Dogfight (1991)

River Phoenix, Holly Near, and Lili Taylor

Whatever your personal feelings on love, affection, attraction, etc. you cannot deny a chemical and consequently emotional hubbub exists when two cutie pies recognize a certain something in the other. Relaying this believably on film isn't easy. In fact most often the unfortunate movie goer is subject to indecent acts of gross fiction about love and the like. But every so often there comes along a film that lets us relish in love's possibilities rather than scoff at Hollywood's paltry attempts. Nancy's Savoca's 1991 indy flick Dogfight is just such a gem.

The film's cover art featuring Phoenix and Taylor

The Basics: It's 1963 and Eddie (River Phoenix), a handsome young Marine about to ship out to Southeast Asia, picks up Rose (Lili Taylor) in the hopes of winning $100 in San Francisco's "Dogfight" - a Marine tradition where soldiers throw a party and the one with the ugliest date wins. Pretty simple rules really, unless your clever, albeit not classically attractive date gets hip to your heartless jive and punches you in the face. Determined not to be a complete cad, Eddie spends the evening romancing a proud, but open-minded Rose. Shot in the city and terrifically romantic, Dogfight presents a blushworthy new take on the never judge a book by its cover genre.

What can we say? Millie and I are absolute suckers for a love story. From Stardust and It Happened One Night, to The Baxter, Before Sunrise, and The Philadelphia Story we're chronically a pair of smitten kittens! So it should come as no surprise that finding a shiny new romance sincere enough to garner a silent smile (our highest form of appreciation) merits a post.

But what is it that makes Dogfight so unusual?

Of course, story and acting. I will not spend too much time on these as I know you are extremely intelligent reader and have already deduced that since we like the film, it stands to reason that's because talented actors are manning the helm of a frightfully well scripted ship. All I will say is this: River, I really miss you. You had such great things ahead. Taylor, strong, non nonsense characters that aren't a blond size 0? Groovy.

Moving on.

Period is one of Dogfight's great strengths. A college professor once told me period pictures rarely "get it right" because directors aren't willing to fully immerse their actors in another generation. The dead give away, he contends, is hair style. For example, Dirty Dancing seems much more 80's than 60's, and goodness knows the epic Civil War era mini series North and South is terribly dated, and I don't mean talking antebellum, but Dogfight in no way looks early 90's. This keen ability to transcend its release date only adds to the whole transcendental nature of the romance, the connectedness if you will. Not that reeking of the 90's would be negative necessarily, but with River's history being locked in that particular time period, it would deter from the film itself. However, from costumes, to environment, and especially sound, Dogfight wears more comfortably its Vietnam-era film land helmet than its early 90's indy flick crocheted beanie.

Taylor and Phoenix

And oh the music.

As some have fallen in love with Wes Anderson for Bowie, Nick Drake, the Kinks, and The Stones, or had their hipster heart alight with Sofia Coppola's brilliant use of Siousie, New Order, My Bloody Valentine, and Air, Dogfight's score hits a major Millie home run. If Music Supervisor Jeffrey Kimball had raided my record collection he couldn't come closer to a who's who of Jenny loves: Joan Baez, early Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, Odetta, Van Morrison, even Leo Kottke for the closing credits.

When Rose races home after punching a deserving Eddie in the face she puts on Joan Baez's mournful "Silver Dagger" a song I have worn out on my vinyl! Reader, I simply cannot tell you how many times, whether content or melancholy, I have put on Joan Baez Vol. 1 (bless you Vanguard) and been brought to tears by this tune our protagonist so clearly identifies with

"all men are false, says my mother/
they'll tell you wicked, lovin' lies/
and the very next evening they'll court another/
leave you alone to pine and sigh"

And then how many times have I followed my Baezing with Dylan's The Freewheelin', and while "Corrina, Corrina" is my favorite song, "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" is a very close second and also appears in the film! Then of course there's Rose's bedroom, littered with pictures of Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Malvina Reynolds (who wrote "Little Boxes"), Baez, Odetta, and Dylan. Holy fitting soundtrack Batman! Ideal for setting the scene AND making Jenny fall in love with you.

