"Night of the Hunter" is showing Friday night at the beautiful Landmark Loew's Jersey in Journal Square, Jersey City, NJ.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91IAwfdRX6A
ahhhh can't wait.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
"The Elephant Man"
Just saw "The Elephant Man" as part of the Anne Bancroft retrospective at Lincoln Center. I am kind of ambivalent about David Lynch; I love some things he does and get really annoyed at some things he does, often in the same film or even in the same scene. I learned to love him as a person from his brief cameos in "Twin Peaks" ("SORRY COOP! CAN'T HEAR YA!"), and as a film-maker I am conflicted. Some films (like "Blue Velvet" and "Mulholland Drive") are endlessly interesting, some (like "Lost Highway") I have no patience for, and some (like "Fire Walk With Me" and "Eraserhead") have moments of terror and brilliance combined with a ton of missteps.
"The Elephant Man" was a very tasteful, beautiful, and sad biopic of John Merrick, better known as the Elephant Man, a famous "freak" from Victorian England known for his enormous and dangerously deformed head. (Apparently his real name was actually Joseph Merrick... look up "Joseph Merrick" or "The Elephant Man" on IMDb to see photos of the man.) The make-up for the film was apparently based on actual casts of his skull (which Michael Jackson bought?) and look just like the actual photos. As usual in Lynch films, the sound design was unbelievable. A handful of scenes were incredibly touching and a few were scary and memorable -- my favorite scene was the one in which Merrick's "owner" locks him in the cage with the baboons. There were just enough genuine David Lynch stylistic touches to whet my appetite, but the plot was linear and the film was largely narrative and I could follow along, which was a great and unexpected surprise for a Lynch film. All the performances were stunning, and the make-up was truly perfect. The film was not without complaints, but pouring Lynch's style over a linear story creates a great final product.
"The Elephant Man" was a very tasteful, beautiful, and sad biopic of John Merrick, better known as the Elephant Man, a famous "freak" from Victorian England known for his enormous and dangerously deformed head. (Apparently his real name was actually Joseph Merrick... look up "Joseph Merrick" or "The Elephant Man" on IMDb to see photos of the man.) The make-up for the film was apparently based on actual casts of his skull (which Michael Jackson bought?) and look just like the actual photos. As usual in Lynch films, the sound design was unbelievable. A handful of scenes were incredibly touching and a few were scary and memorable -- my favorite scene was the one in which Merrick's "owner" locks him in the cage with the baboons. There were just enough genuine David Lynch stylistic touches to whet my appetite, but the plot was linear and the film was largely narrative and I could follow along, which was a great and unexpected surprise for a Lynch film. All the performances were stunning, and the make-up was truly perfect. The film was not without complaints, but pouring Lynch's style over a linear story creates a great final product.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
an excerpt from Len Deighton
___"There are four stages of a love affair. First there is the stage of being in love and liking it." Her voice was muffled by my shoulder. "That's this stage."
___"How long's it likely to last?"
___"Not long enough," said Sam[antha]. "The other stages soon follow."
___"What stages?" I said.
___"There's being in love and not liking it," said Sam. "That's the second one. Then there is not being in love and not liking that. And finally there is not being in love and liking that. You are over it then -- cured.
___"Sounds great," I said.
___"You have to be make-believe tough," Samantha said. "I'm serious and it makes me sort of sad. If people in love synchronized their movements through these stages..." She snuggled deeper into my shoulder. "We'll stay at the first stage forever. No matter what calls us away, we'll stay up here on the moon. O.K.?"
___"O.K."
___"No. I'm serious."
___"Looks like we're first here on the moon," I said.
___Sam said, "Just think of all those poor dopes down on earth who can't see that great sun."
Len Deighton, Funeral in Berlin, page 82.
___"How long's it likely to last?"
___"Not long enough," said Sam[antha]. "The other stages soon follow."
___"What stages?" I said.
___"There's being in love and not liking it," said Sam. "That's the second one. Then there is not being in love and not liking that. And finally there is not being in love and liking that. You are over it then -- cured.
___"Sounds great," I said.
___"You have to be make-believe tough," Samantha said. "I'm serious and it makes me sort of sad. If people in love synchronized their movements through these stages..." She snuggled deeper into my shoulder. "We'll stay at the first stage forever. No matter what calls us away, we'll stay up here on the moon. O.K.?"
