what's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?

Friday Flick:
What's a Nice Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This?

Watch this one here and now. It is one of Martin Scorcese's short films when he was a student at New York University.  He obviously understood how to pull together a great team even as a student.  They used almost every film technique they could, like many students do, even so the film still has Scorcese style written all over it.   It's about art, writing, critique and jumping into the unknown.

For more:  I came across this little gem and other first films by famous movie directors on Flavorpill.

the artist is present kicks off the Big Sky Doc Film Fest

Remember my post, the body as medium, Abramovic with a clip from the documentary about the artist, Marina Abramovic?

It plays for FREE (sponsored by HBO), TONIGHT at 6:30 PM at the Wilma Theater in Missoula, Montana and blazes the trail for a fantastic line-up of films at this year's Big Sky Documentary Film Festival.

I'll be posting a few of my own picks on salty snack studios' Facebook page and on Twitter (@TonetteTime) as the fest progresses.

See the schedule (click here) and GO.  You won't regret it. 

just ask love's; the movie

Happy Valentine's from salty snack studios 

a short movie by our fabulous intern from the University of Montana, 

Cassandra James.

not too silly or wild

Friday Flicks:

This week's Friday Flick is really Flicks plural. I want you to know about Art Babble, a website of short videos designed to educate on specific paintings.  Many are specifically arranged for children to tour artworks from collections in different art museums and galleries around the country.  The analysis is pretty basic and a great way to encourage and compliment a youngster's interest in art (or yours).

For example, below is a video on on Post Impressionist, Vincent Van Gogh's 1889 self-portrait.

It's not all dead white guys either.  They also have some videos on some contemporary art and artists as well.  

Here is Polly Apfelbaum installing "Blossom."

Certain works are specifically part of the Children's Video Tour, like this one:

Jan Steen's "The Dancing Couple" from 1663.





The style of the educational videos vary in the editing, the verbal aspect - lecture vs. thought-provoking questions - and music, so if you don't like one, you may still like others.  You can select specific channels on Art Babble's website to help guide you in your interests, too. 

This Friday Flick is not too silly or wild for turning over a new year, but hey, it could be.   Who knows where it could lead?

Check out Art Babble and Play Art Loud (click here)!

 

double dare

Friday Flick:

Double Dare stars Jeannie Epper and Zoe Bell. The movie shows the strength, warmth and resilience of the women stunt doubles behind characters like Wonder Woman and Zena.  Super heroes of their own kind, watch them totally kick ass and beat new paths in a male dominated industry while smiling and laughing along the way.

More:

The Double Dare website (click this).

Watch Double Dare on Hulu (click here).

p.s. I did my own stunt work for a short movie we made on film. We did several takes that didn't end up in the final bit, of course. It was a total blast but I didn't know what I was doing. I'd like to do more stunts and before I do, I plan to learn about proper stunt work.  Ouch!

shoes; a love story from salty snack studios on Vimeo.

double take

(belated) Friday Flick: 

Double Take
2010, Director Johan Grimonprez, Writers Johan Grimonprez and Tom McCarthy, Hitchcock Double Ron Burrage and Hitchcock Voice Ron Perry.

"If you meet your double, you should kill him."



A crazy smart and unique movie.  Watch the trailer:

the yellow handkerchief

Friday Flick:  The Yellow Handkerchief (2008)

A well put together, understated movie of human connection and healing with an outstanding performance by William Hurt matched by the formidable Maria Bello, plus Kristen Stewart and Eddie Redmayne.  This love story flows strong,  steady and ominous as the swampy Louisiana current it's set in.  The Yellow Handkerchief, symbolic of hope, while dingy and worn is still clearly held by the knot of its fabric.

See the trailer on IMDB (Click here).  

the lady and the duke

Friday Flick:

I'm not recommending Sony Classics' The Lady and the Duke (released in 2001) for its story or directing (by legendary Eric Rohmer) or cinematography or performances.  I couldn't even watch the movie in its entirety.  I fast-forwarded.  And that is something that I hardly ever ever do.  I force myself to sit all the way through even the dullest of movies before I judge it.  Sadly, I could not do it with this one.  The tales of an Englishwoman's affairs during the French Revolution appeal to me, but this film did not bring that story to life with any strength. I didn't even hang onto the copy of the DVD to revisit the movie at a different time when I might be more in the mood.  I popped it right back in the mail to Facets.  And I feel vindicated for my disappointment by Stephanie Zacharek's review in Salon among others. 

