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Criterion Chronicles 4

Ah, Fellini! I wish I could give him a big ol' smooch! No one can do la dolce vita like Federico.

From The Criterion Collection: Amarcord:

In this carnivalesque portrait of provincial Italy during the Fascist period, Fellini satirizes his youth and turns daily life into a circus of rituals, sensations and emotions. Adolescent desires, male fantasies, and political repartee are set to Nina Rotas music in this beautiful transfer of Amarcord.

Mr. Busch says:

Well here I was SO excited that our latest film in the series was from 1974 after all these ancient ones, and the damn thing is set in the '30's! This is one crazy movie with a whole lot of hollerin'. Part of the time I felt like I was in Farrelly country with all the bodily fluids, flatulence, and low humor (which to my delicate sensibilities bordered on the offensive; for instance, one of the first lines is a man shouting at the town whore, who is clearly mentally disabled, "I bet you even dip a cock in your morning coffee!" John Waters would be proud.) Don't get me wrong, I realize that this is a grand satire of everything from fascism to prostitution masquerading as a coming-of-age flick. The sets, costumes, and scenery are alternately bleak and breathtaking as we are taken on a guided tour by several narrators through a year in the life of an Italian town loosely based on Fellini's home. Truly stunning scenes of ritual are strung along from episode to episode - you're bound to be amazed and charmed by some and disturbed by or, like me, indifferent to others. The film is all about the characters, though, and I dare anyone with a beating heart not to love the town's patron saint, Gradisca. But can we please get a Criterion movie with no soldiers for once?!

There are no special features except a restoration comparison, which was kind of funny because this film seemed to be in much worse shape than the ones that we have watched that were decades older. No commentary, trailers, or other info - kind of surprising for Criterion. I'm so glad though that I finally know why the "Amarcord" logo has those huge breasts resting in it. You will be, too.

Jen says:

My god, this movie is NUTS. I guess a master like Fellini can do away with plot, but he seems to be a little TOO in love with these (admittedly) loveable characters. The movie begins and ends, in true Fellini style, with giant set-pieces: a town bonfire and a wedding. He's great at setting up characters within crowds and making you feel like a participant in the festivities. Life to him really IS a parade. What I love about Fellini is his ablity to adore each person for the very veriness that makes them them. I kept singing an old Adam Ant song to myself: "Every girl is a something girl...she's got some THING."

It was nice, after all these early films, to see some camera movement. Fellini carefully chooses his moments to move the camera, and he does so with mastery. He's consistently astonishing at framing, but when he moves the camera, with its shifting foreground and background.....well, it's just lovely.

But I confess that all the masturbation scenes made me realize that not only is Fellini reminiscing about his youth and commenting on the self-proud nature of fascism -- this movie itself is an act of masturbation (of course, one could argue that every movie is). All apologies, but give me "8 1/2" or "La Strada".

Next up: The 400 Blows!

Today's Links:

Don't know what that is? I didn't either, but now I want one.

I love love LOVE photowalls (is that what they're called - entire walls covered in a picture?). Now you can make your own out of any picture with Rasterbator. Yes, that's Rasterbator. Get your mind out of the gutter.

"I find it very hot when a girl is not afraid to get loud. You shouldn't be afraid to moan, yell or grunt."

Oh we're not afraid to get loud, boys. We're just rarely inspired to.

Eurotrash's editorial comments on Cosmo's recent guide to What Men Want: Eurotrash : Upsaid journal

Magnum in May

I love photography. I love paintings too, but I am much more comfortable approaching photographs. With paintings, I always feel like there's something I don't know -- I feel separated from them by a wedge of intimidation. Plus there's something about the documentary impulse of photography that makes it even more poignant - like, this is the world, look how magic.

It's a big month here in New York for picture fans. From Magnum in May:

"MAGNUM IN MAY is a photographic and cultural event taking place throughout New York City in May 2004. Twenty-one museums, galleries and cultural institutions will be participating, mounting exhibitions of work by Magnum photographers."

For example, the Howard Greenberg Gallery is featuring the work of my man, HCB! (who?):

AND my man, BD! (Bruce Davidson, who took the most evocative subway
shots ever):

Criterion Chronicles 3

3 down, 244 to go! Yes, ladies and gentleman, it's time once again for The Criterion Chronicles.

From The Criterion Collection: The Lady Vanishes:

In this best-loved of Hitchcocks British-made thrillers, a young woman on a train meets a charming old lady (Dame May Whitty), who promptly disappears. The other passengers deny ever having seen her, leading the young woman to suspect a conspiracy. When she begins investigating, she is drawn into a complex web of mystery and high adventure.

Mr. Busch says:

I loved this movie. Ol' Hitch had me from the beginning with the long tracking shot through a model village (forecasting fake sets to come as late as "Marnie") and the lovely, silent-filmish opening scene that lulls the viewer into the first of many false senses of security before a cacophonous burst interrupts the revelry. The film starts out as sheer comedy, but we are soon in familiar Hitchcock territory, complete with glamorous leading ladies, extreme violence, and of course the requisite cameo. Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave sparkle as the romantic leads, and the story of the vanishing lady is entertaining to the end.

