Friday, October 31, 2008
The First Haunting Six Minutes Of Molly Hartley
You can watch the first six or so minutes here.
An Audience With Estonian Animator Priit Pärn
A modest crowd assembled in the upstairs compartment of Cardiff's Dempsey’s to view the work of the Estonian enigma on a Wednesday evening. It kicked off with an introduction showing the type of thing Priit gets up to in Estonia and in the field of work (animation and film). Setting the scene through tales of his background (spanning over 20 years in animation) and the fact that a small percentage of cigarette tax goes towards Culture in Estonia or something like that, by that point I wasn’t really listening.
The first visuals of the night were a mixed bag of all different types of animations lasting approximately 30 minutes of weird and wonderful pieces. Warped, technically wonderfully crafted and much fun due to the bittersweet element of comedy. Mostly warped though, as Pritt Pärn's work is lies somewhere between pornography and poetry, ‘pornoetry’ if you will. Saying this, you instantly recognize this is more surreal than many other animations. It’s an infusion of the surreal that is uncontrollably clamped to dark humour. One of the shorter films included a couple continually bending over backwards for each other whilst reciting some kind of poetry.
The floor was opened up for any questions. Some standard questions are thrown around until the question “What inspires you ?' being one of them. It’s only when Priit hot steps it through his 'Nothing inspires me' response that you fully grasp how out of the ordinary Priit Pärn is. This response left some of the audience confused. Priit seems to be in a ‘Priit Pärn box’ of his own thoughts and has the skills to show them. It’s more about his perceptions, than being inspired.
He refrains from putting messages into his work and focuses more on technical ability, using all human senses instead. Some audience member looked confused by the fact that there was no subtext behind his creations. Without messages, it leaves you with thoughts that are more about the inner workings of his persona, a release of energy for him and things that link to his life. A more therapeutic approach instead of making crass statements in his work he seems to step back and be the wise, experience professional. Knowing his role as just an animator and sticking to it.
Then we are shown his latest 44 minute work A Lifelong Bullet In The Back Of The Head which we see more feelings of the characters due to its sound editing skills. This allows you to get scope of the indescribable, surreal storyline. Then more Questions and Answers took place. “What is your favorite piece?” Priit replied “You have to love all of the work and characters equally so there are no real favorites”. Then, in a private conversation afterwards hinted “The work of ‘1895’ is my favorite”. An interesting man who lit up when being interviewed.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
BRWC Podcasts
Well, think it's done. The BRWC Podcasts are here. You can subscribe to them by clicking here, or going onto your iTunes and searching for us. Subscribe, and tell your film loving friends to do the same.We'll be adding to the podcasts in due course, so watch out.
Sledge & The All-Seeing Eye (The Hardcore Techno Version)
A lovechild of Art Installation and Indie Film, The All-Seeing Eye (The Hardcore Techno Version) by/from Pierre Bismuth and Michel Gondry catches the viewer in a scene of loss, whilst making you think and remember what's left the room, or hasn't.
This film art is an slight follow up to Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. You are inside said movie by having that feeling of having pieces of your memory stolen bit by bit.
On very, very comfy pillows you become slapbang in the action while the visual reveals itself around you in the dark room, where a projector moves across the white and each time it make a rotation, a part of the picture is gone or different.
No digital work has been used to produce this, which amazes me, Miniatures ? A huge hardworking crew ? I have no idea how it has been done. But it has. And I recommend you go see, if you can remember....
At The BFI Southbank Gallery until 23rd November 2008.
The YouTube vid above is the original version by the way.
Is Joaquin Phoenix Quitting Hollywood ?
Is Joaquin Phoenix packing the films in ?
His next is Two Lovers with Gwyneth Paltrow, comes out early next year.
"I want to take this opportunity to give you the exclusive, and to talk a little bit about the fact that this will be my last performance as an actor,"
"I'm not doing films anymore.
"I'm working on my music,"
"I'm done. I've been through that."
He didn't tell us here at BRWC. Sorry.Wednesday, October 29, 2008
22nd Leeds International Film Festival 2008
There are six distinct sections of the festival programme and with each I draw attention to one of the many films to look out for.
Official Selection showcases the work of emerging filmmakers who are constantly pushing cinematic boundaries (Sita Sings the Blues, 2008: Nina Paley).