___"O.K."
___"No. I'm serious."
___"Looks like we're first here on the moon," I said.
___Sam said, "Just think of all those poor dopes down on earth who can't see that great sun."
Len Deighton, Funeral in Berlin, page 82.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Casablanca re-cast
I am showing "Casablanca" (with my personalized intro and outro) this Wednesday night on the NYU University Channel (channel 14, I believe, for people on CampusCable) at 8 pm. In honor of that momentous occasion, here is something for you to debate: the contemporary cast for a hypothetical remake of "Casablanca" if it was made this year. Marisa and I spent a shift at work a few months ago working on this, and I just found the Post-It it was written on and decided to streamline it and make a few changes.
"CASABLANCA" RE-CAST! (Warning: LOTS of photos to load!)
+ Rick Blaine
It took me a little while to think of this, but as soon as I did it was a no-brainer. Even though he doesn't have a lot of big-screen movie experience, I think the success of "Mad Men" and all of the awards they get every year qualifies him as a big enough star to sell this project. He has a definite Humphrey Bogart look and is used to wearing double-breasted suits and accessorizing with cigarettes and tumblers of Scotch. I give you Jon Hamm.
+ Ilsa Lund
Again, it took me a few rounds to get to her in my head but once I found her she is perfect for the role. We needed someone foreign (Bergman is Swedish, this actress is French) and someone pouty and with so-called "Classical Beauty" but also someone who can handle some serious drama. I don't think there will be any objections to Eva Green.
One more picture of Eva, because she is so lovely.
+ Captain Louis Renault
This was the one that I had the hardest time with. Claude Raines' portrayal is so iconic and so charming and so unique. His is probably the most memorable performance from the original film (and he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor that year). Even though the character is French, Raines is so British that I cannot conceive of Renault any other way. I originally thought Simon Pegg (but he is too goofy), settled on my beloved Ricky Gervais (eventually decided he would come across as too depressing, like in The Office and Extras), and finally found the PERFECT actor, Martin Freeman. I am so relieved that I found someone satisfactory for this!
+ Victor Laszlo
This character has to be foreign and handsome but completely humorless. Josh Brolin is my favorite current actor and I was hoping to get him into this movie, and this was the best place I could put him. However, he is just too American for this. I thought about Peter Sarsgaard, whom I also love, and Ewan McGregor, whom I love a little less... and I thought a long time about Jude Law, but he is ultimately a little bit too charming as well. However, this is kind of an easy part that mainly requires stoicism, so I am going to grant the part to my original choice, Jonathan Rhys Meyers (I hope that is spelled right).
+ Major Strasser
This was by far the easiest one. No other options here, no runner up. It is a shame that this great actor is going to get typecast as a Nazi officer, but that is up to his agent, not up to me. Strasser can only be played by soon-to-be Best Supporting Actor Christoph Waltz.
+ Ugarte
This is a minor character, true, but Ugarte and his exciting arrest really set the tone for the whole film. Remember the manic, desperate performance by Lorre and his bugged-out eyes. There is no one who could play this but my beloved Steve Buscemi.
+ Sam the Piano Player
I need someone who is funny and charismatic and likable and can play the piano and sing. I know exactly where to go. Dooley Wilson is being replaced by Mos Def.
+ Carl the Waiter
The maitre d'hotel at Rick's cafe has to be big and round and jovial and middle-aged and, again, super charming and lovable. Like Fred Flintstone, or Babe Ruth, or... Walter Sobchack. That's right. John Goodman. (I think I found the only known picture of John in a tuxedo to help you imagine him in Carl's tuxedo from the movie. Amazing, right?)
+ Sascha the Bartender
The Russian bartender has to be lanky and snarky and a little bit sarcastic and quick-tongued and I would like to hear anyone try to object to John Turturro. "I love you, but he pays me!"
+ Signor Ferrari
Ferrari is a little bit obnoxious and a little bit of a blowhard and definitely large in size. We are continuing the parade of the Johns with a slight variation: we are removing the "h" to cast Jon Lovitz. The picture with the suit and the cigar should convince any skeptics that Lovitz can fill in for Sydney Greenstreet.
+ Yvonne
Yvonne is the patriotic French woman who had some kind of relationship with Rick. She drinks too much and even flirts with the enemy while wasting her time at the bar of Rick's Cafe. In her most memorable scene, she tearfully shouts aloud the lyrics to "Le Marseillaise". So we need a beautiful brunette who is French and knows the words to the French national anthem. It is pretty obvious that the right choice is Audrey Tautou, and if you don't believe me, watch her recent romcom "Hors de Prix" (aka "Priceless"), in which she wears slinky dresses and drinks too much at hotel bars, just like the minor character Yvonne.