We are back to 1938 and once again are shown a restoration comparison with amazing examples of the "7,000 blemishes" that were removed by Criterion to supply the best image quality. Also included is another film historian's informative commentary. But my favorite "special feature" is one that every CC film has: when you put the dvd into your player, you are not subjected to an FBI warning, coming attractions, or a studio masthead - only the (eventually in the series very inventive) Criterion menu itself.

Jen says:

Who else but Hitchcock could successfully pull off not only an endlessly fresh suspense film but also a crackling romantic comedy that perhaps some people would be well advised to study?

While it has what I consider to be an EXTREMELY long exposition, the film soon goes full steam ahead (train pun intended), and Hitchcock kept me guessing about the true nature of the mystery. What I admire here is that the characters are smart. Unlike many contemporary thrillers, you do not spot the twists a mile away and have to wait for the action to catch up with you. The plot's always one step ahead of you. In addition, there's a great fight scene involving 3 rabbits, some doves, and a calf.

When violence finally does erupt, it seems rightfully shocking since you've been so pleasantly amused all along. "The Lady Vanishes" is more than just simple entertainment - there's some subtle political criticism and lots of poking fun at stereotypes. If this fim is good enough for Truffaut (who often saw it twice a week), it's good enough for me!

As great as the past three movies have been, Mr. Busch and I agree that we're excited for the amazing technological breakthrough featured in the next movie, "Amarcord": COLOR!

Things I Love/Things I Hate v. 8

Things I Love:

also:
dogs sneezing

Things I Hate:

When someone responds to a tale of woe by saying, "It's all good". You know what? It's not ALL good ALL the time. I don't know - somehow this expression seems to have come into vogue and methinks the speaker wants to lend himself a casual, easygoing air, when really it just reveals a reluctance to attempt to empathize or even consider the travails of another human for even just a moment. "It's all good" is a sure sign that all is not good.

Criterion Chronicles 2

I bet you thought I was gone for good, but guess what jarelle - you thought WRONG! Like James Bond, I am back and better than ever before! What took so long? Well, there was a lot of drinking and a weekend away, but mainly what took so long was my resistance to watching "The Seven Samurai" - movie 2 in the Criterion Collection. I should not have dallied so - "The Seven Samurai" was a TKO (that's Technical Knockout for those who box not, and henceforth my highest movie rating).

And now, with no further ado, Mr. Busch and I humbly present Kurosawa's masterpiece, "The Seven Samurai":

from the Criterion Collection: Seven Samurai site:
A desperate village hires seven samurai to protect it from marauders in this crown jewel of Japanese cinema. No other film so seamlessly weaves philosophy and entertainment, delicate human emotions and relentless action. Featuring Japans legendary star, the great Toshiro Mifune, Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai is an inspired epic a triumph of art, and an unforgettable three-hour ride.

Mr. Busch says:
The second installment in the Criterion Chronicles finds us jumping from 1938 to 1954, and we have traveled leaps and bounds: Kurosawa's style feels exponentially warm and contemporary after Renoir's mannered Grand Illusion; the atmosphere approaches light-heartedness in its depiction of human suffering, honor, and pettiness. The samurais seem modern and convivial yet perfectly at home in 16th century Japan, and this greatly adds to the film's appeal. (Speaking of modern, I couldn't help but notice that the swashbuckling lead actor, Toshiro Mifune, spends a helluva lot of time in a thong - especially while doing battle! Hot!) The graphic titles and booming soundtrack add to the grandeur. Clearly this film laid the groundwork for Hollywood action films forevermore, yet it comes with the depth you expect from a master of Japanese cinema and a wonderful not-so-Hollywood ending.

Criterion supplies us with a hoity-toity commentary track by a Japanese film scholar that explains every camera shot - actually pretty cool. And the original trailer is quite brilliant and features new footage. But my favorite Criterion element was the subtitle translation - that thong-wearing hottie actually says "Sheeyit" several times! [Hard-core Criterion collectors take note: a restoration demonstration is included on the first printing only; my rental from Netflix didn't have it.]

Jen says:
What's so special about this movie is the kinetic narrative development, the archetypal characters, the humor, the cinemtogaraphy - sheesh, everything. Here's a movie that really does have it all - it's a buddy movie, a war epic, a romantic comedy, an historical drama - and it just never lets up. It's amazing anyone had the courage to make a movie after this. I was totally floored by Kurosawa's mastery of every element, and it's easy to see why the movie has informed every film from "The Magnificent Seven" to "The Wizard of Oz" to "Star Wars". I'm even CERTAIN that Johnny Depp based his character in "Pirates of the Carribean" on Toshiro Mifune in this movie. CERTAIN.

I mean, come on. (By the way, doing an image search for Johnny Depp was the most fun I've had in a while.) Anyway, it was interesting to note the similarities between "Seven Samurai" and "Grand Illusion" (last week's film). They both tackle the division between social classes and the expectations/limitations imposed on you depending on your caste. But due to my limited attention span, I have to admit I liked "The Seven Samurai" considerably more, thanks to the brilliant construction of the scenes and the momentum of the story. I also back Mr. Busch up in saying that the commentary adds much to the appreciation of this watershed film. Arrigato!