Cinema Versa is where you will find ground breaking documentaries of which the two principal themes this year are music (Public Enemy: Welcome to the Terror Dome, 2007: Dr Robert Patton-Spruill) and human rights (Chomsky And Co, 2008: Olivier Azam).
KiNETIKA! highlights experimental films which aim to play with our senses and stream of consciousness (Fear Eats The Soul, 1974: Rainer Werner Fassbinder).
Fanomenon, otherwise known as the festival's home of genre cinema, is packed with horror, sci-fi, fantasy and anime. Whether your pleasure is blood and carnage (Tokyo Gore Police, 2008: Yoshihiro Nishimura) or the uncanny (Nightmare Detectives, 2006: Shinya Tsukamoto), the festival will not disappoint. The special horror themed events, named Day Of The Dead and Night Of The Dead are firm festival favourites.
Thought Bubble is a four day event celebrating sequential art with free writing and art based workshops led by industry professionals. Marvel talent spotter C.B. Cebulski will also be attending. For more information visit www.thoughtbubblefestival.com
Finally, new for 2008 is the Short Film City section, which gives viewers a rare chance to enjoy an assortion of unique programming including The Attack Of The Robots From Nebula 5 (Txema Garcia Ibarra). This is a charming and surprisingly playful short film about a loner who insists that the world is about to end but no one believes him. You can catch this film on the 14th of November as part of the Fantasy Shorts - International Competition. I also recommend Pop Art (Amanda Boyle), a short film primarily about the death of Toby's mother and his subsequent friendship with Arthur, a new boy at school who is, in fact, inflatable. This comes under Incommunicado - International Fiction Shorts showing on the 12th and 13th November.
The festival relies upon volunteers and film enthusiasts in order to return to Leeds each year where it never fails to deliver an outstanding array of independent cinema. Tickets start from only £3.50 and you can buy a pass to the entire event for £70. For more information on the films and how to book visit www.leedsfilm.com or call the box office on 01132243801. So get down to Leeds, enjoy the films and show your support.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Bale Is Strange
Christian Bale is set to play another superhero.
He's the number one choice to play Dr. Strange in Marvel's latest comic book adaptation.
Christopher Nolan: More Batman ?
Drag Me To Hell
Sam Raimi's next film is a low-budget horror film called Drag Me To Hell. Here's a still, courtesy to a guy named Tim.
California Schemin'
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Priit Pärn The Third
Part 1 is here.
The sequel in the trilogy.
And here is the final piece of the Priit Pärn interview/upcoming podcast. He concludes by talking about life without his art, teachings, and meeting new people.
And thanks to Dempsey's, Animation@Newport School Of Art, Media & Design, Caroline Parsons, Leonie Sharrock and Walestonia Festival.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Kaufman, Ctrl C & V
The reason I've copied and pasted will make sense some time next week....
In the opening scene of Being John Malkovich, John Cusack is a street puppeteer controlling the interaction of his creations. Spike Jonze may have directed, but the film’s screenwriter, Charlie Kaufman, makes clear from the get-go that he is the master of the enterprise. The screenwriter as auteur. We see that again in Adaptation, also directed by Jonze, but the complex doubling of character is pure Kaufman. The non-linear narrative of Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, in which people can have memories erased from their minds, is Kaufman, not Michel Gondry.
With Synecdoche, New York, Kaufman’s directing debut, he gets away from his usual humor and becomes more serious. It’s not quite Woody Allen doing Ingmar Bergman, but it has the feel of a very old person philosophizing about life and death. Kaufman does it with a Russian-doll-like quality, layers upon layers of actors playing real persons playing actors. It is the story of playwright Caden Cotard (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who suffers from several diseases, and it follows him from middle age to death. After moving from Schenectady to Manhattan, Caden attempts to organize his life issues as one huge theater piece, with New York City itself as a massive stage. An exceptionally difficult film to deconstruct, Synecdoche, New York is dense and powerful, a profound meditation on existence, and the art of existence.
Weinsteins' 2009
The Godfather Dilemma - Ellen
The computer gods have decided to curse her briefly.
Unless you have been living under a dead unicorn for the last month you will be aware that Empire did their “top 500 BEST EVA films list” for the sixth time in four years, and each film mentioned has its own separate cover, (although to be honest they probably made about ten ones which they deemed most popular and just lied about making the rest.)
