tag:www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com,2008://2 2008-06-24T07:20:11Z Movable Type 3.32 tag:www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com,2008://2.1128 2008-06-24T06:53:41Z 2008-06-24T07:20:11Z

The Laika studio, Portland home to CG and stop-motion goodstuff, is finishing up Henry Selick's next feature (read: The Nightmare Before Christmas genius who is also looking into another future project about the origins of Halloween), to be distributed by Focus Features on Feb. 6, 2009 and budgeted at $50-70 million (for perspective, 1993's NBC was estimated at $18M). Coraline is based on Neil Gaiman's dark tale of a girl who finds the door to an alternate world and an escape from the boring one she's been living in. Future Laika projects may include Alan Snow's Here Be Monsters! ("a...

The Nightmare Before Christmas genius who is also looking into another future project about the origins of Halloween), to be distributed by Focus Features on Feb. 6, 2009 and budgeted at $50-70 million (for perspective, 1993's NBC was estimated at $18M). Coraline is based on Neil Gaiman's dark tale of a girl who finds the door to an alternate world and an escape from the boring one she's been living in. Future Laika projects may include Alan Snow's Here Be Monsters! ("a steampunk-flavored story set in a fantasy version of 1850s London"), Jack and Ben (about racing bluebirds, eh), and Paranorman (about a zombie-cursed town -- that's more like it). Stay abreast at the Laika site.]]> tag:www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com,2008://2.1122 2008-05-31T21:10:05Z 2008-05-31T21:37:33Z

OK, so there are obvious rules against mixing Star Wars quotes and Sex and the City, but there you have it. A friend of mine put together the ultimate girls night by reserving rows at a S&TC screening to be followed by drinks and gabbing. A good excuse to hang out with the girls and let loose. Other groups disagreed. When we tied off two rows with pink ribbon -- as planned ahead of time through the theatre owner -- we immediately became the target of loud bitching, despite the fact that at the time most of the theatre was...

Star Wars quotes and Sex and the City, but there you have it. A friend of mine put together the ultimate girls night by reserving rows at a S&TC screening to be followed by drinks and gabbing. A good excuse to hang out with the girls and let loose. Other groups disagreed. When we tied off two rows with pink ribbon -- as planned ahead of time through the theatre owner -- we immediately became the target of loud bitching, despite the fact that at the time most of the theatre was theirs for the taking. And that's when I realized we were engulfed in a sea of catty women. Before the film began my friend leaned over and proclaimed, "This will be one of the rudest audiences ever." She nailed that prediction. I expected it to be loud, for kinda funny things to appear particularly funny (it would seem some groups chose to sandwich the show between drinks), and for constant cheering for the foursome on screen. But snide remarks weren't reserved just for the male characters. When a man cheated, the girl behind us said that she obviously wasn't doing what she needed to do to keep her man. Yet on the other side of the room, someone empathized with the situation by saying, "Been there," and the whole audience burst out in support. I felt badly for the few men attending -- this was not their crowd. And the movie? It's hard to reflect on it outside of the atmosphere I viewed it in. Someone accurately noted that it was like a condensed season in one shot. In the beginning they provided a quickie sum up, which was great for folks like myself who have only seen the first few seasons. It was fun, it fit the established tone (though there were a few Obsession commercial moments), it was overflowing with over-the-top fashion, and much like the show, it is best viewed with your girlfriends at your side and a drink in your hand.]]> tag:www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com,2008://2.1121 2008-05-22T17:18:16Z 2008-05-23T17:28:18Z

Sitting in a midnight screening of the latest addition to the Indiana Jones saga, we were expecting to be surrounded by folks our age -- grown kids who grew up on the stuff. My best earliest memory of attending a movie is seeing Raiders at the drive-in, and I still get happy goose bumps whenever I hear the theme music. But these fellow movie geeks were not thirtysomethings, or even twentysomethings...they were high schoolers. And then it hit me -- the last movie in the trilogy was 19 years ago; these kids were not even born yet. I'm feeling my...