+ Annina (the Bulgarian refugee)
Again, this is a pretty small role with only a handful of scenes, but we need a beautiful young brunette who is just waiting for her breakout role. I'm giving it to Mary Elizabeth Winstead not only because I know she can handle it, but because she NEEDS to work in a good film sometime soon. Pleeeeaaase.
The cinematographer is going to be Roger Deakins. But I still need a director.
Any comments or criticisms?
"CASABLANCA" RE-CAST! (Warning: LOTS of photos to load!)
+ Rick Blaine
It took me a little while to think of this, but as soon as I did it was a no-brainer. Even though he doesn't have a lot of big-screen movie experience, I think the success of "Mad Men" and all of the awards they get every year qualifies him as a big enough star to sell this project. He has a definite Humphrey Bogart look and is used to wearing double-breasted suits and accessorizing with cigarettes and tumblers of Scotch. I give you Jon Hamm.
+ Ilsa Lund
Again, it took me a few rounds to get to her in my head but once I found her she is perfect for the role. We needed someone foreign (Bergman is Swedish, this actress is French) and someone pouty and with so-called "Classical Beauty" but also someone who can handle some serious drama. I don't think there will be any objections to Eva Green.
One more picture of Eva, because she is so lovely.
+ Captain Louis Renault
This was the one that I had the hardest time with. Claude Raines' portrayal is so iconic and so charming and so unique. His is probably the most memorable performance from the original film (and he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor that year). Even though the character is French, Raines is so British that I cannot conceive of Renault any other way. I originally thought Simon Pegg (but he is too goofy), settled on my beloved Ricky Gervais (eventually decided he would come across as too depressing, like in The Office and Extras), and finally found the PERFECT actor, Martin Freeman. I am so relieved that I found someone satisfactory for this!
+ Victor Laszlo
This character has to be foreign and handsome but completely humorless. Josh Brolin is my favorite current actor and I was hoping to get him into this movie, and this was the best place I could put him. However, he is just too American for this. I thought about Peter Sarsgaard, whom I also love, and Ewan McGregor, whom I love a little less... and I thought a long time about Jude Law, but he is ultimately a little bit too charming as well. However, this is kind of an easy part that mainly requires stoicism, so I am going to grant the part to my original choice, Jonathan Rhys Meyers (I hope that is spelled right).
+ Major Strasser
This was by far the easiest one. No other options here, no runner up. It is a shame that this great actor is going to get typecast as a Nazi officer, but that is up to his agent, not up to me. Strasser can only be played by soon-to-be Best Supporting Actor Christoph Waltz.
+ Ugarte
This is a minor character, true, but Ugarte and his exciting arrest really set the tone for the whole film. Remember the manic, desperate performance by Lorre and his bugged-out eyes. There is no one who could play this but my beloved Steve Buscemi.
+ Sam the Piano Player
I need someone who is funny and charismatic and likable and can play the piano and sing. I know exactly where to go. Dooley Wilson is being replaced by Mos Def.
+ Carl the Waiter
The maitre d'hotel at Rick's cafe has to be big and round and jovial and middle-aged and, again, super charming and lovable. Like Fred Flintstone, or Babe Ruth, or... Walter Sobchack. That's right. John Goodman. (I think I found the only known picture of John in a tuxedo to help you imagine him in Carl's tuxedo from the movie. Amazing, right?)
+ Sascha the Bartender
The Russian bartender has to be lanky and snarky and a little bit sarcastic and quick-tongued and I would like to hear anyone try to object to John Turturro. "I love you, but he pays me!"
+ Signor Ferrari
Ferrari is a little bit obnoxious and a little bit of a blowhard and definitely large in size. We are continuing the parade of the Johns with a slight variation: we are removing the "h" to cast Jon Lovitz. The picture with the suit and the cigar should convince any skeptics that Lovitz can fill in for Sydney Greenstreet.
+ Yvonne
Yvonne is the patriotic French woman who had some kind of relationship with Rick. She drinks too much and even flirts with the enemy while wasting her time at the bar of Rick's Cafe. In her most memorable scene, she tearfully shouts aloud the lyrics to "Le Marseillaise". So we need a beautiful brunette who is French and knows the words to the French national anthem. It is pretty obvious that the right choice is Audrey Tautou, and if you don't believe me, watch her recent romcom "Hors de Prix" (aka "Priceless"), in which she wears slinky dresses and drinks too much at hotel bars, just like the minor character Yvonne.
