Well Gentle Readers, welcome to entry number three in my wide world of blogging. As we all know, TIFF 2009, will soon descend on our fair city and yours truly is as excited as all get out. As per usual, I will be taking off the entire time, to thoroughly enjoy the full filmic experience. My experience with the festival goes back more than 20 years, back to the halcyon days when it was known as the Festival of Festivals. Over the years, I have had many wonderful experiences at the festival: seeing wonderful, challenging films for starters. I have met celebrities, as well as many interesting journalists, from around the world. I have had the privilege of attending as an 'insider,' as an industry member. I enjoyed all the parties, press screenings and hanging out with my friends in the hospitality suite - I even had a drink named after me(cool). These days, I'm there to see the movies and as always it seems to be a bumper crop: new films from the Coen Bros., Almodovar, Von Trier, Herzog, Haneke et al. I hope to do a daily blog for you my GR's and keep you all apprised of all the films and attendant hoopla. The festival just gets better and better - and bigger and bigger - each year. So on September 10, come with me to the movies, my cinematic cohorts.
T.T.F.N.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
'PULP HITLER' OR 'RESEVOIR NAZIS'
Hello, gentle readers and welcome to blog deux. Well, as promised this blog will be all about Quentin Tarantino's latest flick, 'Inglorious Basterds.' This is the film that Tarantino has always dreamed of making, his magnum opus, his Citizen Kane, if you will. However, before I digress further, let me answer the 'burning' question: is it any good? Well, myself and my intrepid cohort loved it. As most of you know from all the hype and glory, that the film has generated, it is about an elite band of Jewish soldiers, led by Brad Pitt (who is quite good, with limited screen time), who are after Nazi scalps, or is it? While you do see the 'basterds' in action, acquiring those said Nazi scalps (in excruciating detail), they really are not the central story of the movie. The flick is basically about the blowing up of a German cinema, that is showing a Nazi propaganda film, attended by Messrs Goebbels, Himmler, and ole Adolph, himself. You see this Jewish woman Shoshana is running this kino, after escaping a family massacre on her farm and... It's Tarantino, so of course half the fun is getting there.
At this point I must mention an actor who plays SS officer Colonel Landa. His name is Christoph Walz, now I want you to remember that name, because you will be hearing it again around Oscar time. Mr. Walz, has already won an award at Cannes for his performance and it is in the tradition of the great movie baddies of all time - Hans Gruber of Die Hard, Heath Ledger's Joker, hell, even throw in Darth Vader, for good measure, this dude is baaaaaad - which for the film and filmgoer is really good. Besides, speaking a myriad number of languages, Landa is by turns solicitous, unctuous, menacing and downright terrifying. Unfortunately, he seems to be the only one taking the movie seriously. I have to say that I haven't laughed at a movie this much in a long time. Don't get me wrong, it has some of the most violent scenes ever put on celluloid, but it is also hilarious. Tarantino is the master of combining, the gruesome and the humorous and this movie certainly walks a fine line.
Tarantino mostly shot the film, at the famed Babelsberg studios, where those great Dietrich films were shot. He is aided immeasurably, by his ace d.o.p. Robert Richardson, whose shot the best of the Oliver Stone films. The film of course has Quentin's classic off-beat dialogue, sharp editing and bravura set pieces. As I hoped Tarantino, has come through and saved the summer for me and you.
At this point I must mention an actor who plays SS officer Colonel Landa. His name is Christoph Walz, now I want you to remember that name, because you will be hearing it again around Oscar time. Mr. Walz, has already won an award at Cannes for his performance and it is in the tradition of the great movie baddies of all time - Hans Gruber of Die Hard, Heath Ledger's Joker, hell, even throw in Darth Vader, for good measure, this dude is baaaaaad - which for the film and filmgoer is really good. Besides, speaking a myriad number of languages, Landa is by turns solicitous, unctuous, menacing and downright terrifying. Unfortunately, he seems to be the only one taking the movie seriously. I have to say that I haven't laughed at a movie this much in a long time. Don't get me wrong, it has some of the most violent scenes ever put on celluloid, but it is also hilarious. Tarantino is the master of combining, the gruesome and the humorous and this movie certainly walks a fine line.