latest addition to the Indiana Jones saga, we were expecting to be surrounded by folks our age -- grown kids who grew up on the stuff. My best earliest memory of attending a movie is seeing Raiders at the drive-in, and I still get happy goose bumps whenever I hear the theme music. But these fellow movie geeks were not thirtysomethings, or even twentysomethings...they were high schoolers. And then it hit me -- the last movie in the trilogy was 19 years ago; these kids were not even born yet. I'm feeling my age, and I'm not that old. Well, at least they have good taste (even if they were probably just there for Shia).]]> tag:www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com,2008://2.1119 2008-05-16T08:55:13Z 2008-05-16T09:22:25Z

PBS has announced their upcoming POV lineup, including the much buzzed about The Ballad of Esequiel Hernández and other docs that provide a raw look at the world's chaos. POV is a fantastic documentary series that nabs great filmmakers and puts their work on your TV. That's right -- your TV. For free (well, unless you'd be so kind as to make a donation to your local PBS station). And it's wonderfully interactive. POV doesn't just want to start the conversation, they want to continue to be involved. They encourage feedback and provide teacher's guides. Want a taste? Check out...

PBS has announced their upcoming POV lineup, including the much buzzed about The Ballad of Esequiel Hernández and other docs that provide a raw look at the world's chaos. POV is a fantastic documentary series that nabs great filmmakers and puts their work on your TV. That's right -- your TV. For free (well, unless you'd be so kind as to make a donation to your local PBS station). And it's wonderfully interactive. POV doesn't just want to start the conversation, they want to continue to be involved. They encourage feedback and provide teacher's guides. Want a taste? Check out a few from last year's line up: Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, Rain in a Dry Land and 49 Up.]]> tag:www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com,2008://2.1118 2008-05-15T23:15:15Z 2008-05-16T08:34:42Z

I admit it. I'm enamored with Werner Herzog; there's no rhyme or reason. He gets dirt under his nails as he's going against the grain, and he has no regard for classic filmmaking style. What good is a documentary if you can't manipulate it? What good is a cast if you can't hypnotize them? Thus said the Book of Herzog. His latest effort finds him tackling the off-the-cuff and off-the-radar hit, Bad Lieutenant. Swap Keitel for Nic Cage, keep the grit, add Herzog. Nothing's surprising. But wait, there's more. Herzog is hookin' up with the king of deliciously nonsensical nightmares,...

tackling the off-the-cuff and off-the-radar hit, Bad Lieutenant. Swap Keitel for Nic Cage, keep the grit, add Herzog. Nothing's surprising. But wait, there's more. Herzog is hookin' up with the king of deliciously nonsensical nightmares, David Lynch, to create My Son, My Son, "a horror-tinged murder drama based on a true story." Well now, that just makes sense.]]> tag:www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com,2008://2.1117 2008-05-14T06:37:26Z 2008-05-16T03:56:44Z

Turn up the dial, it's time for Fahrenheit 9/11: The Bush Legacy. Michael Moore is set to crank out a 2009 follow-up to the doc that rocked the White House. Hopefully this time we'll be able to view his commentary a few steps farther from tyranny....

Fahrenheit 9/11: The Bush Legacy. Michael Moore is set to crank out a 2009 follow-up to the doc that rocked the White House. Hopefully this time we'll be able to view his commentary a few steps farther from tyranny. ]]> tag:www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com,2008://2.1116 2008-05-11T19:11:11Z 2008-05-14T06:37:07Z

Check out the teaser for the upcoming film Tôkyô! by three non-Japanese directors: Michel Gondry (Be Kind Rewind), Bong Joon Ho (The Host) & Leos Carax. OK, the teaser tells us nothing, but I'm still strapping in for a good time. (If anyone knows how to cheat & translate the page...)...