+ Annina (the Bulgarian refugee)
Again, this is a pretty small role with only a handful of scenes, but we need a beautiful young brunette who is just waiting for her breakout role. I'm giving it to Mary Elizabeth Winstead not only because I know she can handle it, but because she NEEDS to work in a good film sometime soon. Pleeeeaaase.
The cinematographer is going to be Roger Deakins. But I still need a director.
Any comments or criticisms?
Saturday, February 13, 2010
countdown
Finally saw "Boogie Nights" today. I liked it more than I expected, but the "moral" was confusing. Everyone spins out of control and becomes miserable and desperate and unlikable and then they all just get a second chance and end up happy? I'm all for the happy ending, but why judge the characters so harshly for most of the film?
Can't wait to see "THE WOLFMAN" on Monday. Will most likely be disappointed and be angry about the fact that it somehow disrespects the original Lon Chaney, Jr./Claude Raines version, but I am going in with a great attitude.
Just got back from the Diane Birch concert at Skirball. Amazing and breath-taking and great. Best concert I have been to in a long, long time. Probably the best since one of the three Joanna Newsom concerts or two Sigur Ros concerts I have been to. The opening act was some NYU student who was such an atrocious singer that I spent the whole time wincing and pitying the kid's roommate. But Diane was friendly and funny and captivated the whole room. Her four-piece band was also great and everything about the concert was great. The live versions of the songs were in almost every case more exciting than the album versions, and she played a solo version of the the trance song "What Is Love?" (from "A Night at the Rosbury") on the electric keyboard that was incredible as well.
For the record, here is an updated countdown of the Prettiest Women Ever:
Diane Birch
occupation: musician
link
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
occupation: actor
link
Vanessa Victoria Volpe
occupation: writer, student
link
Can't wait to see "THE WOLFMAN" on Monday. Will most likely be disappointed and be angry about the fact that it somehow disrespects the original Lon Chaney, Jr./Claude Raines version, but I am going in with a great attitude.
Just got back from the Diane Birch concert at Skirball. Amazing and breath-taking and great. Best concert I have been to in a long, long time. Probably the best since one of the three Joanna Newsom concerts or two Sigur Ros concerts I have been to. The opening act was some NYU student who was such an atrocious singer that I spent the whole time wincing and pitying the kid's roommate. But Diane was friendly and funny and captivated the whole room. Her four-piece band was also great and everything about the concert was great. The live versions of the songs were in almost every case more exciting than the album versions, and she played a solo version of the the trance song "What Is Love?" (from "A Night at the Rosbury") on the electric keyboard that was incredible as well.
For the record, here is an updated countdown of the Prettiest Women Ever:
Diane Birch
occupation: musician
link
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
occupation: actor
link
Vanessa Victoria Volpe
occupation: writer, student
link
student conference
The schedule for the Student Conference next weekend finally came out!
schedule
I am going Friday afternoon at 2:00 pm. Since my paper is about film noir, I understand why I got put in a panel with other noir papers. However, judging by the other titles, I can't see how my paper will have anything else in common with theirs. My paper is much more about genre categories than about noir, but whatever... Hopefully it will go well anyway. With a moderator like Bill Simon, how could it not?
schedule
I am going Friday afternoon at 2:00 pm. Since my paper is about film noir, I understand why I got put in a panel with other noir papers. However, judging by the other titles, I can't see how my paper will have anything else in common with theirs. My paper is much more about genre categories than about noir, but whatever... Hopefully it will go well anyway. With a moderator like Bill Simon, how could it not?
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
new-ish J.Lew song
This is what happens when you ignore popular and annoying looking kids movies.
I was browsing the internet and Wikipedia of all places pointed out that some of Jenny Lewis' solo work consisted of the "Bolt" soundtrack. I was skeptical and confused, but I looked it up, and Jenny did indeed record the theme song for the Miley Cyrus-voiced CGI puppy movie, an upbeat tune called "Barking At The Moon" (not to be confused with the Black Sabbath song).
The song is actually great. The dog-inspired lyrics are pretty clever and cute. J.Lew can even turn a stupid Disney commission into a beautiful little song.
I've saved you the trouble (and humiliation) of searching for "Bolt soundtrack" on the torrent sites and uploaded the song directly, which you can download HERE. Enjoy!
