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See This Film: Inferno (1964/2009)

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 17:38:00 -0400

Inferno (L’enfer) is auteur Henri-Georges Clouzot’s unfinished masterpiece. A film though incomplete, may well be one of the most inspired and avant garde films of it’s time. Clouzot wanted to make a film about a husband’s jealousy and how it consumes his thoughts and sense of reality. The new documentary Inferno compiles lost footage, reenactments and candid interviews from crew members to tell the story of it’s disastrous and ill fated production and the undoing of it’s obsessed director.

It’s an interesting and at times funny look behind the scenes of film making; But the true beauty lies in the reels upon reels of test footage, part of which may have been the nail in the coffin for the film. Clouzot uses innovative camera tricks, makeup, color theory and lighting to create extraordinary imagery that will blow you away. If you’re a fan of color, cinematography or film making in general you must see this film. I dare you not to fall in love with Romy Schneider. See why in the clip below.

Inferno is playing at IFC center through Thursday 8/5. Don’t miss it and get there early, the theater is tiny…

Extrait 3 L’Enfer d’Henri-Georges Clouzot
Uploaded by toutlecine. - Check out other Film & TV videos.

BONUS: L'eclisse (1962)

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 23:32:40 -0400

The Honeymoon Killers (1970): I'm A Flirt.

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:44:00 -0400

There are five little words that will always give me more incentive to see a film. That’s it, just five. No, not “Nachos are on the house!”(Though that would work too) but Based on a True Story. Why? Because truth is stranger than fiction and usually makes for an entertaining or disturbing movie.In The Honeymoon Killers, Martha is a lonely and overweight nurse caring for her elderly mother. When her meddling friend signs her up for pre-facebook network called Aunt Carrie’s Friendship Club and she receives a response from Ray, a Casanova con man from New York. The two go from a sappy love letter correspondence to buying a quaint little love nest in Long Island to burying a woman in their basement.

The Honeymoon Killers is loosely based on the story of the “ Lonely Hearts Killers”, a couple that together are believed to have killed twenty women in the late 1940’s. Though the film was billed as exploitation at the time, director of photography Oliver Wood care in his compositions and use of subtle lighting elevates the film and illuminates his subjects. It doesn’t fill itself with gore or the sensationalism of their crimes and instead focuses on the codependent and unhealthy relationship between Martha and Ray. Martha is especially fascinating, her rounded face full of banana freckles, a smudge of kohl eyeliner across her lids, and a fiery and unpredictable temper. The Honeymoon Killers is a perfect slow burner and way better than any dramatically narrated episode of Dateline that you’ve seen.

Factoid: This film was originally to be directed by Martin Scorcese but he was fired for working too slowly.

BONUS: Dos Pistolas Gemelas (1966)

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:00:00 -0400

More (1969): Can You Take Me High Enough?

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:30:00 -0400

When Stefan, a misguided grad hitchhikes to Paris looking for adventure, he has no idea he’ll meet a woman that will change his life forever. But don’t fret, More isn’t a shitty romantic comedy of errors starring Katherine Heigl or Sad Jen. Its a cautionary tale of drugs and free love with the lushly beautiful island of Ibiza as it’s backdrop.When Stefan first meets Estelle at a party, his friend is in another room rifling through her purse. Stefan turns the unflattering incident into an excuse to meet her again and two fall into a messy relationship.

Estelle is a beautiful disaster, a recovering heroin addict leaving a path of destruction and floating from man to man like the Fleetwood Mac siren Rihannon (Takes through the sky like a bird in flight/And who will be her lover?). Actress Mimsy Farmer captures the character perfectly, an alluring peroxide blond pixie with innocent eyes, gypsy style frocks, and flawless sun kissed skin. Did I mention this all takes place in Ibiza?! It makes their depressing union seem surprisingly romantic. They share a shabby concrete bungalow and enjoy a simple life by the sea. Now doesn’t that sound lovely? Well, minus the overdose I guess.

More is the directorial debut from Barbet Schroeder (Maitresse, Barfly, Single White Female) and is a testament to his talent to create a mood. The film’s soundtrack is a perfect complement, a medley of atmospheric pieces from Pink Floyd. More is a film about drugs, but its focus on the characters make it more than your standard PSA film.