Check out the teaser for the upcoming film Tôkyô! by three non-Japanese directors: Michel Gondry (Be Kind Rewind), Bong Joon Ho (The Host) & Leos Carax. OK, the teaser tells us nothing, but I'm still strapping in for a good time. (If anyone knows how to cheat & translate the page...)]]> tag:www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com,2008://2.1115 2008-05-10T09:01:01Z 2008-05-14T06:10:15Z

Do you remember when the world was fused as one? Hopefully not, but today you can experience that feeling as the globe becomes united by film for Pangea Day. Broadcast in seven languages over as many continents (well, almost), movies provide a connection. Give -- watch -- be happy....

when the world was fused as one? Hopefully not, but today you can experience that feeling as the globe becomes united by film for Pangea Day. Broadcast in seven languages over as many continents (well, almost), movies provide a connection. Give -- watch -- be happy.]]> tag:www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com,2008://2.1113 2008-05-09T21:40:06Z 2008-05-09T21:59:10Z

Warner Bros. has put the locks on Picturehouse and Warner Independent Pictures. The "specialty" divisions have presented great films such as Picturehouse's La Vie en Rose, Pan's Labyrinth and the upcoming Mongol, and WIP's The Painted Veil, A Very Long Engagement and Paradise Now. Good riddance. Mindless schlock is where it's at....

Warner Bros. has put the locks on Picturehouse and Warner Independent Pictures. The "specialty" divisions have presented great films such as Picturehouse's La Vie en Rose, Pan's Labyrinth and the upcoming Mongol, and WIP's The Painted Veil, A Very Long Engagement and Paradise Now. Good riddance. Mindless schlock is where it's at.]]> tag:www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com,2008://2.1112 2008-04-25T05:19:58Z 2008-04-25T07:37:28Z

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) digs deep into the vault with their Lost and Found series, dedicated to presenting restorations of films which represent important stepping stones in cinematic history. On April 27, the series recognizes Abel Gance, the French director who inspired generations of filmmakers. An innovator of unquestionable talent, his mechanics and editing techniques were revolutionary in the early 1900s and almost shocking when rediscovered in the 1950s. The tribute begins with the 1968 documentary, Abel Gance: The Charm of Dynamite, directed by Kevin Brownlow, the film historian who would restore Gance's masterpiece, Napoléon, in 1981. By reviewing the...

On April 27, the series recognizes Abel Gance, the French director who inspired generations of filmmakers. An innovator of unquestionable talent, his mechanics and editing techniques were revolutionary in the early 1900s and almost shocking when rediscovered in the 1950s. The tribute begins with the 1968 documentary, Abel Gance: The Charm of Dynamite, directed by Kevin Brownlow, the film historian who would restore Gance's masterpiece, Napoléon, in 1981. By reviewing the impressive use of rapid cutting, split screens and multiple screens (why use one screen when you can use three, as displayed by his triptych predecessor to American CinemaScope), his drive for perfection was matched only by his inventive resourcefulness. The documentary samples original clips of the silent films J'accuse and La Roue, which make Sunday's world premiere of the digital restorations of both films all the more striking. When Gance was sent to the army, they did not know what to do with the playwright and ultimately gave him the assignment of documenting World War I on film. After numerous friends died on the war front, Gance boldly chose to emphasize the folly of war in the 1919 film, J'accuse (I Accuse). He prophetically used actual French and American soldiers to portray a March of the Dead, 80 percent of whom he claimed ultimately perished in the war. Nearly 90 years later the film looks clear and beautiful – a testament not only to the work of the Parisian Lobster Film Studios and the Netherlands Filmmuseum for their digital restoration but also to Gance himself. Subtly utilizing tricks that may seem simple now, such as overlapping frames to create ghostly characters and dancing skeletons (preceding Jason and the Argonauts by 44 years), the techniques never distract from the story. Gance carefully unfolds the love triangle enveloped by war in three parts over as many hours and packs an anti-war punch in the process as families lose fathers and husbands and those who survive are dramatically changed by the process. Gance's 1923 film, La Roue (The Wheel), was inspired by the lost love of his life, and the filming schedule was dependent on time not spent caring for his sick sweetheart. Set the DVR, because this film (also restored by Lobster Film Studios) clocks in at four hours, but like the former film the tragic love story is worth the time taken to appreciate it. TCM presents an era in film history that should not be forgotten and a rare chance to witness the early steps in creative cinema that are anything but amateur. ]]> tag:www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com,2008://2.1109 2008-04-21T07:25:54Z 2008-04-21T08:05:42Z

Because Americans hate subtitles, Paris, je t’aime has been reworked as New York, I Love You. Instead of the 20 arrondissements of the city of love (18 filmed), NYILY will dig into the five boroughs of the city o' big apple (divvied up 12 ways). Instead of the Coen Bros., Walter Salles and Tom Tykwer, the new film will include shorts by Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman and Brett Ratner. Hmm. NYILY directors: Yvan Attal (My Wife Is an Actress), Allen Hughes (Dead Presidents), Shunji Iwai (All About Lily Chou-Chou), Wen Jiang (In the Heat of the Sun), Scarlett Johansson (debut),...