I was browsing the internet and Wikipedia of all places pointed out that some of Jenny Lewis' solo work consisted of the "Bolt" soundtrack. I was skeptical and confused, but I looked it up, and Jenny did indeed record the theme song for the Miley Cyrus-voiced CGI puppy movie, an upbeat tune called "Barking At The Moon" (not to be confused with the Black Sabbath song).
The song is actually great. The dog-inspired lyrics are pretty clever and cute. J.Lew can even turn a stupid Disney commission into a beautiful little song.
I've saved you the trouble (and humiliation) of searching for "Bolt soundtrack" on the torrent sites and uploaded the song directly, which you can download HERE. Enjoy!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
quote
"I wouldn't talk to my friends about the art of the cinema -- I'd rather be caught without my pants in the middle of Times Square."
- Orson Welles, 1967 Playboy interview
- Orson Welles, 1967 Playboy interview
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
more breaking music news
I also just found out that She & Him's Volume Two is coming out on March 23rd! This is the best week for music news ever. March is going to be full of good music.
The first single, "In The Sun" can be listened to HERE. It features back-up vocals by Tilly & the Wall and some great M. Ward guitar. Plus a great photo:
I wish they were a couple.
The first single, "In The Sun" can be listened to HERE. It features back-up vocals by Tilly & the Wall and some great M. Ward guitar. Plus a great photo:
I wish they were a couple.
Monday, January 25, 2010
music news
I have lately been listening a lot more to podcasts than to new music. I downloaded a couple of new releases -- Shakira's new album and Norah Jones' new album, for instance -- but they were just plain bad or didn't hold my interest very long, respectively. But here is a new album I found that I can't stop listening to.
"Bible Belt" by Diane Birch
The music is keyboard and piano-driven soul, with a little bit of blues and pop and country and folk and R&B and everything, and even some greats horns and string sections. At first listen the album is very retro and reminds me a lot of Carole King's album "Tapestry". However there is, in listening to it more, a lot of Cat Power. But it is all the good parts of Cat Power (the great rhythm section, the brass, alternating piano and Wurlitzer keyboard, and the soulful singing) without any of the bad (the meandering and repetitive solo guitar parts and the alcoholic angst). The cheerful songs are super cheerful, and the sad and lonely songs even end up sounding hopeful.
Here is the great music video for the album's single: "Nothing But a Miracle"
And here is a behind-the-scenes, "get to know this up and coming artist" type of
promo video.
Three more pieces of exciting music news (for me, at least):
1) Gorillaz finally have a new full-length album coming out! I hadn't heard about it today but it is coming out on March 9th and has an even larger all-star cast of special guests. There is plenty of hype elsewhere on the internet if you need more information, but the album has a great cover, and here is the great first single: "Stylo"
2) Christina Aguilera finally has a new album coming out, which the good news. The bad news is that the only information we have about it is its title, which is "Bionic". In a post-Kanye West, "808s & Heartbreaks" pop music landscape, it terrifies me that the most naturally talented singer of the last decade is naming her album after a word that means "half-human, half-machine". Is there anyone who needs AutoTune less than Christina? Hopefully it is a false alarm and it is some stupid concept for the lead single and video rather than a new, electronic aesthetic...
3) Joanna Newsom's LONG-awaited new album ("Ys", which I have listened to 4,500 times, came out in fall of 2006) is going to be released on February 23rd. It is called "Have One On Me" and the news just came out that it is going to be a TRIPLE ALBUM. THREE DISCS. That is more Joanna than I have ever had at one time and could double her career's entire musical output so far. I can't WAIT. In annoying news, however, Joanna is still going out with Andy Samberg. Has there ever been a more unbalanced couple, creatively and artistically? Joanna creates 16-minute epic poem-songs with a harp and a full orchestra; Andy's greatest achievement so far is "Dick in a Box". How long must this go on??
"Bible Belt" by Diane Birch
The music is keyboard and piano-driven soul, with a little bit of blues and pop and country and folk and R&B and everything, and even some greats horns and string sections. At first listen the album is very retro and reminds me a lot of Carole King's album "Tapestry". However there is, in listening to it more, a lot of Cat Power. But it is all the good parts of Cat Power (the great rhythm section, the brass, alternating piano and Wurlitzer keyboard, and the soulful singing) without any of the bad (the meandering and repetitive solo guitar parts and the alcoholic angst). The cheerful songs are super cheerful, and the sad and lonely songs even end up sounding hopeful.