Phoenix and Taylor

Another chord Dogfight strikes on my pulmonary banjo is its sheer, unadulterated San Francisco-ness. (I grew up visiting the city and ended up moving there in 2004. Millie lived across the bay for almost 30 years.) And I'm not only talking Golden Gate or Haight Street shots readers, but lesser known spots you'd have to know to appreciate: Chinatown side streets, City Lights bookstore, the Tunnel Top bar. The Tunnel Top, whose signed hasn't changed since 1963 when the film takes place, was one of the first bars I ever visited when I moved to the city. I remember they were projecting Jacques Tati's Monsieur Hulot's Holiday and the place was completely empty, save the handsome tattooed bartender. It was heaven. But I digress . . . city = backdrop = perfect scenery.

Perhaps my only qualm, if I were to have any at all, would be the chemistry between the two actors. While the romance is trustworthy, I have to admit wanting some deeper connection between the two. I know, I know, I'm asking for Before Sunrise here and that bond certainly doesn't come around too often, but there is a certain something, one can put their finger on but not quite articulate, that could have scored just one more bee . . . still, the main deterrent from my enjoying every square inch of Dogfight was the poor tracking on my VHS, not that extra little lovin' between our lead actors.

Let me be perfectly clear, Dogfight is not a good movie because environment and soundtrack resonate with this particular critic. It's a tenderly acted, well written film that doesn't betray its place and time and yet remains accessible and true. And the love story is enchanting. While some of the other VHS from my recent stash will live forever as magnetized tape, this one most certainly deserves an DVD upgrade.

Millie's bees to knees meter (1 bee = blah, 10 bees = hoo-rah!) 8

Director: Nancy Savoca
Starring: River Phoenix, Lili Taylor
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Released: 1991

V.ery H.appenin' S.tash: Jenny and Millie Go VHS Crazy

Hello there reader! If you've visited with us before, perhaps you remember our mentioning the cat's meowtastic sale local video hocker Waterfront Video has been tantalizing Millie and me with for months? Well, it's buy one VHS tape, get one free. Oh yes reader, you heard me correctly, find one incredible title and get a second at no charge! Even in our unemployement, Millie and I simply can't miss a week without visiting this ridiculous sale, and have been amassing quite a collection (I'll have to move my soundtrack and instrumental vinyl soon just to make room!). Now we have 8 new films to add to our collection. Wheeeeee!!!!

Rambling Rose (1991), dir. Martha Coolidge
Starring: Laura Dern, Robert Duvall, Diane Ladd (Dern's mama), Lukas Haas
*Haven't seen



Muriel's Wedding (1994), dir. P.J. Hogan
Starring: Toni Colette, Rachel Griffiths, Bill Hunter
*Haven't seen



To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995), dir. Beeban Kidron
Starring: Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, JOhn Leguizamo, Blythe Danner, Stockard Channing



Terms of Endearment (1983), dir. James L. Brooks BEST PICTURE 1983
Starring: Debra Winger, Shirley MacLaine, Jack Nicholson
*Haven't seen



Beaches (1988), dir. Garry Marshall
Starring: Better Midler, Barbara Hershey, John Heard



Dirty Dancing (1987), dir. Emile Ardolino
Starring: Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Jerry Orbach



Dogfight (1991), dir. Nancy Savoca
Starring: River Phoenix, Lily Taylor
*Haven't seen



Eyes Without a Face (1959), dir. Georges Franju
Starring: Pierre Brasseur, Edith Scob, Alida Valli
*Haven't seen


If any strike a chord you know we'd love to hear your tune . . . goodbye for now reader!

Open Forum: Titus (1999)

I'm a bit overwhelmed after watching Julie Taymor's titillating adaption of Uncle Bill's Titus Andronicus, which may have a little something to do with a darn cold Millie and I picked up celebrating All Hallow's Eve, but more than likely has to do with this sumptuous eye banquet!

So, tell us your thoughts. I know Titus is exceedingly popular with filmies and theatre nerds alike so please enlighten us with your interpretation. Or perhaps you can guess which bit has officially entered Jenn Jarecki's Favorite Scenes of All Time? Here's a hint: three quarter turn.