Paris, je t’aime has been reworked as New York, I Love You. Instead of the 20 arrondissements of the city of love (18 filmed), NYILY will dig into the five boroughs of the city o' big apple (divvied up 12 ways). Instead of the Coen Bros., Walter Salles and Tom Tykwer, the new film will include shorts by Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman and Brett Ratner. Hmm. NYILY directors: Yvan Attal (My Wife Is an Actress), Allen Hughes (Dead Presidents), Shunji Iwai (All About Lily Chou-Chou), Wen Jiang (In the Heat of the Sun), Scarlett Johansson (debut), Joshua Marston (Maria Full of Grace), Mira Nair (The Namesake), Natalie Portman (debut), Brett Ratner (X-Men: The Last Stand), Andrei Zvyagintsev (The Return), Fatih Akin (The Edge of Heaven) and Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth: The Golden Age)]]> tag:www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com,2008://2.1103 2008-04-15T17:09:09Z 2008-04-16T06:10:41Z

Known for roles that range from cruel candyman to nebbish accountant to mad scientist, few actors hold such a place of honor in the comic hall of fame than Gene Wilder. Surprisingly, the 74-year-old actor has only starred in 22 feature films, but his characters remain some of the most memorable. Turner Classic Movies (TCM) premieres the special program, "Role Model: Gene Wilder," on Tuesday. For the tribute, Alec Baldwin conducts an intimate conversation with his acting hero while wandering the grounds of the Waveny house in Wilder's home state of Connecticut, his home far away from Hollywood. The two...

The Producers. This relationship would spur two other comic classics, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, which would inspire a generation of quote-ready fans. Wilder is a thoughtful and open interviewee, and as Baldwin slips in comparisons from his own career, his knowledge of behind-the-scenes Hollywood helps to create an easy dialogue. They discuss Wilder's break from stage to screen to directing, his inspirations, his manic balance between over the top characters and those who require a bit more confidence, and the relationships that occurred off screen. Baldwin gently discusses Wilder's famous marriage to the late comic actress Gilda Radner, which Wilder quietly reviews before gushing over his present 16 year marriage with wife Karen Boyer. The Wilder mini-fest begins on TCM on Tuesday with "Role Model" followed by Wilder's films The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Start the Revolution without Me.]]> tag:www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com,2008://2.1101 2008-04-07T01:54:20Z 2008-04-07T02:10:45Z

It may not be the Village Roadshow, but upscale and arty theatres are recognizing their adult audiences by serving alcohol. The two art house theatres (the lovely Camelot Theatres & Cinémas Palme d'Or) in my neck of the woods serve alcohol without trouble. Their audiences are often more mature than the usual blockbuster followers and can handle the responsibility. Read all about it....

Village Roadshow, but upscale and arty theatres are recognizing their adult audiences by serving alcohol. The two art house theatres (the lovely Camelot Theatres & Cinémas Palme d'Or) in my neck of the woods serve alcohol without trouble. Their audiences are often more mature than the usual blockbuster followers and can handle the responsibility. Read all about it. ]]> tag:www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com,2008://2.1100 2008-04-06T01:42:38Z 2008-04-07T01:47:13Z

Michael Chabon has earned attention for books that have made it to the big screen, and the Pulitizer in his pocket doesn't hurt. A really nice guy who is still awkwardly humble, it was a pleasure to interview him when he came to town to present a lecture....

it was a pleasure to interview him when he came to town to present a lecture.]]> tag:www.criticalmassfilmhouse.com,2008://2.1099 2008-04-05T01:39:11Z 2008-04-07T01:46:43Z

Mimi Weddell is a trip. At 93-years-old, she's as fiery as ever, and an engaging focus for the doc, Hats Off. Check out my interview with this fascinating woman....

Hats Off. Check out my interview with this fascinating woman.]]>