Here is the great music video for the album's single: "Nothing But a Miracle"
And here is a behind-the-scenes, "get to know this up and coming artist" type of
promo video.
Three more pieces of exciting music news (for me, at least):
1) Gorillaz finally have a new full-length album coming out! I hadn't heard about it today but it is coming out on March 9th and has an even larger all-star cast of special guests. There is plenty of hype elsewhere on the internet if you need more information, but the album has a great cover, and here is the great first single: "Stylo"
2) Christina Aguilera finally has a new album coming out, which the good news. The bad news is that the only information we have about it is its title, which is "Bionic". In a post-Kanye West, "808s & Heartbreaks" pop music landscape, it terrifies me that the most naturally talented singer of the last decade is naming her album after a word that means "half-human, half-machine". Is there anyone who needs AutoTune less than Christina? Hopefully it is a false alarm and it is some stupid concept for the lead single and video rather than a new, electronic aesthetic...
3) Joanna Newsom's LONG-awaited new album ("Ys", which I have listened to 4,500 times, came out in fall of 2006) is going to be released on February 23rd. It is called "Have One On Me" and the news just came out that it is going to be a TRIPLE ALBUM. THREE DISCS. That is more Joanna than I have ever had at one time and could double her career's entire musical output so far. I can't WAIT. In annoying news, however, Joanna is still going out with Andy Samberg. Has there ever been a more unbalanced couple, creatively and artistically? Joanna creates 16-minute epic poem-songs with a harp and a full orchestra; Andy's greatest achievement so far is "Dick in a Box". How long must this go on??
Sunday, January 24, 2010
excerpt from Greg Mank
Greg Mank was kind enough to email me back. Here is an excerpt of what he wrote to me:
"It's very good to learn you are a Cinema Studies major and I wish you all success with your pursuits. It's obvious in your email that you have eloquence and the passion for your area of expertise. Go for it and enjoy it. There are always new discoveries to be made.
Please stay in touch and keep me informed re: your graduate school application and projects. Meanwhile, many thanks again for your email and all very best wishes,
Sincerely,
Greg"
I am glad that so many cinema studies authors are so kind, friendly, and easy to get in touch with. I have also gotten responses from Robert Spadoni and David J. Skal after writing to them with praise and/or questions. It makes me feel gopd that these scholars are so willing to respond to and engage with some lowly undergrads that are into monster movies.
"It's very good to learn you are a Cinema Studies major and I wish you all success with your pursuits. It's obvious in your email that you have eloquence and the passion for your area of expertise. Go for it and enjoy it. There are always new discoveries to be made.
Please stay in touch and keep me informed re: your graduate school application and projects. Meanwhile, many thanks again for your email and all very best wishes,
Sincerely,
Greg"
I am glad that so many cinema studies authors are so kind, friendly, and easy to get in touch with. I have also gotten responses from Robert Spadoni and David J. Skal after writing to them with praise and/or questions. It makes me feel gopd that these scholars are so willing to respond to and engage with some lowly undergrads that are into monster movies.
Monday, January 18, 2010
An Open Letter to Gregory Mank
Dear Mr. Mank,
I am a senior majoring in Cinema Studies at New York University. My favorite films and my area of (certainly not expertise, but of) interest is Hollywood horror films of the 1930s and 1940s. I seem to write about classic horror for the final paper of at least one class every semester, and so I have run across your work before. I referred to "Hollywood Cauldron" when writing a paper on Val Lewton and the philosophical cross-over between horror and film noir last spring. I realized I have seen your name on more than one of my beloved classic horror DVDs, and last time I put in my "Cat People" disc two weeks ago I realized it was you that had done the commentary for that as well.
Anyway, this semester I took a class on Celebrity Culture and wanted to write a fairly short paper on the process of star-making for Lugosi and Karloff. My research turned up your new book pretty quickly, and I was preparing for this paper and reading the brand new edition of "A Haunting Collaboration", I realized that all of that work and research had already been done. I wrote the paper anyway, with your book heavily referenced and cited, but in going through this book I felt compelled to get in touch with you.