BONUS: Barbarella (1968)

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 22:44:00 -0400

Just watched Godard’s Tout va bien and fell in love with Jane Fonda all over again…

Babe City, Population: 1.

Peeping Tom (1960): All I've got is a photograph...

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:15:00 -0400

We are a culture that loves to watch. There is little mystery left to us at this point, with no reality show plot left unturned or film idea deemed too ridiculous. Peeping Tom is a film that was ahead of its time. It preceded our desensitisation to gory horror and torture porn, and the availability of internet content faster than a Domino’s pizza.

It focuses on Mark Lewis, a photographer and filmmaker with some issues. He murders women, filming their final horrified moments for his later viewing pleasure. His weapon of choice, a video camera set upon a crafty tripod that doubles as a knife (Do they teach this kind of thing in Boy Scouts?). A less than normal childhood left Mark a grown man with a shy child-like apprehension to even the simplest of social situations. He spends most nights watching his gory movies and dramatically caressing his best friend, a camera. Mark is all to eager to give up his guilt, mostly due to the overacting and over the top facial expressions of actor Carl Boehm. If this were an episode of Law and Order, he would have been nailed before the first gavel. I guess people were less cynical than Det. Elliot Stabler back then.

It’s hard to ignore the fact that this film was released in the same year as Hitchcock’s definitive chiller Psycho. Though they bear similarities in their ideas of voyeurism and the affect a terrible parent can have on a child’s development, they stand on their own as two disturbing portrayals of human nature. As in Hitchcock’s Psycho, Peeping Tom is a testament to inspired camera work and a simplicity in horror. Michael Powell’s lush Technicolor palette (reminiscent of his gorgeous film The Red Shoes) doesn’t hurt either. Unfortunately, while critics found Psycho inspired, they found Peeping Tom revolting and they weren’t too shy about it. Powell found trouble rebounding from this misstep throughout his career. It’s truly a shame that it was misunderstood, five decades later, it holds up as a creepy yet understated psychological thriller.

Altered States (1980): Where is my mind?

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 01:29:00 -0400

A man is suspended in a tank full of water in what looks like some sort of crude NASA experiment. The camera focuses in on our subject as over sized credits slide slowly across the screen finally centering on a black background. The title, Altered States is written in a modified version of the beautifully minimal Avant Garde typeface and it sets the tone of the whole film. Forget what you know about normal because shits about to get really weird.

Edward Jessup (William Hurt) is a scientist experimenting with human consciousness. He skips the rodents and uses himself as the subject, taking hallucinogens and floating in a sleep deprivation tank determined to illicit memories, past dreams, and anything else that might be dormant in one’s mind. During his trips he falls further and further into an unrecognizable state: first loosing his ability to speak, later transforming into a naked and particularly rabid version of a Geico caveman, and finally becomes the horrifying love child of Jim Carrey’s The Mask and Slimer (a personal favorite). As he digs deeper into his subconscious, he begins to alarm his colleagues, his wife and himself. But what is real and what is a hallucination?

After watching this film, I tried to imagine the experience of seeing it in a theater in 1980. How blown away I would’ve been by the sound effects*, the use of saturated and explosive colors and the green screen collages that make you wonder if you’re the one self medicating. It all culminates into a standoff between Edward’s real self and his altered state, a scene that inspired the climax of A Ha’s classic Take On Me Video. Altered States is also the film debut of Drew Barrymore, and features one of my favorite “That guy” actors Bob Balaban.

*Altered States was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound but lost to The Empire Strikes Back.

BONUS: More (1969)

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 14:40:14 -0400

Heroin addiction + Ibiza + a soundtrack by Pink Floyd = a movie I need to see asap.

Mi Vida Loca (1993): The Boy is Mine.