Anyway last Monday I found myself traipsing from newsagent to newsagent searching for the perfect Empire cover, I went from the corner shop to corporate stationary superstore trying to get my sweaty mitts on the issue I felt best represented my existence
Anyway I brought the Donnie Darko one, but it was a toss up between that and Some Like It Hot. I settled down to read the list, and found myself unsurprised, unamused and unaroused. Of course The Godfather was number one, and of course Indie and that Ark were in there, and of course they had the “Wildcard” that was Fight Club present, and of course it was all predictable so I wondered why the hell they bothered.
The Godfather's placing took me back to a conversation I had had the previous year with a friend who exclaimed “and you call yourself a film buff ?” at me upon hearing I had not seen it. This title of “film buff” was one I had not called myself because I am not a wanker, it was one that had been thrust upon me when it occurred that
a)I had a fuck load of DVDs
b) talked about films a lot
c) watched films a lot
d) whenever anyone said “whats that film with the man and the dog and he has a face ?” I could name it and the man's face.
This is more to do with the fact that I don't like reality all the time and so films which stray far from this are nice, but also because my brain collects useless information and stores it for such an occasion. I have never seen The Godfather, and I have never seen Brief Encounter, Gone With The Wind or the third Star Wars film, but I still feel superior to people who say Garden State was good and that Sofie Coppola is really talented.... So I somehow think that my opinion is superior to others because I have seen a lot of films, rather then all the "right ones."
Going through the list I can clearly see that films such as My Little Eye and Stardust and The Ewok Adventures are not in there, but some of my other favourites rightly are, but can I be someone who posts on this site as though they have a righteous opinion if I have not seen one of the greatest films of all kind ?
So my dilemma is this, should I see this film, or even all three of them in some kind of epic wondrous waste of a day, or should I let my petty morals forbid me from seeing it just to satisfy other people ? Also what if I don’t like it ? I didn’t like Mulholland Drive and that’s some kind of masterpiece apparently….. But I could like it as I liked Goodfellas and that’s a gangster film, but I thought Scarface was rubbish….. I think this is the hardest decision I have ever had to make after deciding whether to have whipped cream on my hot chocolate.
I know I should see it, but I have got to the point where I almost know that I would not be going into it in a subjective manner, like when I saw Juno for the first time. I was told how much I would love it by every publication ever about four years before it was released so I judged it harsher and with more contempt then I would have done without prior knowledge of its existence. To be honest I could have seen it instead of correcting the grammar in this, but if someone could just summarize it for me I could then look knowledgeable at all the dinner parties I never go to. Cheers.
p.s. - I have not seen Apocalypse Now either.
Depp; Riddler Would Be Fun
Indeed it would, can't see it happen though. If Nolan wants The Riddler I feel he would chose a lesser (known) actor to portray the green suited trickster.
Friday, October 24, 2008
El, Orfanato
The OrphanageA transient mixture of mystery, adventure and uncertainty in a place like no other. A place where lost secrets hope to be found. A tale where love is lost. A tale that embodies an enigma, coils itself into another enigma and crawls into a chilling story.
The Orphanage is a well directed piece by Juan Antonio Bayona who managed to find the camera trickery to really set such a dark scene yet allowing the subtle composition of love's connections at the same time. What we get is a great story entwined with your typical horror conventions that are well executed, such as the darkness eerie cave and the mesmerising feel of the house (this is integral to the story). This allows thought provoking focus for the entire feature and makes you think even after it is over. It does this by planting seeds of doubt in your head. Is she going crazy or can she really connect with a bunch of strange looking orphans with a point to prove ?
There is a sharp religious edge within the film. We carefully wince over the fact that there is a spirit word with lost souls to breach. This underlines the ever present question of faith (within the necklace given to Laura) and the presence of a few cheeky crucifix shots. The spiritual ghost-like vibe transmitted through the camera via 'shaky cam' as if we were in amongst the action. Tension was integral to this film. It was created with a great haunting score as if created in another world itself.
The casting is well though of, being fully believable in all roles. Little Roger Prince performed on the money and that little lady was freaky and graphic too. The right scenes contain the certain level of shock value needed to bolster the moving horror.
We have now established it’s a strong film…
…HOWEVER ! You get the impression it may have been watered down to target a US market. By this I mean that the ending is wrapped to quickly and is spelled out for the viewer to the nth degree. It all stuck so well until the last manic 8-10 minutes where it drives home what exactly happened and the escape of guilt the mother has for the adopted son Simon. (She could just get another one easily enough, like a puppy or goldfish…)
A great watch that thrills and excites you making your attention set deep into 'what has happened ?' and 'what is going to happen next ?' To the cinematography to the elegant sets this strong piece will get a reaction making you jump at a whim and keep you interested.