Comment away!

Gigantic (2008)

Paul Dano and Zooey Deschanel

Reader, are you aware that I'm completely enamored with Paul Dano? Millie thinks my schoolgirl crush is footnote-able, but the truth is, without my sincere admiration for Msr. Dano there would have been no renting of Matt Aselton's Gigantic and probably much less enjoyment of it. Gigantic, a fine addition to the pregnant indyrom genre (yea, we made it up), is first and foremost a Dano vehicle. And trust me reader, I am so. on. board.

The basics: Brian Weathersby (Dano) is a mild mannered 28 year-old salesman in an upscale Manhattan mattress warehouse. Despite a violent, vindictive homeless man on his trail (Zach Galifianakis) and an innate, lifelong desire to adopt a Chinese baby, Brian's life seems relatively simple - and somewhat lonely. After selling her eccentric father a bed (played by a saucy John Goodman), Brian becomes involved with the effervescent, complex Happy (Zooey Deschanel). The stage is set, so turn off your Air France vinyl, stowe that knitting, and put away the latest Nylon, we're reviewing an indy pic!

Deschanel and Dano, oh to switch places with that gal for just a scene!

Oh dear, did that sound cynical? Gigantic is certainly no ephemeral Garden State (a film Millie and I obviously dislike), but rather a mostly-successful Broken English type, exceptional in a few categories, very capable in others, and rather predictable in what remains. What I mean to say is, Gigantic will be watchable and impressive for years to come, but is not (entirely) timeless.

What works is Dano. And not simply because he's a walking-talking Jenny turn on, but because he's one of the most talented actors of his generation, a fact made abundantly clear since L.I.E, holding his own against Brian Cox at the ripe old age of 13. Dano executively produced Gigantic, and while I'm speculating, one has to think Aselton either had him in mind or built the film around him. The role is clearly meant for Dano, not that he's typecast as Weathersby, rather he casts the type.

Dano's timing is perfection, and let me tell you, timing and subtly are two traits most young American film actors rarely master. One could argue editor Beatrice Sisul (who's Hollywood tried and true) did her job better than Dano, but there are certain things one simply can't edit. You cannot edit in precise timing and precise timing equals good intuition and good intuition equals a finely crafted performance. Dano's Weathersby is complex and intriguing, and something most indyrom protagonists aren't: grounded and courageous. To my mind, this performance will be a legacy of the film and Dano's career, certainly not in its severity like There Will Be Blood or its quirkiness like Little Miss Sunshine, but in its meticulousness. And yet it's clear Dano continues to grow and mature, so it comes as no shock that Millie and I are pleased as punch to witness his future choices (and hear him in Spike Jonze's Where The Wild Things Are in one short week!).

Now, I have directed enough shows to know that one fine actor does not a successful piece make, and Deschanel, Goodman, and Ed Asner are all quite good. However, there is nothing particularly revelatory about any of their performances.

The "Happy" couple: Dano and Deschanel

Deschanel is Deschanel. How descriptive. If you have never seen a film of her's she is adorable, quirky, stylish, sincere, and borderline annoying. I actually don't find her annoying, I mean she played Trillian in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for goodness sake, she can't be all bad, but many people find her to have the Bjork-Joanna Newsom-Gilbert Godfrey affect: you just have to be in the right mood.

I often find her quite lovable and think she's done a very capable job here. I was a bit concerned Deschanel might go overboard with the quirk, but she is actually restrained, though on the whole her performance lacks the depth and believability of Dano's. Rather than inspiring Holly Golightly timeless vulnerable eccentricity, the performance fee;s like a mummified Winona Ryder role, much more effective in the here and now. I realize this sounds harsh, and trust me I do like this actress and think her very talented, but she also strikes me as so quintessentially perfect for this indy movement (She & Him, short black bangs, a general lack of blond implant-ness) that her casting in Gigantic feels almost trendy. (If you like Deschanel, or want to be won over by her, I suggest Winter Passing, not necessarily a critical favorite, but full of great performances by Deschanel, Will Ferrell, and Ed Harris.)

