Todo Sobre Mi Madre (Original title)
Spain / France
Director / Screenwriter: Pedro Almodóvar
Cast: Cecilia Roth (Manuela), Marisa Paredes (Huma Rojo), Penélope Cruz (Sister Rosa), Antonia San Juan (La Agrado), Eloy Azorin (Esteban), Candela Peña (Nina)
March 17, 2006
March 16, 2006
Leave Her to Heaven (1946)
US, 20th Century Fox
Director: John M. Stahl
Producer: William A. Bacher
Cast: Gene Tierney (Ellen Berent), Cornel Wilde (Richard Harland), Jeanne Crain (Ruth Berent), Vincent Price (Russell Quinton)
Director: John M. Stahl
Producer: William A. Bacher
Cast: Gene Tierney (Ellen Berent), Cornel Wilde (Richard Harland), Jeanne Crain (Ruth Berent), Vincent Price (Russell Quinton)
March 15, 2006
Blue Velvet (1986)
US
Director / Screenwriter / Songwriter: David Lynch
Cast: Kyle MacLachlan (Jeffrey Beaumont), Isabella Rossellini (Dorothy Vallens), Dennis Hopper (Frank Booth), Laura Dern (Sandy Williams)
Director / Screenwriter / Songwriter: David Lynch
Cast: Kyle MacLachlan (Jeffrey Beaumont), Isabella Rossellini (Dorothy Vallens), Dennis Hopper (Frank Booth), Laura Dern (Sandy Williams)
March 12, 2006
Unknow White Male (2005)
UK, Documentary
Director / Producer / Editor: Rupert Murray
Douglas Bruce's story. I don't know what bugs me, but I got this strange feeling that I don't buy this story. Maybe I am just envy someone can start a new life, literally, this way. Yes, I do envy him, especially he can look at the world as a new born baby; everything is fresh, is beautiful. No burden to carry, no past to worry. This is the right way to "feel" life, no matter we have the amnesia or not.
What make us distinctive? Are we made of our memory? Is there anything calls "true self" and are we born with it? From Doug's story, I'll say there is no such thing as true self, we are containers of our memory, and that what make us who we are. Of course it is kind of scary (or comforting?)to think of this way, as fundamentally we are all the same.
I don't know why this film made me extremely sad walking out of the theater in the East Village. Personal? Maybe the feeling I got is because some part of the movie vibrates with some part of me. Or maybe because the Sigur Ros I was listening.
I don't know.
Director / Producer / Editor: Rupert Murray
Douglas Bruce's story. I don't know what bugs me, but I got this strange feeling that I don't buy this story. Maybe I am just envy someone can start a new life, literally, this way. Yes, I do envy him, especially he can look at the world as a new born baby; everything is fresh, is beautiful. No burden to carry, no past to worry. This is the right way to "feel" life, no matter we have the amnesia or not.
What make us distinctive? Are we made of our memory? Is there anything calls "true self" and are we born with it? From Doug's story, I'll say there is no such thing as true self, we are containers of our memory, and that what make us who we are. Of course it is kind of scary (or comforting?)to think of this way, as fundamentally we are all the same.
I don't know why this film made me extremely sad walking out of the theater in the East Village. Personal? Maybe the feeling I got is because some part of the movie vibrates with some part of me. Or maybe because the Sigur Ros I was listening.
I don't know.
March 04, 2006
Stella Dallas (1937)
US, MGM
Director: King Vidor
Cast: Barbara Stanwyck (Stella Dallas), John Boles (Stephen Dallas)
Anne Shirley (Laurel Dallas)
Well, this maybe feminists' nightmare, and mine.
Director: King Vidor
Cast: Barbara Stanwyck (Stella Dallas), John Boles (Stephen Dallas)
Anne Shirley (Laurel Dallas)
Well, this maybe feminists' nightmare, and mine.
February 25, 2006
Chuck & Buck (2000)
US, Blow Up Pictures / Flan De Coco Films
Director: Miguel Arteta
Screenwriter: Mike White
Cast: Mike White (Buck), Chris Weitz (Chuck), Paul Weitz (Sam)
Note: Weitz brothers are directors and screenwriters of About A Boy.
Beautiful film. Sentimental but genuine.
Director: Miguel Arteta
Screenwriter: Mike White
Cast: Mike White (Buck), Chris Weitz (Chuck), Paul Weitz (Sam)
Note: Weitz brothers are directors and screenwriters of About A Boy.
Beautiful film. Sentimental but genuine.
Sullivan's Travels (1941)
US, Paramount
Director: Preston Sturges
Cast: Joel McCrea (John L. Sullivan), Veronica Lake (The Girl)
Astonishing. Mix of genres, ideology imbeded within plot, but the weight of the issue it discuss not a bit washed away by its comedy form. Sullivan's Travels keep changing its tones, but perfectly fused to serve the ground it stands for.