Spanish cinema will be presented to the world very well after both this and the thrilling Pan's Labyrinth, it is the start of a new exciting genre if all works out well. Del Toro styled Mexican revolutiona.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Elliot Grove - The BRWC Interview
Elliot Grove is the founder and director of The Raindance Film Festival which is the UK’s largest independent film festival. He is a very busy man. He has his fingers in a large number of pies.I managed to slot in some time to chat with the pie-fingering film festival founder. Below is the result.
Hi Elliot, thanks for talking to me. Are you all rested now the festival is done and dusted ? I hear it was a quite a success....
One never rests after a festival - even though one's body is screaming for sleep. The festival crossed new ground this year - with attendance up 38% (actually it was up 37.95%) and distributors hounding filmmakers - which is what it is all about: Talent meeting Money in a bull ring with hundreds of screaming film fanatics. And we are already hard at work on the 2009 edition.
It's growing then ? What's the reason for the 37.95% shoot up ? Must be the refreshments ...
Well, it definitely isn't the popcorn ! We really scored a few coups this year that got the whole city buzzing. Having Faye Dunaway here for the screening of Flick certainly here certainly created a stir, then there was Beastie Boy Adam Yauch, rock and roller Les Claypool and Hollywood's Corey Feldman. Stars bring in fans. We also had terrific marketing supplied by Organic.
I think the thing that really keeps people coming back to Raindance are the films - films that everyone this year agreed comprised probably one of the best festival lineups of any festival anywhere.
Faye Dunaway, Beastie Boy Adam, Les Claypool, Corey Feldman - sounds like quite a pop group ! How was Ms. Dunaway ? She is awesome, I loved her in Chinatown, fancied her in Bonnie & Clyde, but didn't enjoy Mommie Dearest. Did she mention Mommie Dearest ?!
She doesn't like talking about Mommie Dearest. She does however, have an amazing knowledge and interest in independent film. When I met her out of the limo, she greeted me by name, and knew all about the fact that we had shown Blair Witch and Memento. She was in Europe to promote Flick, the low budget comedy horror directed by Dave Howard, and to drum up investment for a movie she wants to direct about the life of Maria Callas. She is a real dynamo, has boundless energy, and really knows how the industry works.
We need more people like you and Faye championing films made the indie way. Making a film from nothing is a long hard slog. You must have nuggets of advice to share...
I'm flattered to think of being lumped in with Ms Dunaway, but it there should really be no comparison. Faye Dunaway was one of the hugest stars on the planet. Now she is using her name and past pedigree to create interest in indie projects. Which is an interesting lesson for filmmakers to learn from: get the right project, and get someone like a Faye Dunaway attached to it, and then the finance and sales should, in theory, be far easier to attract.
My basic learning after all these years at Raindance, is to find a great script. Without a great script, filmmakers waste every single minute of their time, and every single penny of their investors money.
Hear, hear. A film without a script doesn't make sense to me. There's a number of films around at the moment with bad scripts. They're easily forgettable though. What films have stayed with you since you first saw them ? Obviously Superman 2 is on everyone's list...
Independent cinema thrives because of the passionate stories the individual filmmakers tell. And independent filmmakers can tell stories that are often forbidden by the financiers and business people who dominate Hollywood. When a film succeeds, it is because it has a story.
The films we screen at Raindance share one thing in common: they all have a story to tell, and because Raindance is a film festival that is truly independent, we are able to screen films that court controversy and push boundaries making the films we screen unlike the typical fare seen at most other festivals.
Of the recent British films I have seen, the ones with story, and with style and imagination are: Somers Town, Hunger and Man On Wire.
Your passion for quality well written, indies is evident and we applaud you and your team for producing such a fantastic festival. But you must go home after a hard day and relax in front of some guilty pleasures?! Would you like you divulge any titles !?
Believe it or not, when I get home, usually late, I don't want to use my eyes for anything else. I use my ears to listen to music - and I have eclectic tastes - anything lyrical.
As for my favourite movie of all time, it is Lassie Comes Home.
Can't beat a bit of Roddy McDowall. Isn't Liz Taylor in it too ? What music are you listening to at the moment, and how important is music in independent film ? I feel a decent soundtrack can lift a film. And we can hear a song that takes us back to a scene in a film straight away.