Dano, Goodman, and Sean Dugan

Goodman, who really should be renamed Greatman (oh come on, you love it), is a joy to watch as Happy's flamboyant father, but it's so easy for him. He's John Goodman for goodness sake! He could do this role in his sleep, not that he's cashing it in, Mr. Goodman is far too professional for that, but to give you a Coen brothers reference meter this performance is much more O' Brother Where Art Though and much less Barton Fink. For those readers who have seen neither film, or only one, here's some theatre jargon: more background than foreground, but titillating scenery nonetheless.

Just a favorite Dano pic from the ol' archives . . .

The last two successful elements I'll discuss? Music and symbolism. Aselton made a very wise decision to incorporate original, old, and new music, lending this relatively new film an antique quality. From Edith Frost's "A Mirage" , to Animal Collective's "Did You See The Words", and Richard and Linda Thompson's "I Want To See the Bright Lights Tonight" (smart, smart choice), we have a bevy of hipster-riffic artists that match an equally cool moving picture palate, complimenting and enhancing the story, rather than scene stealing. Gigantic in no way suffers from awesome music being thrown in for awesome's sake (no "New Slang" problems here Zach Braff), which to my mind encourages the film's endurance.

Symbolism: there is a healthy amount, and while not all of it is entirely clear, it entices one to rewatch the film. Adam Nagata's script is intelligent, funny and, with Aselton's direction, becomes appropriately stark amidst vivid slice of life elements. I will not get into a lengthy detailing of the film's symbolism or what Millie and I think it all means, as we've kept you long enough, but if you see Gigantic I am happy to discuss it over commenting (coughcommentpleasecommentharumph).

As an addendum, I have no idea what heart and soul went into the making of this film, though I am sure ample amounts of both were unquestionably applied. Most critics tend to focus on the big pictures - actors, cinematography, story - but we have no idea the great chasms crossed to make these 2 hours of entertainment. I don't have a filmmaker's background and there are certain elements I cannot speak to with any knowledge, just an overall view from a onetime screening. Why am I writing this? Perhaps I feel a bit guilty for categorizing Gigantic so cleanly when there is so much to the story I don't know. To say that Paul Dano is this movie takes out of the equation hundreds of people that allowed him to shine. Perhaps I should say he is the crown jewel in a great achievement, one that is not sublimely brilliant, but heartfelt and quite honestly, depending on my mood, that may be preferable.

Millie's bees to knees meter (1 bee = blah, 10 bees = hoo-rah!): 7.25

Director: Matt Aselton
Starring: Paul Dano, Zooey Deschanel, John Goodman, Ed Asner
Distributor: First Independent Pictures
Released: 2008

Carrington (1995)

Lytton Strachey (Jonathan Pryce) and Dora Carrington (Emma Thompson)

As I have mentioned in passing, Burlington's best independent rental spot Waterfront Video is unloading a score of well maintained VHS tapes with their tempting "buy one get one free" sale. In our unemployed state Millie and I have perhaps been overzealous, but there are simply too many good titles resist! L.I.E., Hilary and Jackie, Rope, Rebecca, Strangers on a Train (oh Hitchcock), Basquiat, dozens of others, and those films I haven't seen but purchased (or received free) on a whim. And that, dearest reader, is how I found Christopher Hampton's Carrington.

I had never heard of this film before, have you? It's certainly not a household name in the circles in which Millie and I run, my word, it's not even a whisper. Perhaps you know the famous Dora Carrington off whom the story is based? The VHS spine immediately grabbed my attention: it has unusual typography, scrawly and uneven, with the "C" encased in a faux woodblock adorned with a woman's face. I flipped it to see an extremely young and intensly visaged Emma Thompson in the arms of a heavily bearded Jonathan Pryce. The cover read "Emma Thompson's finest performance" and the word sex was mentioned at least three times on the back, so I thought "it's free, why the Earl Grey not?" Plus the name Christopher Hampton kept ringing a bell . . . which of course, I found out later, is because he wrote the screenplay to a little sleeper movie you may have heard of, Atonement?