I was so thoroughly impressed with this book... with the amount of research, with the interviews, the stills, the posters, the presskits, the studio details, etc. How you got such access to the stars, crews, and minor actors on such ancient movies was constantly on my mind. Even the quotes and epigraphs were impressive! The notes, the filmographies, the index... all were utterly exhaustive. Most of all I was pleased and impressed with the personal touch of the book. So many film histories are detached and academic. While this book more than meets academic standards, it was so refreshing and great to read the subjective impressions and interpretations of a true fan. There is only so much that can be gleaned from publicity shots; a snapshot of you with an 80-year-old, beaming Frances Drake is something truly special. The fact that you are truly a fan and a lover of these films and these stars -- something that I completely share with you, and have for as long as I can remember -- makes this book a joy to read. You as the author, interviewer, and researcher are basically taking the hardcore classic horror film fan on the personal journey that I have always wanted to go on... driving past these stars' old houses, finding the infamous lake where Little Maria fails to float, talking to long-retired starlets, and digging through studio archives and production sheets. It was a true joy to share in the process, from one monster movie fan to another.
Anyway, thank you again for this phenomenal book. As soon as I can I am going to start reading through as many of your books as I can. Nearly every title seems to be on a topic that I am highly interested in. It is encouraging that with hard work and talent a niche interest like yours (and mine) can be parlayed into a successful career. I am applying to graduate school in the cinema studies department as well, and I would love to write film history, and it would be a wonderful career if someday one of my books sits near yours on a university library shelf somewhere.
best wishes,
Dain Goding
Dept. of Cinema Studies, Tisch School of the Arts, NYU
I am a senior majoring in Cinema Studies at New York University. My favorite films and my area of (certainly not expertise, but of) interest is Hollywood horror films of the 1930s and 1940s. I seem to write about classic horror for the final paper of at least one class every semester, and so I have run across your work before. I referred to "Hollywood Cauldron" when writing a paper on Val Lewton and the philosophical cross-over between horror and film noir last spring. I realized I have seen your name on more than one of my beloved classic horror DVDs, and last time I put in my "Cat People" disc two weeks ago I realized it was you that had done the commentary for that as well.
Anyway, this semester I took a class on Celebrity Culture and wanted to write a fairly short paper on the process of star-making for Lugosi and Karloff. My research turned up your new book pretty quickly, and I was preparing for this paper and reading the brand new edition of "A Haunting Collaboration", I realized that all of that work and research had already been done. I wrote the paper anyway, with your book heavily referenced and cited, but in going through this book I felt compelled to get in touch with you.
I was so thoroughly impressed with this book... with the amount of research, with the interviews, the stills, the posters, the presskits, the studio details, etc. How you got such access to the stars, crews, and minor actors on such ancient movies was constantly on my mind. Even the quotes and epigraphs were impressive! The notes, the filmographies, the index... all were utterly exhaustive. Most of all I was pleased and impressed with the personal touch of the book. So many film histories are detached and academic. While this book more than meets academic standards, it was so refreshing and great to read the subjective impressions and interpretations of a true fan. There is only so much that can be gleaned from publicity shots; a snapshot of you with an 80-year-old, beaming Frances Drake is something truly special. The fact that you are truly a fan and a lover of these films and these stars -- something that I completely share with you, and have for as long as I can remember -- makes this book a joy to read. You as the author, interviewer, and researcher are basically taking the hardcore classic horror film fan on the personal journey that I have always wanted to go on... driving past these stars' old houses, finding the infamous lake where Little Maria fails to float, talking to long-retired starlets, and digging through studio archives and production sheets. It was a true joy to share in the process, from one monster movie fan to another.
Anyway, thank you again for this phenomenal book. As soon as I can I am going to start reading through as many of your books as I can. Nearly every title seems to be on a topic that I am highly interested in. It is encouraging that with hard work and talent a niche interest like yours (and mine) can be parlayed into a successful career. I am applying to graduate school in the cinema studies department as well, and I would love to write film history, and it would be a wonderful career if someday one of my books sits near yours on a university library shelf somewhere.
best wishes,
Dain Goding
Dept. of Cinema Studies, Tisch School of the Arts, NYU
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Blast of Silence
"Blast of Silence", written and directed by and starring Allen Baron and released in 1961 is a low-budget, independent crime thriller made in New York. The story is about Frankie Bono, a heartless and perfectionist professional killer who begins to develop a conscience and decides that maybe he doesn't want to spend the rest of his life alone after all while trailing his next target.
Allen Baron, who also wrote and directed this debut film, stars as the hit man. The cast is minimal, the only other really significant characters being the sleazy mobster he is supposed to assassinate and Laurie, a girl he grew up with in an orphanage who he runs into by chance and starts to spend time with. Laurie is a mousy, apologetic woman who reminds me of Talia Shire's character in "Rocky". She is the only glimmer of hope for Frankie, whose existence and continued success in his chosen profession depends on his secrecy and willingness to be alone.
