dd/mm/yyyy, a film diary.

ADVENTURELAND - Dir Greg MATTOLA - 2009

A solid American college film.  Beautifully shot — the colours at the theme park were nicely saturated on somewhat grainy filmstock.  Nice.  The direction was quite nice as well — each character had a nice three-dimensional quality.  And a few laughs too.  I enjoyed it.

This trailer is shitty — i actually watched three trailers to find a decent one.  And that Violent Femmes song is not in the film.  The film is peppered with Lou Reed tracks.  Couldn’t you use one of those for the trailer?  What’s wrong with the people who sell movies?

PUNCH DRUNK LOVE - Dir PT ANDERSON - 2002

I adore this film.  This film makes me want to make more films.  This film makes me think that I should be working on a feature and not wasting my time with shorts and other people’s projects.

This is an 84-minute modern day classic.   I’m sure film theorists could write papers on so many different aspects of this film.  I would write one on the narrator of the film — what is the invisible creature that is presenting this whacked out vision to us?  Is this all in Barry’s mind?  Or is everything that happens really happening to him (this is what I think) but experienced through his damaged mind?

This film is seriously, insanely amazing.  And hey it’s American!  There are good American films made in the modern era.  Yay!  PT Anderson’s next film would be THERE WILL BE BLOOD.  Another American classic.

And someone posted the lot on youtube yay.

THE BOURNE SUPREMACY - Dir. Paul GREENGRASS - 2004

In my memory, I always thought the style of the Bourne sequel overshadowed the narrative.  On this viewing however, I really enjoyed the style and thought the direction was superior to the first.  I may even say now for the first time ever, that this is indeed a better film than the first.  Though the fight scene is still edited too quickly for my taste.

Perhaps I think this is better now is because of the British director — it’s not really an American film :P

And this trailer, though in the exact stupid style of the first film’s trailer, is marginally better also :)

THE BOURNE IDENTITY - Doug LIMAN

First Bourne film always held up in my memory as the best.  Though on this viewing I noticed flaws I hadn’t before.  Flaws mostly in the editing really.  The narrative is still amazing, as is the action, especially the Mini car chase.

And this trailer is hilarious.  Trailers are a funny art form.  Trailer voice-over artists have funny voices.  Trailer script-writing must be a difficult job.

THE FIVE OBSTRUCTIONS - Lars Von Trier

The only Von Trier I’ve ever seen, and this, the third viewing, my first in the cinema.  A great documentary about Von Trier’s mentor Jorgen Leth, whose comment on waiting and observing is now part of the header on this blog.  Excellent.

This trailer is edited in such a way to make the relationship between Von Trier and Leth appear tense and fractured, when in fact it is much more loving and warm.

so busy — no time to post over last month — try to catch up now

MY WINNIPEG - Dir. Guy Maddin

Easily my favorite Maddin.  Was especially great seeing this in New Zealand in a crowded cinema and laughing at shots of home.   Every scene works in this film, a documentary / fantasy re-creation.  But it’s worth watching for the seance scene alone.  Highly recommended.

ROCK THE BELLS 2006 DIRS: Denis Hennelly & Casey Suchan

Awesome doco about a promoter trying to get the Wu-Tang Clan to play an oversold show in LA.  Intense!  Had me pacing around the flat as I watched.  Gripping.  Nice edit of tonnes of footage.   And the follow-cam on Redman is awesome!   Like DAVE CHAPPELLE’S BLOCK PARTY with tension!

Worth watching for Supernatural’s freestyle alone!  Look at all the exclamation points!

UNFORGIVABLE BLACKNESS 2004 Ken Burns

Four-hour documentary on the first African American heavyweight boxing champion.  This film is fucking brilliant.  Ken Burns puts on a clinic on how to make documentaries suckas!  One of my favorites of all time.

And someone’s posted the whole lot on youtube…..

hey look at all these american films huzzzzzay

ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS 1993 Mel Brooks

A terribly crafted film.  how did the dude who made YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN make this?

Dave Chappelle was a pleasant surprise though.  But in every scene, he looks like he’s embarrassed to be in the film

STAR TREK 2009 JJ Abrams

Yep, watched this again.  Enjoyed it again.  I really like the beaming audio and VFX.  I can’t wait we get that technology for real.