The Basics: For most of her post-pubescent life, gifted British painter Dora Carrington (Thompson) was madly devoted to homosexual writer Lytton Strachey (Pryce). Defying convention, they built a life together, engaging in affairs and Carrington even a separate marriage, but never denying their oft spoken, oft misunderstood bond. Despite the lovers they took and the challenges they faced, Carrington and Strachey were completely committed to each othe, until they both passed away in 1932, he of cancer, she of suicide 2 months later.

Carrington's portrait of Strachey (1916)

Carrington is one part period piece, one part biography, and five parts love story. I know the math doesn't add up, but what do you expect, I'm a film junkie, not a numbers gal. The point is, more than anything this film is about the big L, defining it in such a way as is rarely done: exposing not only the sublime and excruciating, but the ebb and the flow, the excitement and the ennui, the relationship. While driving in the car today, Waterfront Video-er Seth Jarvis said it's rare that a film shows relationships that aren't either just beginning or in some chaotic state. Infrequent is the "hey, here's a relationship midstream, plugging along" or as Seth put it "two people committed to each other moving forward." Well Seth, Carrington is such a film.

And the best part? It's very well researched and quite true! Carrington and the very out Strachey did share many years together, living in multiple country homes, and though she married and had multiple affairs, as did he, they were virtually inseparable.

Thompson sporting Carrington's signature bob

Thompson's finest performance? I'm cannot say for certain, because there are so many performances of hers I've not seen, but she is exquisite. Thompson fully embodies a well researched character and gives us a woman with faults, intensity, hypocrisy, and great beauty. Dora Carrington, it seems, never cared for people's opinion of her. She wore her hair the same way for almost 20 years (a severe bob with bangs that would later become all the rage) and riding pants or shapeless dresses (that Millie and I simply adore). She loved a man who lusted after men; she doted on him like a wife, she planned a future that would always include him, and she made a home with him. And it all inspired her to paint beautifully.

Pryce is, oh dare I say it . . . Pryceless. Oh I did it! Okay, scoff, but I couldn't resist, I simply love word play . . . though in all seriousness he is method method method and it's heaven. I have never met Lytton Strachey, but Pryce's performance is so thorough it looks almost easy, almost second nature, and I have to believe he nailed it.

A photo of Carrington (far left) and Strachey (far right)

When you have an actor driven piece, design and directorial elements must be equally and seamlessly stellar, or the film, and its lead performances, will surely suffer. Period pieces have all the more places to drop the cricket ball so to speak, but quite marvelously Carrington holds together these elements so that Thompson and Pryce shine brighter than pale English skin on holiday in Corsica. Art Director Frank Walsh, Costume Designer Penny Rose, and hair and make-up guru Christine Beveridge (who worked wonders in The Informant!, Legends of the Fall, Twelve Monkeys, and on oodles more noteworthy Hollywood coifs), execute their charges with such modest precision that one immediately grasps time and place, attentive to the heavy hitters of stage and screen.

Carrington and Strachey. Look at both of these pictures and tell me the art department didn't do its homework - bravo!

In fact, Hampton's crew did such a perfect job with quintessential Britishness that this film, quoted on its back cover as having "sexual pursuits which erupt again and again in angry passion", is actually as dry as a pack of stale crisps. Let me clarify, Carrington is not bereft of passion, love, or sex but any means, in fact its depiction of a long-term working relationship is quite rich, it's just the actual sex scenes are shot with traditional British reserve. I suppose there is one somewhat racy scene, but for this Yank, it's positively tame. Oh, good old American desensitizing. It is a British film with British actors shot in Britain about British artists, I guess I have no basis to complain that it's awfully proper. Though I'm glad to have set the record straight, Carrington is very good film, though not a lusty one.

Enjoy this artwork, we certainly do.