Sat, 29 May 2010 16:38:00 -0400

Ay dios mio, this movie! Mi Vida Loca straddles the line between poignant docu-drama and Lifetime movie of the week and I am not ashamed to say that it does so perfectly.It takes place in Los Angeles’ Echo Park, and area then fueled by gang violence and ethnic pride. Sad Girl and Mousie are two girls growing up in the eye of the storm and are introduced to gang life as a way to fit in. They’re best friends that share everything: secrets, clothing, the ever present gang girl lipstick, that time of the month, hair gel, and even end up having a child with the same vato, a drug dealer named Ernesto. That last one wasn’t part of the plan and a childhood friendship quickly turns into a bitter rivalry. Man, why do boys have to go and fuck everything up sometimes? Can I get a witness?!

The saddest part about this film and others like it is that these people don’t know any better. The real Sad Girls and Mousies of the world have only seen what’s in their backyard and It’s hard to blame them completely for their predicaments when for many Ignorance is bliss. When Giggles an older gang member is released from a four years stint in prison (for a crime committed by her gangster boyfriend) she tells the girls about her new plans “Computers are the future” she says proudly. The girls around her each respond with an eye roll, a heavy sigh and/or a nonchalant “That’s fucked up”. God, If they only knew. I love this movie for it’s terrible acting, glorious nineties fashions and for giving these girls a voice. Also Keep an eye out for small cameos by Salma Hayek, Spike Jonze, Jason Lee, Danny Trejo and Los Lobos.

For Carolina.

Road Games (1981): I Can't Drive 55.

Fri, 28 May 2010 17:17:00 -0400

It’s truly unfortunate that every time I see Jamie Lee Curtis, I usually think to myself “Am I irregular?”. Then I feel bad ‘cause I know that there’s more to her than a love of active cultures. She was once one of my favorite scream queens in the Halloween franchise, a hooker with a sense of humor in Trading Places, a mortuary make-up artist in the Kleenex heavy My Girl, and even a fish, I mean woman called Wanda.

In Road Games she plays a Pamela, a young hitchhiker looking for adventure in Australia. She gets picked up by Patrick Quid, a lonely but ultimately charming truck driver on assignment moving meat across state lines.

Since Pat spends most of his days alone with the open road, his thoughts, and a dingo named Boswell, he welcomes Pamela’s company. Once comfortable, he shares his suspicions about a green van’s relation to a string of recent murders in the area. They turn the theory into a road game of cat and mouse and form a Scooby Doo like detective team. They’ve got the cute dog, a creepy suspect, and mounting circumstantial evidence; they just swapped out the Mystery Machine for a big-rig full of bacon. Perhaps overly confident in their hunch they decide to catch the killer themselves; But at what cost?! This film was inspired by Hitchcock’s voyeur thriller Rear Window and has an interesting twist (though executed with a really shitty prop).

MORE: El Topo (1970)

Sat, 08 May 2010 19:02:37 -0400

Just stumbled upon some new stills to add to my El Topo post. Enjoy!

BONUS: Cleopatra (1963)

Wed, 05 May 2010 08:27:50 -0400

Foreign poster from the Elizabeth Taylor film Cleopatra (via filmartgallery)

Caravaggio (1986): Three's Company.

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:03:23 -0400

My first post for LURVE magazine. Check it out here.

Midnight Cowboy (1969): Everyday I'm Hustlin'.

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 22:38:00 -0400

With all of the films and stories centered around hookers with a heart of gold (see: Nights of Cabiria, Pretty Woman, Striptease, and Mary Magdalene); it’s nice to see a man take on this sort of role. John Voight (Brangie’s dad) plays Joe Buck, a naive Texas dishwasher who heads north in hopes of becoming a kept man in New York City. He packs his boots, hops on a bus, and sets up shop in a seedy hotel in Times Square. On his first trick he’s the one who ends up paying and Joe quickly learns that the world’s oldest profession isn’t as glamorous as it seems.

He needs money, so he starts pounding the pavement looking for rich old ladies that need a little sexual healing. Instead he meets Enrico “Ratso” Rizzo, a crippled crook who sees Joe as an easy mark. Dustin Hoffman’s performance as Ratso is so believable and greasy that you can almost smell his B.O. coming off of the screen. The two loners become friends and then accomplices. They’ve got champagne daydreams of moving to Florida and living like kings; But unfortunately neither of them is very good at hustlin’ and New York winters are pretty damn unforgiving. Midnight Cowboy is an excellent film with flawless performances from Voight and Hoffman, and a poignant look at two guys just trying to make it.