Exactly. Take Stuck In The Middle With You in Reservoir Dogs.
I guess the Raindance soundtrack that still sticks in the memory is Once, which screened last year. And hey! One of the songs: Falling Slowly, won the Oscar!
Once is a wonderful film. It must make you feel great when an indie crosses over. Or don't you think about that ? Would you want more indies showing alongside Saw VII or Last Year Of Uni Musical or whatever ?
It's an indie film festival director's wet dream that ALL of Raindance's movies would play in a multi-plex, and that the general public would share my enthusiasm for these movies, making Hollywood's fare seem boring and pointless by comparison.
Which is not to say that Hollywood films are crap. I think when Hollywood films excel, they are amazing.
Cheers Mr. Grove.
http://www.raindance.co.uk
It's A Dog's Life
Gillie and Rob: it's love
Rob Marshall, the director of Chicago, Memoirs
Of A Geisha etc, is currently in the UK shooting
his new movie Nine. He has a dog called Gillie,
who he adores. Rob was due to fly to the UK on
British Airways but BA refused to allow
Gillie to sit in First Class with Rob.
So Rob got a private jet for him and Gillie to
fly on. Gillie even went on the Crew List to make
sure there weren't any problems.
MMF Needs Your Help ...
MMF are trying to raise awareness of maternal mortality rates in developing countries through our feature documentary ANGEL DUST. A woman dies every minute in pregnancy or childbirth, often for the lack of a 60 pence dose of Magnesium Sulphate.
The film follows the work of neonatal nurse Angela Gorman, whose charity struggles to deliver basic life-saving drugs to African hospitals. Angela is doing a fantastic job and has prevented at least 3,000 deaths already. With your help she can do better, a lot better…. Read more here
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Friday The 13th - Remake Trailer
Sandwiching this bit of text is both the new trailer for the Friday The 13th remake which was shown on The Scream Awards last night, and the San Diego ComicCon footage. Enjoy.
Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen Spoilers
SPOILERS AHEAD:
Arcee doesn't die in the movie, she just doesn't show up until later on, and spends much of her time as a robot.
The movie was not shot in sequence, everyone seems to think that the stuff being shot now is the end of the movie ... Only Bay knows for sure !
Only one character combines with another Autobot to make a bigger robot ...
The Constructicon is 9 vehicles together but will only make a brief appearance.
Scorponok is back in force, and he swims down and uses his internal "spark" to refire ONE of the Decepticons ... Who, Im not tellin' ...
Hmmmm .......
Priit Pärn; Part Two
Here is part two of the three-parter (the sound could be better).
Here he chats about reading (not Reading), filmmakers and films in general, and drawing.
Again, thank you to Dempsey's, Animation@Newport School Of Art, Media & Design, Caroline Parsons, Leonie Sharrock and Walestonia Festival.
Enjoy, and share.
Soon to be a podcast (we think).
Saw V Photos Galore
What a great Wednesday evening so far. First I find a £1 coin (used to buy a ticket for tonight's lottery), Liverpool are 1-0 up and now more Saw V pics have appeared.One is above. What is going on here ? The rest ...
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Heath Ledger In The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus
Blagged from the awesome film ick here is a picture of Heath Ledger in Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus. Click on it, and it will become bigger before your very eyes.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Priit Pärn Talks To BRWC - 1/3
BRWC grabbed his arm and threw questions at him. Above is the first of a three-parter and we apologise for some sound issues. We will get better. We're trying to make these (and other bits) available as podcasts for your enjoyment. Any help regarding this would be very much appreciated.
In this part Priit talks about the importance of humour in his work, views on advice and his mobile phone ringtone.
With thanks to Dempsey's, Animation@Newport School Of Art, Media & Design, Caroline Parsons, Leonie Sharrock and Walestonia Festival.
Enjoy.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Bits & Pieces - Click On The Red Edition
It's "the surprise of a lifetime" says Terrence Howard.
Would have thought sequels are for wimps.
Nice little waste of time on Radar.
Mrs. Doubtfire sues.
We Have A Winner
We have a winner...They have won all this -
Freddy Got Fingered on VHS
Basic Instinct Novel Book Thing
Cineworld Yo-Yo
Massive The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor Kite
Tropic Thunder Dog Tag Bottle Opener
The winner is .....
LISETTE from Houston, Texas
Well done to you Lisette.
