur Series, Japanese Master edition featuring Yoshitaro Nomura: "The Incident" (1978)
Quasi science fiction from Europe series: "On the Silver Globe" (1988), restored edition directed by Andrzej Zulawski
"Call Me By Your Name" (2017), directed by Luca Guadagnino
"Radiance" (2017), directed by Naomi Kawase
Closing Night Film: 70 MM presentation of "Dunkirk" (2017) with Christopher Nolan in attendance
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