All that said, I was attracted to the idea of using paintings as sets for a movie.  The painted backdrops have an impressive affect on time and motion, ripening it for sensuality and nostalgia.  In Roger Ebert's review, he describes it as, "a daring visual style in which the actors and foreground action are seen against artificial tableaux of Paris circa 1792. These are not "painted backdrops," but meticulously constructed perspective drawings, which are digitally combined with the action in a way that is both artificial and intriguing."  Unfortunately the action and story do not hold up to the set.  I don't really see how they could. Wow.  That's a hell of a set.  

In the end, even though the movie overall fell short for me, I'm grateful the French New Waver, Rohmer, experimented this way, especially so late in his career.  Apparently he was in his 80s when making the film.  He made something smart, elegant and tempting to the eyes that pushes the way we expect to see a motion picture.

To read more about the artist's thoughts when he, Jean Baptiste Marot, made the paintings for the movie and how they were incorporated technically (for example, note that the actors perform in front of green screens - not the actual paintings), follow this link.  

Sources:
SonyClassics.com

Salon.com

RogerEbert.com

Mubi.com
Facets.org 
Kamera.co.uk 
JeanBaptisteMorot.com

         

the artist

Friday Flick:

For Friday Flicks, I usually post about older or obscure movies to dust them off and find what's fresh outside of the mainstream, but not this week. This Friday Flick is a black and white silent movie produced in 2011 and very hot at Cannes this year.

Hells yeah!  I can't wait to see it. 

Watch the trailer:

Starring Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo, the cast also includes John Goodman, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller, and Missi Pyle. Written and Directed by Michel Hazanavicius. 


(p.s. Thanks Carol for letting me know about it!)

the naked city

Friday Flick:

For me the first time I watched it earlier this year, The Naked City (Netflix link here) fell short of the critical acclaim it enjoyed in 1949 or since.  I was still compelled to watch the Jules Dassin's Noir thriller again.  

I've decided that it is Barry Fitzgerald's casually natural performance as a detective that appeals to me. He definitely paved the way for characters like Columbo, just as an Irishman. He was in a lot of movies, so if you've watched a lot of old ones, you'll probably recognize him.  He's easy to like is all.  The cinematography is solid, too. I appreciated watching the black and white murder mystery plot unfold in 1948 New York City (shot entirely on location rather than in studios).  Even the litter blowing in the streets held my interest. The documentary style compliments the story, too.  

Oddly, and I guess happily, there are a few zinger moments that stood out enough to make me wonder how to develop a drinking game for the movie.  I couldn't think of a game, but I recommend watching the movie with someone else so you can share these zingers.  Maybe it just makes a good social movie.   

Watch for 

• 1) a bold outfit of plaid shorts with a matching plaid cropped top worn by a housewife character in a hideously dated scene on parenting 
• 2) an awesome melodramatic face-slapping scene with a woman (Dorothy Hart) yelling at her fiance (Howard Duff), "You're lying!" 
• 3) a super creepy scene with a pair of hairy sweaty wrestlers. The regular glimpses of NYC subways, store fronts and kids skipping rope.      

I couldn't find a proper trailer but here's a clip:

P.S. It's also freaky to think that Barry Fitzgerald was born in 1888, too.  He died in 1961.  It sounds so old.

wild target

Friday Flick:

Another Bill Nighy film for Friday Flicks this week, but this time with Emily Blunt, Rupert Everett and Rupert Grint and in a very different tone.  A ridiculous and energetic one.  The IMDB one line description: "A hitman tries to retire but a beautiful thief may change his plans." It's lightweight with several interesting and amusing turns.

glorious 39

Friday Flick:

First of all, the film has Bill Nighy in it. We are fans in our household, so he's enough for us.  The drama has a strong cast overall, led by Romola Garai's passionate performance, but all helping to illustrate the emotionally (and politically) contrasting time for the youthful main characters just before WWII in England. The camera work is lush and gently moves the suspenseful story along through a rich English landscape and into grand vacant interiors.  It's been twenty years since I've been in that landscape, and I found myself wanting to strap on some Wellies and walk through the screen right into it.  While a nostalgic depiction of the setting, the film treats wartime corruption with scrutiny and critique. 