The prizes are winging their way to you as we speak.
The answer to the question was Jeff Goldblum (one of the party guests on the telephone) by the way.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Pandorum Photos
Laura has emailed me this -
"Entertainment Weekly has revealed two photos from Christian Alvart's Pandorum. They feature leading men Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster as space travelers who awaken aboard their vessel with hazy memories of what their mission is.
As they try to piece things together, they discover they are not alone, and the ship's new inhabitants - tribal warriors carrying crudely made weapons - are moving among them, intent on killing all aboard."
Thanks Laura.
Star Trek Gallery
I was never a fan of Star Trek series, or the films (although I kinda did like The Wrath Of Khan). News of the new Trekflick is flying in, and Cinematical have a great gallery of pics. It's all intriguing me, and yes, I think I will go and see Star Trek when it hits us here in the UK.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Improve Your Sex Drive In Ten Minutes
The first ten minutes or so of Sex Drive. Has a American Pie feel to it.
Masters Of The Universe - Nope
The Fourth Bourne Movie
More about it here.
Vote Obama...Or McCain
Nice ickle gallery showing some cinematic heads of state who are a little different from the candidates appearing on the news.There are 12. Above is me favourite.
Mark Wahlberg Is Indeed Max Payne
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Received this in me inbox a few moments ago. I really hope you're able to click on the links on the poster. If not I suggest you click here to view the Max Payne graphic novel.
I never find films sourced from computer games any good. Unless you know of any good ones.
Fingers crossed for a Zelda trilogy.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Jim Henson Company To Make Murder Film
Brian Henson, who directed Muppet Treasure Island and A Muppet Christmas Carol, is set to helm this movie, which will use both human actors and puppets to tell the story of a puppet detective investigating several slayings concerning the Happytime Gang, the cast of a popular children's show.
Catchphrase: The Movie ?
Talking to Heart on the red carpet at the film's premiere at the London Film Festival last night he's going to use the tactic whenever he's offered a role from now on.
Michael revealed: “I am no longer interested in the script, of how good the character is, it’s all about whether of not the character has his own catch phrase.”
Second Seven Pounds Trailer
Here.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Vertigo On DVD
Repackaged under Universal's Legacy Series label (along with two other late-period Hitchcock masterpieces, "Psycho" and "Rear Window"), this double-disc reissue of "Vertigo" doesn't improve much on the 1998 collector's edition in terms of extras. But bonuses are precisely that, when set alongside the meticulous restoration undertaken years ago by preservationists Robert A. Harris and James C. Katz: Restored version remains a wonder to behold, heightening the dizzying, obsessive quality of every color, angle and frame in Hitchcock's peerless study of romantic obsession, and rendering each note of Bernard Herrmann's dreamlike score with freshly menacing clarity.
Now recognized the world over as Alfred Hitchcock's greatest achievement, "Vertigo" was unenthusiastically received in 1958, for reasons that are still understandable today: Critics and audiences trying to follow the film as a straight detective story were put off by its long, silent stretches, gaping implausibilities and bold indifference to the mechanics of suspense-thriller plotting (the decision to give the game away at the two-thirds mark, considered a folly at the time, now reveals itself as the director's masterstroke).
Neither as flawlessly constructed as 1954's "Rear Window," nor as sublimely effervescent as its 1959 successor, "North by Northwest," "Vertigo" is something far richer and more troubling: a psychological thriller that unspools with the maddening digressions and hypnotic urgency of a nightmare, and the closest thing to a confession on film Hitchcock ever made.
James Stewart's doomed quest to remake Kim Novak's Judy in the image of his dead lover finds its cruel thematic counterpart in the helmer's own control-freak approach to his perfectly coiffed leading ladies, from Grace Kelly to Tippi Hedren. Yet even without this well-documented subtext, "Vertigo" is indelibly haunting. Obsession is not merely its subject, but its method: In no other Hitchcock film do individual hues, images and motifs take up such permanent residence in your subconscious.
Indeed, it takes a certain degree of fetishism to compile, and appreciate, a film's wealth of trivia and archival materials, especially when that film is "Vertigo." A new feature here is the nearly hourlong docu "Partners in Crime," which highlights in detail the incalculable contributions made by four of Hitchcock's longtime collaborators: Herrmann, title designer Saul Bass, costume designer Edith Head and his wife, Alma.