The film is very independent, and its tiny budget is evident without being distracting. The entire film is shot on location in New York, which is one of the main attractions of the film. The cinematography is beautiful and striking, reminiscent of Raoul Coutard's photography of Paris in the early, black-and-white Godard features but with a more restrained and deliberate sense of composition. (Baron was a visual artist and illustrator before becoming interested in film-making, and it is evident in many of the shots, especially in a quiet sequence in which Frankie reverently cleans and loads his pistol.) Some of the locations look very different -- like 125th street -- and some are virtually unchanged, like the small alley called Commerce Street in the West Village. Some of the other striking locations are Rockefeller Center, where Frankie walks without interest past the giant Christmas tree, and the swamps and marshes of Jamaica Bay, where the film's climax takes place. The film also boasts a dynamic and exciting original jazz score that goes back and forth between suspenseful brassy big band music and sexy small-group jazz with a great vibraphone part.
The most memorable aspect of the film is the narration, read by the unmistakable voice of character actor Lionel Stander. The voice appears to be an omniscient third person, but he frequently refers to the main character as "you" and addresses him specifically, adding subjective interpretations (like "You begin to hate him. You could kill him right now with pleasure."). It becomes evident through the narrator's stream-of-consciousness nature that the voice functions as more of an inner dialogue for Frankie, who would never discuss any of these feelings with anyone else for fear of coming across as weak. The nearly constant inner dialogue with the narrator adds a great deal to the somewhat traditional noir plot and is unlike any other voice-over narration I have ever heard. The film, with the aid of the narration, becomes very philosophical, especially in its final lines, which are textbook existentialism.
Overall, the film reminds me of a more polished and well-written version of Stanley Kubrick's early film "Killer's Kiss". The opening is exactly the same, and both films share a similar look (the secret, candid street photography and raw location shooting, also similar to such classic noir films as "The Naked City"). The plot is different but the feeling is the same; both films are about isolated male anti-heroes having crises of morality. However, the protagonist in Baron's film is infinitely more complex, and the film commits much more to probing his conscience than it does to creating a suspenseful story the way that Kubrick does. "Blast of Silence" is a very compelling post-noir independent masterpiece.
student conference
I just submitted my first paper/presentation to the Cinema Studies student conference. The theme this year is "Questioning Categories in Cinema Studies". I submitted the final paper I wrote for the Advanced Seminar: Film Noir that I took last spring with Chris Straayer which is in my opinion the best piece of academic research and writing I have done so far and, fortunately, fits in almost perfectly with the theme, as it deals with the complications involved in distinguishing between genres.
Here is the title and abstract that I submitted:
The Elusive Noir-ror Film
"In the 1940s, horror films and films noirs shared many visual conventions. Plots also frequently involved murder and suspense. While the stories and imagery are often something that these two iconic genres of the 1940s have in common, they are rarely confused with each other or categorized together. The thing missing from Forties horror is the distinctive existentialist themes associated with film noir. Several films, however, blur the distinctions between the two genres. While many films noirs have plot devices that are supernatural or borrowed from classic horror plots, a more productive approach is to examine the handful of classic, generic horror films that incorporate elements of the philosophy of film noir. An close look at several of the films by the philosophically-minded B-movie master Val Lewton, as well as noir auteur Robert Siodmak's Son of Dracula, reveals a great deal about the themes that distinguish the often difficult-to-define group of films traditionally known as noir."
The conference is on February 19th and 20th. Come out and listen to me read a paper!
Here is the title and abstract that I submitted:
The Elusive Noir-ror Film
"In the 1940s, horror films and films noirs shared many visual conventions. Plots also frequently involved murder and suspense. While the stories and imagery are often something that these two iconic genres of the 1940s have in common, they are rarely confused with each other or categorized together. The thing missing from Forties horror is the distinctive existentialist themes associated with film noir. Several films, however, blur the distinctions between the two genres. While many films noirs have plot devices that are supernatural or borrowed from classic horror plots, a more productive approach is to examine the handful of classic, generic horror films that incorporate elements of the philosophy of film noir. An close look at several of the films by the philosophically-minded B-movie master Val Lewton, as well as noir auteur Robert Siodmak's Son of Dracula, reveals a great deal about the themes that distinguish the often difficult-to-define group of films traditionally known as noir."
The conference is on February 19th and 20th. Come out and listen to me read a paper!
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