The story surrounds a female lead who's personal discovery takes a dark turn into a conspiracy theory of the English upper class's conspiring efforts with Hitler to buy a version of peace for themselves.  Ultimately the film could have been smarter, I imagine with the cast, and faster like modern thrillers as critics have said rather than the slower, naive old-school unfolding that it is. In the end though, I think it is well done and the departure from common patriotic nostalgia into the shushed decomposition of wartime is worth exploring.

 

el bulli

Friday Flick: 

If you love to cook, and if you also love art, you must watch this movie documenting the avant-garde cooking at a restaurant in Spain of the same name, El Bulli.  It's about the art of experiencing food. I'm still thinking about the water, the ice and the frequent obsessiveness that comes with creativity.  And the moments of absurdity and grace found in its pursuit.

 

As an aside, we saw El Bulli in Portland at the very comfy Living Room Theater.  We had just eaten dinner, so I only gobbled down a Lion Bar.  Next time I plan to enjoy a taste from their tapas menu and a glass of wine with my movie.

El Bulli is by archaeologist, language teacher, author and filmmaker, Gereon Wetzel.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

friday flick:

On Her Majesty's Secret Service, while poorly titled, is possibly the best James Bond film ever.  I'm tempted to set out on a 007 marathon to compare them and decide.

Australian actor, George Lazenby, manages the role of 007 very well  in what  turned out to be a speed bump in Sean Connery's run in the part. Lazenby's Bond is not as intense and warm as Connery's but he's still smooth and compelling enough for the story. Apparently audiences were not won over by Lazenby's 007 in 1969, so it's a good thing for the series that Connery came back or the classic adventure series may have come to an end. What makes this film work isn't its star anyway.

Directed by Peter R. Hunt, On Her Majesty's Secret Service stands alone from the series cinematically. The film is less stylized than most of the Bond series, with fewer spy gadgets, quips and series insider references, though there are enough to keep viewers aware of the trademarks. Bond seems more...real. Possibly because the story itself has more romance and mystery, with Bond showing a bit of vulnerability, particularly with his love interest played by Diana Rigg who gets to work a Bond Girl with more dimension and purpose than we can usually expect. The solid direction moves well from the drama and suspense into the action sequences which feel fresh and thrilling, especially the night-time ski chase in the alps which is obviously a handbook for shooting and editing such sequences in future Bond films.  The movie flows as a story and less like a genre formula.  Icing on the cake: Telly Savalas plays the villain. 

While Hunt went on to direct other films and TV, this appears to have been his last  Bond film. What is very interesting is that he had been the editor or supervising editor for five other Bond films (Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, You Only Live Twice, Thunderball).  His influence on the action series during its most impressive phase is significant.   

Writing about it and putting the film and the Bond series in the front of my mind tempts me to do a thorough comparison and organize the  series from best to worst.  Hmm, we'll see.     

Now I'm curious, what's your favorite Bond film?  Or least favorite?

Sixty Six

friday flick:

A British comedy by Paul Weiland based on his own life story, Sixty Six is a solid movie. One of the best I've seen in a while.  12-year-old Bernie struggles with coming of age and feeling forgotten by his family in 1966 U.K. when the big event of his childhood is overshadowed by England's shot at the World Cup.  Helena Bonham Carter, and Eddie Marsan play the parents to newcomer Gregg Sulkin. Released in 2006.  