An audio snippet from Hitchcock's celebrated interviews with director Francois Truffaut allows the former to discuss "Vertigo's" erotic undercurrents with droll frankness. Another fun inclusion is 1955 episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" titled "The Case of Mr. Pelham," which deals in similar doppelgangers-and-madness territory.
Carryovers from the 1998 DVD include "Obsessed With 'Vertigo': New Life for Alfred Hitchcock's Masterpiece," which covers the making of the original film as well as the restoration; the execrable alternate ending Hitchcock was forced to shoot at the behest of foreign censors; and a meandering commentary track with Harris, Katz, associate producer Herbert Coleman and others involved with the film.
A superior commentary by director William Friedkin, who sharply analyzes the film in a critical and historical framework, makes a welcome addition to this welcome re-release.
Marion Ravenwood Chat
Allen: I don't even know how to answer that question because I think it's like all of the above. To have an opportunity to work with Steven and Harrison and George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall again was just too wonderful. As these rumors kind of persisted over the years and there were these hints that kept getting dropped that they were trying to do another film and yes, maybe they wanted my character to come back into the story - I'd hear that and then I wouldn't hear anything for a long time. I never heard it from anyone…At one point when they released the four DVD packages of the film which I think was four or five years ago, the way that they decided to do it was to get Kate Capshaw, myself and Alison Doody together out here in L.A. and do it as the women of the "Indiana Jones" series. We were going to promote the DVDs. Frank was there and Harrison stopped by and we were kidding around with them: "Is there going to be another one and if so who's going to be in it?" Frank was like "I'm not saying anything - wink, wink, wink." So I never really knew what their plans were or how it would turn out, and I think that when Steven called me to tell me that they had written me into the character and that it was not just a cameo, but that they'd really written me a major in the story I think that my first feeling was like, "I'm there!" Then I think it was a couple of weeks before I was going to get a chance to read the script and then a little bit, although with Steven and George and Harrison - it's not that you worry whether or not it's going to be good. You know it's going to be good. They spent however many years trying to get a script that they were all happy with and Steven sounded very, very happy about the outcome of the script when I talked to him. So I knew it would be a wonderful script. But I think there's that sort of thing where you feel a little self-protective about your character so there's a bit of trepidation, like, "Ugh, what if I read it and I don't like what they've done with my character?" I think there was a little of a concern that I would be disappointed or that I might not the decisions they had made for where she goes from there. When I sat down to read the script all of that just fell away from the moment that she came into the story and when I saw where it was going and what they had done. I was just so knocked out by it. Then when we got to the end of the story and I saw that they had Indy and Marion get married I was crying. I was really just so touched. I thought "Oh, my God, this is really very special. They've really decided to bring these characters together in a major way. They really allowed them to fall in love with each other."
Above is a Q and an A swiped from an interview with the always lovely (and underused) Karen Allen.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Raindance - The Awards & Winners
UK FEATURE
*The Blue Tower
Dummy
Flick
Senseless
Zebra Crossings
UK SHORT * sponsored by Delta Airlines
Broken
Like Other People Do
Ottica Zero
Player
*Red Sands
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
*Estomago [Brazil]
Fine, Totally Fine [Japan]
Goliath [USA]
The Tour [Serbia]
Watch Out [USA]
INTERNATIONAL SHORT
*A Juicy Turkey [France]
Little Minx Exquisite Corpse: Cara [USA]
Small Collection [USA]
The Tournament [Italy]
Trouble Sens [France]
DEBUT FEATURE
No Through Road [Australia]
*Production Office [Canada]
PVC-1 [Colombia]
The Rind [Uruguay]
This World of Ours [Japan]
Who is KK Downey? [Canada]
DOCUMENTARY
Agile, Mobile, Hostile [USA]
*Indestructible [USA]
Today, The Same Day Is Different [Spain]
Wings of Defeat [Japan]
Wild Blue Yonder [USA]
AUDIENCE AWARD [FEATURE]
*Zebra Crossings
DAILYMOTION SHORT CIRCUIT AWARD
*The Driving Test
Graffiti
The Wind of Change
SAE DIGITAL SHORT FILM AWARD
Alfie Is Go [USA],
The Eye [Argentina],
Fight [UK],
Mime and Punishment [USA],
Letter to Colleen [USA].
FILM OF THE FESTIVAL [SHORT] * Sponsored by the Independent Film Trust
The winner will make next year's cinema advert.
*Red Sands......"