Tarantino mostly shot the film, at the famed Babelsberg studios, where those great Dietrich films were shot. He is aided immeasurably, by his ace d.o.p. Robert Richardson, whose shot the best of the Oliver Stone films. The film of course has Quentin's classic off-beat dialogue, sharp editing and bravura set pieces. As I hoped Tarantino, has come through and saved the summer for me and you.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
My First Blog
Hello Film Buffs- Well, as the title suggest, this is my first blog- ever!!! I'm very excited and fit to be tied. Here's how it all came to be. I saw the delightful film JULIE AND JULIA (more bout the flick later). To cut to the chase, the author of the same-named book, sets up a 'blog' to chronicle her success at duplicating Julia Child's cookbook. My clever wife,'Julia,' (coincidence?-I think not), said at the end of the film, that I should do a blog, about my first passion, film. I thought it was a dandy idea and set about doing same. my sister, Mindy, is an inveterate blogger, but i'se just a neophyte, but, anyone can now blog, thanks to GOOGLE (email me and I'll tell u how). It took me awhile to come up with a name, but half the fun was brainstorming one. Let me know gentle reader, what you think of the moniker, I came up with.
O.K. here we go, wish me luck. Who agrees with me, that it has been a lousy summer for film (hands - Bueller? Bueller? - homage to the late-great John Hughes). I am like you waiting for Tarantino, to redeem my summer viewing experience, but I still have to wait until Fri for salvation. Imagine having the summer saved by a 'basterd', his spelling).
...AND NOW WITHOUT FURTHER ADO...
My favourite flicks of the summer:
1) PUBLIC ENEMIES
I love Michael Mann and of course Depp. It was well-shot, well-acted and it held my interest throughout.
2) STAR TREK
It was a pleasant surprise full of stuff for 'fanboys' and your regular movie goer, who wouldn't know a 'klingon' from a 'knish.'
3) FUNNY PEOPLE
I know it was too long, and the last 2/3rds dragged, but it was also very funny and was probably Sandlers best flick. My only question is: could Apatow had more family members, on the payroll?
4) THE HANGOVER
Just a good larf and a fun cast.
5)JULIE AND JULIA
The food was sumptuous, la streep stupendous and I enjoyed it alot more than I thought I would.
That's it G.R.'s the rest sucked.
Well, that's it for now. I'll talk to you P.T. (post Tarantino).
T.T.F.N.
O.K. here we go, wish me luck. Who agrees with me, that it has been a lousy summer for film (hands - Bueller? Bueller? - homage to the late-great John Hughes). I am like you waiting for Tarantino, to redeem my summer viewing experience, but I still have to wait until Fri for salvation. Imagine having the summer saved by a 'basterd', his spelling).
...AND NOW WITHOUT FURTHER ADO...
My favourite flicks of the summer:
1) PUBLIC ENEMIES
I love Michael Mann and of course Depp. It was well-shot, well-acted and it held my interest throughout.
2) STAR TREK
It was a pleasant surprise full of stuff for 'fanboys' and your regular movie goer, who wouldn't know a 'klingon' from a 'knish.'
3) FUNNY PEOPLE
I know it was too long, and the last 2/3rds dragged, but it was also very funny and was probably Sandlers best flick. My only question is: could Apatow had more family members, on the payroll?
4) THE HANGOVER
Just a good larf and a fun cast.
5)JULIE AND JULIA
The food was sumptuous, la streep stupendous and I enjoyed it alot more than I thought I would.
That's it G.R.'s the rest sucked.
Well, that's it for now. I'll talk to you P.T. (post Tarantino).
T.T.F.N.
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