 

The Hot Rock

Friday Flick:

I'm busy doing some house remodeling so I won't elaborate much on this post.
A few quick reasons to watch The Hot Rock:

• First, Robert Redford is in it.  If that's not enough for you, the whole comedic cast is in top form including George Segal, Ron Leibman, Paul Sand, Moses Gunn, and Zero Mostel.
• Paul Sand perfectly delivers some great lines like "I'll skip over that part if you don't mind," and "I'm gonna tell Mom what you did."
• A young Christopher Guests plays a cop.  "Sire, bombs!  Outside, bombs!"
• Quincy Jones did the soundtrack. 
• It's a light, upbeat 70s heist movie with smarts that made me feel warm and fuzzy inside ... or something nostalgic like that.

Watch the trailer:

Midnight in Paris

Friday Flick:

I wanted to see Midnight in Paris when I read the director's own bit about it in the New York Times (click to read it).  Titled, This Germ of an Idea Calls for an Antibiotic, Woody Allen tells a brief behind-the-scenes story about how he came up with the idea for his latest film. And it's a funny story. I avoided previews, so when the movie came to town, I wasn't sure what to expect except Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, and Carla Bruni somehow linked to each other by Woody Allen's pen.  Oh, and in Paris.  It was enough for me.  

The film is like a nostalgia-filled cocktail of Paris with an American kick of the Now.  A modest, uncomplicated douse of idealist dreaming served straight up  with a chaser of light believability.  I preferred the nostalgic parts over the others, but that probably reveals more about me than the film.  

Highlights: Kathy Bates as Gertrude Stein, Adrian Brody as Salvador Dali, Alison Pill as Zelda Fitzgerald and Corey Stoll  steals  scenes as Ernest Hemingway.  Listen to an interview with him on NPR's All Things Considered.  See it and let me know what you think.

For a compilation of reviews on Midnight in Paris,  see David Hudson's post on MUBI.

waste land: vic muniz

Waste Land is simply a wonderful documentary that I think everyone should see.  Filmmaker Lucy Walker follows artist Vic Muniz from New York back to his homeland in Brazil to create an art project that incorporates materials picked out of the garbage with the help of workers at a massive dump.  The story is about more than art or the process of art or efforts to make change and because Muniz is such a positive character to follow, the sobering topic of poverty is handled with grace and often illustrates levity. 

Here is a link to the movie website. 

Here is a link to the movie on Netflix.

Watch the movie's trailer here:

on the beach

This well-crafted 1959 post-apocalyptic fictional film is set in Australia five years into the future.  Posing a 'what if' scenario after a nuclear war, the film's main characters play out varying reactions to the tragic situation.  Based on Nevil Shute's novel of the same name, Stanley Kramer thoughtfully directs the story with elegant camera choices and long takes with stars Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire (very different from how you usually see Fred) and Anthony Perkins all performing at their best.

Even though the topic is obviously grim, I appreciate how the film maintains a sense of hope and confidence in humanity.  The complex sentiment felt appropriate for  marking Earth Week.  Kramer, the director, (known for other great films like High Noon - though apparently an uncredited Producer of it) is  quoted saying, "I'm always pursuing the next dream, hunting for the next truth."  I clearly felt his passionate pursuit in On The Beach. He also directed 14 different actors in Oscar-nominated performances in his career which is no surprise after watching this film.   

Here is a scene from the film.

cold & flu remedies

I've been under the weather - it's been awhile since I've caught something so I consider myself lucky and I'm not complaining.  Besides, that means extra movie time to me.  In addition to all the tinctures, decongestants, chicken soup and rest, I recommend some feel-good movie time. 

Anything with Cary Grant is a good idea.  This time I started with Frank Capra's  dark comedy Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) which is apparently Grant's least favorite of his own film performances for it being so over the top but I think it suits the script and does the trick. His Girl Friday is also a good one home remedy movie.  Relax and watch all the silliness and quippy dialogue unfold. 

Grant with Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday, 1940

For more current fare (2009), I found a zippy little art heist film, The Maiden Heist, starring Christopher Walken, Morgan Freeman, William H. Macy and Marcia Gay Harden.  The story is good but it's really the character details in the actors' performances that makes it enjoyable.   I also really like all of the cast members, so I'm willing to watch them play together with a slightly goofy script with a few twists. I'm embedding the trailer to watch even though I think it shows too many jokes and storyline.