Tidmarsh Mill

Farm at Watendlath (1921)

Bookplates for Lytton

Millie's bees to knees meter (1 bee = blah, 10 bees = hoo-rah!): 7.75

Director: Christopher Hampton
Starring: Emma Thompson, Jonathan Pryce, Steven Waddington, Rufus Sewell, Samuel West, Alex Kingston, Jeremy Northam
Distributor: Universal Pictures France
Released: 1995

Post-Employment, what a month it's been . . .

Oh reader, why has it been such a long time since we've reminisced about the pictures? Well, perhaps you're reading this far in the future, or have just found us (welcome friend), but if you fall into that modest but discerning group of steadfast fans you'd know that Millie and I have been dreadfully absent. Maybe it's because of my annual Carnivale watching, or the CSI meets True Blood meets Magnum PI series Moonlight. Most likely it's because one short month ago my parents lost their stationery business of fifteen years.

After making the final decision, we closed a hectic fourteen days later and I found myself without a job, health insurance, and a certain something I had taken for granted would simply always be there. But you know what reader? Richard Burton died of alcoholism, Greta Garbo stopped making films during the height of her career, and Wes Anderson used to make original movies, so everything changes. In a matter of minutes one's whole world can irrevocably shift, and in the course of my changes have left me with a just a touch of ennui.

Despite the fact that I've been watching plenty of movies, I just couldn't muster the enthusiasm to write. Even Millie has been in mourning. But you know what? Writing to you fine folks about our picks and pans has always been such a light, so let's just jump right back in the critical saddle shall we? I have seen so many films, and many too long ago to write as inspired a post as I'd like, so I shall list and bee rate all the films we've seen since in the past few months. Get ready, away we go . . .

August 1: Away We Go (2009) dir. Sam Mendes
Starring: Maya Rudolph, John Krasinski


Quirky and heartfelt without being overly melodramatic, plus it's way funnier than any other Mendes on the market. Maggie Gyllenhaal and Allison Janney are irrisistable. Oh yes, and Dave Eggers co-wrote the screenplay. A smart, sweet treat.
Millie's bees to knees meter (1 bee = blah, 10 bees = hoo-rah!): 7

August 2: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004), dir. Adam McKay
Starring: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, David Koechner


I've seen this one more times than I care to admit, but you know what, now that I know it's not as funny I want it to be, 60% of the time it gets funnier everytime . . .
Bees to knees: 6.5

August 3: All About Eve (1950), dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Starring: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, Celeste Holm, George Sanders, Marilyn Monroe


We're huge fans of this Bette Davis classic about falling and rising stage stars and so was the Academy. Ms. Davis, Ms. Baxter, and Ms. Holm were all nominated for their performances, and the film went home with Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Writer, Best Supporting Actor (Sanders), Best Costumes (bless you Edith Head!), and Best Sound. So grab your stole, a very dry martini, and buckle your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night . . .
Bees to knees: 9

August 6: Heavenly Creatures (1994), dir. Peter Jackson
Starring: Kate Winslet, Melanie Lynskey


Kate Winslet's first film? Honestly that should be reason enough, but that it's a Peter Jackson sci-fish biopic about a gruesome murder by two young girls in love, well, doesn't that just heap on the must-see-e-ness? Yes, so see it.
Bees to knees: 8

August 10: Broken English (2007), dir. Zoe R. Cassavetes
Starring: Parker Posey, Melvil Poupaud, Gena Rowlands, Drea de Matteo


John's daughter definitely has some chops. Lighter on the heart and soul than her pops' pics, but no less genuine. Worth multiple watchings and we're not just saying that because Poupaud is like filet mignon, veuve clicquot and creme brulee on legs . . .
Bees to knees: to start 7.5, but I think that may increase . . .

August 14: Arlington Road (1999), dir. Mark Pellington
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack, Hope Davis

I'm not sure what's creepier, Tim Robbins' character or Joan Cusack as maybe the bad guy? It's just a suspense thriller about terrorism in the States (pre-9.11 which gives a startlingly, unanticipated twist). Intriguing, earns its fast pace, but no doubt lesser Bridges (not performance wise, film wise)
Bees to knees: 6

August 14: The Breakfast Club (1985), dir. John Hughes
Starring: Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall


Whatever you may say about this classic, Millie and I think it's arguably the best of its genre. Long live John Hughes, and you know what, with this film there is no question he will.
Bees to knees: 9

August 15: The Witches of Eastwick (1987), dir. George Miller
Starring: Cher, Michelle Pfieffer, Susan Sarandon, Jack Nicholson


This movie, based on a John Updike novel, is completely ridiculous. But oh my goodness do the leading ladies look good . . . super steamy . . .
Bees to knees: 5 (9 for gorgeous ladies though!)