Director: Preston Sturges
Cast: Joel McCrea (John L. Sullivan), Veronica Lake (The Girl)
Astonishing. Mix of genres, ideology imbeded within plot, but the weight of the issue it discuss not a bit washed away by its comedy form. Sullivan's Travels keep changing its tones, but perfectly fused to serve the ground it stands for.
February 22, 2006
I WANT
1. Marry a rock star (preferably like one on the right).
2. Have a apartment/office in Hamlet.
3. Look like Julia Roberts in Closer. At least have her cloth when she is photographing Jude Law.
4. Have a life. And yes, you are having it right now, make the best of it.
Closer (2004)
US, Columbia Pictures / Inside Track
Director: Mike Nichols
Cast: Julia Roberts (Anna), Jude Law (Dan),
Natalie Portman (Alice), Clive Owen (Larry)
Beautiful script. Decisive and precise jumpcuts. Well performanced. Both sweet fairytale and bitter urban story.
Director: Mike Nichols
Cast: Julia Roberts (Anna), Jude Law (Dan),
Natalie Portman (Alice), Clive Owen (Larry)
Beautiful script. Decisive and precise jumpcuts. Well performanced. Both sweet fairytale and bitter urban story.
February 21, 2006
Hamlet (2000)
US, Miramax
Director / Screenwriter: Michael Almereyda
Cast: Ethan Hawke (Hamlet), Kyle MacLachlan (Claudius),
Sam Shepard (The Ghost), Diane Venora (Gertrude),
Bill Murray (Polonius), Liev Schreiber ( Laertes),
Julia Stiles (Ophelia), Karl Geary (Horatio)
Very good adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Set in New York, 2000, but keep all the language in the play. The ancient language beautifully blended into nowadays modern settings (including well-designed offices and of coures, the Guggenheim). It seems that the eternal story of Shakespeare is so powerful that what language it use doesn't matter anymore. Or thanks to the nature performance of the actors (maybe not Ethan Hawke and Julia Stiles, sometimes, monologue indeed is not easy), the story did come alive in it's reincarnation in 2000.
Though it is kind of wired to hear Hamlet doing his famous "to be or not to be" speech while walking among the aisles of Blockbuster (among other product placement), the young and perished images of actors in background videos do show the unique power of using the new media to express the classic. Beautiful photography with clips from other films used in Hamlet successfully transfer written words into images.
Director / Screenwriter: Michael Almereyda
Cast: Ethan Hawke (Hamlet), Kyle MacLachlan (Claudius),
Sam Shepard (The Ghost), Diane Venora (Gertrude),
Bill Murray (Polonius), Liev Schreiber ( Laertes),
Julia Stiles (Ophelia), Karl Geary (Horatio)
Very good adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Set in New York, 2000, but keep all the language in the play. The ancient language beautifully blended into nowadays modern settings (including well-designed offices and of coures, the Guggenheim). It seems that the eternal story of Shakespeare is so powerful that what language it use doesn't matter anymore. Or thanks to the nature performance of the actors (maybe not Ethan Hawke and Julia Stiles, sometimes, monologue indeed is not easy), the story did come alive in it's reincarnation in 2000.
Though it is kind of wired to hear Hamlet doing his famous "to be or not to be" speech while walking among the aisles of Blockbuster (among other product placement), the young and perished images of actors in background videos do show the unique power of using the new media to express the classic. Beautiful photography with clips from other films used in Hamlet successfully transfer written words into images.
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
USA, MGM
Director: George Cukor (My Fair Lady, A Star is Born)
Cast: Katharine Hepbure (Tracy Lord), Cary Grant (C.K. Dexter Haven),
James Steward (Macauley Connor), Ruth Hussey (Liz Imbrie)
Stardom is dead today, and we have no goddess to worship, either. Hepburn, Grant and Steward, you will never find any three stars in Hollywood today to replace them, and expect the same glamour you got from these three.
Director: George Cukor (My Fair Lady, A Star is Born)
Cast: Katharine Hepbure (Tracy Lord), Cary Grant (C.K. Dexter Haven),
James Steward (Macauley Connor), Ruth Hussey (Liz Imbrie)
Stardom is dead today, and we have no goddess to worship, either. Hepburn, Grant and Steward, you will never find any three stars in Hollywood today to replace them, and expect the same glamour you got from these three.
February 20, 2006
2001: A Space Odyssy (1968)
US/UK, MGM
Director / Producer / Screenwriter / Special Effects: Stanley Kubrick
Screenwriter / Book Author: Arthur C. Clarke
Timeless masterpiece. Poetic cinematography. Breath taking, mind blowing.
Director / Producer / Screenwriter / Special Effects: Stanley Kubrick
Screenwriter / Book Author: Arthur C. Clarke
Timeless masterpiece. Poetic cinematography. Breath taking, mind blowing.
February 19, 2006
[Gig] Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
FIRST GIG EVER!!!!!
Webster Hall
w/ Morning After Girl, Elephant
Robert Turner was just in front of all night, I was in heaven.
Webster Hall
w/ Morning After Girl, Elephant
Robert Turner was just in front of all night, I was in heaven.