Factoid: Midnight Cowboy is the first X rated film to win the Oscar for Best Picture. I thought it was pretty tame by today’s standards…

BONUS: William Klein's The Greatest (1977)

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 22:47:00 -0400

Did you know the Whitney Houston schmaltz power ballad Greatest Love of All was originally recorded by George “Give Me the Night” Benson for this film? Crazy. (via filmartgallery)

West Side Story (1961): First of the Gang to Die.

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:25:00 -0400

Is there any better way to solve a dispute than through the art of dance?! Oh I think you know the answer to that. Maybe the bloods and crips could learn a lil’ something from their well coordinated counterparts the Jets and the Sharks.

It opens with a few snaps and we’re dancing with the Jets, an American gang heel-toeing and protecting their turf against against a gang of Puerto Rican immigrants called the Sharks. When a romance brews between a Jet Tony, and a lady Shark Maria, the guys decide to Step Up and take it to the streets. It’s a retelling of Romeo and Juliette, with more musical numbers, more dancing, and more xenophobia. Yes please!

Though the opening sequence was filmed in New York, the rest of the film was shot on colorful sets in Los Angeles. It’s a seamless transition because the film itself is an adaptation of the 1957 Broadway play. Then there’s the music: Leonard Bernstein and Steven Sondheim craft some of the most memorable songs of any musical or film you’ve ever seen. I’m not kidding, I was humming these songs for days! If only people we’re taking their problems to the dance floor like this everyday. Could you imagine?! Damn, maybe I do like musicals after all.

Extra Credit: Check out the amazing titling sequence by legendary graphic designer Saul Bass.

Fritz the Cat (1972): The Times They Are A-Changin'

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 07:50:00 -0400

Do you remember this film? I remember seeing it when I was really young on one of many nights when I wasn’t supposed to be watching cable. Ah, Skinemax, molding young minds one steamy night at a time.

Fritz stays in your mind because when you’re accustomed to light Disney fare it’s a bit jarring to see a cartoon cat with a hard on or a poodle engaged in a colorful drug filled orgy. Fritz began as a satirical comic strip from the twisted mind of illustrator Robert Crumb, and went on to become the first animated film to be rated X.

The film follows Fritz, a charming cat with a dirty mind through his adventures in higher learning, racial politics and free love in swingin’ New York City. In Fritz’s world cops are blundering pigs, Jews are lions, and African Americans are depicted as crows, a nod to the jive talking racist crows from the Disney classic Dumbo. Of course he gets into all sorts of trouble along the way but, like any cat he always manages to land on his feet or on top of a giddy naked female. This film opened the doors for numerous adult animated films and even beloved shows like The Simpsons, South Park and Family Guy.

I love Rick Moranis.

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 10:59:00 -0400

Film in Art: William Kentridge at MOMA

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 12:39:00 -0400

While my love of cult films, pop culture, and pure cheez borders on obsession, I also have a soft spot for films and art that get you pondering world history and social issues. William Kentridge’s work achieves just that. On one hand, it’s stunning: Earthy, gestural charcoal and ink drawings, often on large sheets of paper. You almost picture his hands drawing right in front of you. But it’s more than just a bunch of impressively detailed sketches. When you look closer, past the long charcoal strokes and torn paper puppets, you see that he’s tackling some important stuff here.

Kentridge’s drawings and accompanying films focus on racial tensions and apartheid in his native South Africa, and the results are powerful without being too heavy handed (Hi Titanic!). He uses a few colors: black and white with touches of blue and red because that’s all he needs. Through his sketches he creates stop motion films that will blow your mind. He chooses to show the painstaking process to the viewer through erasure strokes that create a ghosting affect when animated. Being that 3-D is taking over the world, the simplicity and rawness of his films is so refreshing. I mean I love things flying at my head at the movies as much as the next person but at this rate what’s next? Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Space in 3-D? I say, let’s get back to basics.

William Kentridge: Five Themes is on view at New York’s MOMA through May 17th. Check out the interactive site for more details and clips from his films.