August 29: Clockwatchers (1997), dir. Jill Sprecher
Starring: Toni Collette, Parker Posey, Lisa Kudrow, Alanna Ubach


It's like the Office Space version of "Sex in the City" during the reign of Singles and Kurt Loder. Slow paced and dated, but in its way, a bit of a gem (especially if you're a Collette fan).
Bees to knees: 6.5

August 31: New York Stories (1989), dir. Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Woody Allen
Starring: Nick Nolte, Rosanna Arquette, Heather McComb, Woody Allen, Mia Farrow


Three shorts by three greats? The idea is better than the execution, except for Scorsese's, whose piece is nothing short of amazing.
Bees to knees: 5 (Scorsese's "Life Lessons" would get a perfect score!)

September 1: Inglourious Basterds (2009), dir. Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Christopher Walz, Diane Kruger, Eli Roth


All of the films on this list, with perhaps the exception of Arlington Road and The Witches of Eastwick, this one deserves its own post. Though I'm not well versed in Tarantino, I thought it was excellent. You'd think most successful directors are cinephiles, but it's not until you watch a Tarantino film that you realize just how obsessed he is, and man, it sure is fun to watch. Some may call him a thief, but any way you slice it it's still beautiful. Yes, there is the whole eye for an eye moral argument, but you know what, seeing Hitler's face blown to bits is cathartic. CATHARTIC. Take that Nazi scum!
Bees to knees: 8

September 22: The Informant! (2009), dir. Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Matt Damon, Melanie Lynskey, Scott Bakula


Matt Damon is incredibly gifted, but unfortunately he's way better than this film, and so is Soderbergh for that matter. The theme is obvious and well maintained, I'm just not sure why the heck he chose it . . .
Bees to knees: 6 (it's only over the hump because Damon is so. darn. good.)

September 25: Bringing Up Baby (1938), dir. Howard Hawks
Starring: Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant


Love it. Love it so much.
Bees to knees: 8

September 26: The Last Days of Disco (1998), dir. Whit Stillman
Starring: Chloe Sevigny, Kate Beckinsale, Chris Eigeman, Matt Keeslar


I had rented this film on a complete whim with the intention of finally being own over to Sevigny. The result: I was. And I got Stillman in the process! Extremely intelligent and ripe with symbolism this is one smarty pants pic not to be missed.
Bees to knees: 8.5

September 29: The Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), dir. Wes Craven
Starring: Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp, Ronee Blakley, Amanda Wyss


So if I have sex a partially dead pervert will invade my dreams and slice me to death? Still, sex with babyfaced Johnny Depp just might be worth it . . . seriously though, what can I say, this film is special. Whatever that means. (Millie and I don't like horror movies, did we mention that?)
Bees to knees: 5

October 4: Stardust (2007), dir. Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Claire Danes, Charlie Cox, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert de Niro, Sienna Miller


Pitter patter my heart flutters for this film! I have seen it so many times, but each time fall so madly in love as though it were my first. Sigh . . .
Bees to knees: 9

And there it is reader, I have been busy watching, just too sad to write I guess. I promise to amend it, after all, since Millie and I are looking for jobs we have little else to keep us creatively occupied.

It feels good to be back.

New York Stories: Rank n' File Cinephile

The 1989 collection of shorts about dreary old Manhattan directed by three greats. Here's what Millie and I think, how would you rate them?


1.) Life Lessons, dir. Martin Scorsese (obvious winner)



2.) Oedipus Wrecks, dir. Woody Allen (the soft spot)



3.) Life Without Zoe, dir. Francis Ford Coppola (the so-much-Sofia-insight caboose)