I’m going to start a new series where I sarcastically thank film critics for overpraising a big bag of bollocks and thus robbing me of time that could have been better spent staring at my reflection in the toilet. Our first entry is Sean Penn’s ‘Into The Wild’, which received many wildly enthusiastic reviews from all sorts of crazy liars. Thanks a lot, guys! That piece of ruminative punishment has brought me three hours closer to the grave!
From the best film-blog out there, Shadowplay; David Cairns is typically astute on Allen the physical comedian in the accompanying post.
I watched Harold and Maude again recently. It still stands up, I think because the surrealism was so ahead of its time, and Harold’s love of death such an enduring teenage theme.
And it’s so funny. I often worry about surrealism in my own comedy–it sometimes seems like cheating to me. But a film like ‘Harold and Maude’ acts as a handy reminder that, when it’s done right–when you establish an internal logic and then stick to it– surreal comedy can levitate you out of your chair with happiness.
I posted this when I was with Livejournal, but it’s so good it bears repeating. Sorry the quality’s not great.
Here’s a question…what is the problem with this film (as expressed through its trailer)?
I haven’t seen it–maybe it’s a masterpiece–but it seems to me that when a film opens up with someone saying to the hero “You have 88 minutes to live”, then it’s hardly a huge blow to find out that the police are after him too. What is the audience supposed to think? “Oh no! He’s only got an hour and a half to live! Not only that, he might go to prison!” If I do go and see it would be out of curiosity over whether it overcomes this self-imposed handicap rather than any concern over the fate of Al Pacino.
I once thought I saw John Cusack in a bar in New York, but it couldn’t have been him because the guy who barged into me and didn’t apologise could never have held a radio over his head on a car with a really sad look on his face. So, as I say, it couldn’t have been him. Still, though, this short clip gives me a lot of pleasure for many complicated reasons.
(via Ken Levine)
On the subject of Batman, how good is this poster for ‘Dark Knight’? I hope Mr.Nolan sent those responsible some non-exploding cigars.
Shadowplay is a fabulous site and you should add it to your bookmarks immediately. David Cairns, talented film-maker and a commenter I always read with interest when he drops by these parts, is uploading his brain onto the internet and the result is just fascinating. His is one of those sites that doesn’t just regurgitate what’s going on elsewhere on the web (like some I could mention), but instead adds to it with fascinating, unique discoveries of his own. Where else would you find something like…oh, Quincy Jones talking about Ingmar Bergman? “I know Ingmar Bergman is supposed to knock out his pictures in two or three weeks, but I’m sure that underneath he chews up twenty tons of rug. He won’t even leave his own city, so don’t tell me what a real secure cat he is.”.
Elsewhere, he’s either digging up some unknown gem and lovingly holding it up to the light or he’s revealing new aspects to films we all feel we know backwards. Today, I’ve found out that Richard Widmark is still alive, seen Audrey Hepburn’s screentest and found out who Henri Alekan is. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