February 17, 2006
The Searchers (1956)
USA
Director:John Ford
Casts: John Wayne (Ethan Edwards), Jeffrey Hunter (Martin Pawley)
Revisionist Western. The ending scene, the door closed in front of John Wayne, says everything. But I still think when Ethan's attitiude soften when he saw Debbie's frighten expression. But what have done to him by the time and the environment can not be undone. He never will fit in the family again.
Quite a first time experience for the male dramatic melodrama. Who says man don't buy these things?
Director:John Ford
Casts: John Wayne (Ethan Edwards), Jeffrey Hunter (Martin Pawley)
Revisionist Western. The ending scene, the door closed in front of John Wayne, says everything. But I still think when Ethan's attitiude soften when he saw Debbie's frighten expression. But what have done to him by the time and the environment can not be undone. He never will fit in the family again.
Quite a first time experience for the male dramatic melodrama. Who says man don't buy these things?
February 14, 2006
Easter Parade (1948)
USA
Director: Charles Walters
Casts: Judy Garland (Hannah Brown), Fred Astaire (Don Hewes),
Peter Lawford (Jonathan Harrow), Ann Miller (Nadine Hale)
I got to say right now I don't know how to look at the musicals. But as far as the narrative is concerned, Easter Paradejust don't have the sparks between the leading roles. It starts with several love-chasing between four charaters, but only ends up hastely binding Garland and Astaire together, maybe as any two leading roles "supposed" to be in any musicals, and leave much untold and unexplained.
But hey, it's a musical, and we got Garland and Astaire, in certain level it can't be that wrong. I think Garland was most splandid when she sang alone with a little bit naughty expression in her face. And Ann Miller did look gorgeous in her numbers. I am glad to see Nadine doesn't been punished to fail or anything just because she chooses her career over man.
Director: Charles Walters
Casts: Judy Garland (Hannah Brown), Fred Astaire (Don Hewes),
Peter Lawford (Jonathan Harrow), Ann Miller (Nadine Hale)
I got to say right now I don't know how to look at the musicals. But as far as the narrative is concerned, Easter Paradejust don't have the sparks between the leading roles. It starts with several love-chasing between four charaters, but only ends up hastely binding Garland and Astaire together, maybe as any two leading roles "supposed" to be in any musicals, and leave much untold and unexplained.
But hey, it's a musical, and we got Garland and Astaire, in certain level it can't be that wrong. I think Garland was most splandid when she sang alone with a little bit naughty expression in her face. And Ann Miller did look gorgeous in her numbers. I am glad to see Nadine doesn't been punished to fail or anything just because she chooses her career over man.
February 11, 2006
Run Lola Run (Lola Rennt, 1998)
Germany
Director / Screenwriter / Composer: Tom Tykwer
Cast: Franca Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu
Three variations of what might happened. Easily linked the idea to Kieslowski's Blind Chance. But like Heaven, Tykwer doesn't have the ambition to discover humanitity, he wants romance, shearly probe the power that could alter the future. Fate, seems to be the final salvation.
But if put the juxtapose of him and Kieslowski aside, this film flows smoothly with electronic soundtrack. An 81 minutes long rapid cutting enjoyable MV.
Director / Screenwriter / Composer: Tom Tykwer
Cast: Franca Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu
Three variations of what might happened. Easily linked the idea to Kieslowski's Blind Chance. But like Heaven, Tykwer doesn't have the ambition to discover humanitity, he wants romance, shearly probe the power that could alter the future. Fate, seems to be the final salvation.
But if put the juxtapose of him and Kieslowski aside, this film flows smoothly with electronic soundtrack. An 81 minutes long rapid cutting enjoyable MV.
January 31, 2006
[Misc} New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Few days after Kobe got his 81 points game.
And Madison Square Garden is half Lakers' home field.
And Madison Square Garden is half Lakers' home field.
January 07, 2006
December 30, 2005
December 26, 2005
Bon Voyage (2004)
France
Director: Jean-Paul Rappeneau
Cast: Isabelle Adjani, Gérard Depardieu, Virginie Ledoyen,
Yvan Attal, Grégori Derangère
Femme Fatal! Love Triangle! Spy! France!
I got to admit it is a pleasant film to watch. Plot is nothing new, all about coincideace, about common people’s life entangle with the time and the history. But the story chooses to end with only one clear explanation- right boy gets the right girl. And for the history, it just the background, the film doesn’t bother to explain too much; unfortunately it make the film looks like it desperately wants to end with boy kissing girl and forget the rest of the world. But like I said in the beginning, it is still fun to watch- thanks to Grégori Derangère.
Director: Jean-Paul Rappeneau
Cast: Isabelle Adjani, Gérard Depardieu, Virginie Ledoyen,
Yvan Attal, Grégori Derangère
Femme Fatal! Love Triangle! Spy! France!
I got to admit it is a pleasant film to watch. Plot is nothing new, all about coincideace, about common people’s life entangle with the time and the history. But the story chooses to end with only one clear explanation- right boy gets the right girl. And for the history, it just the background, the film doesn’t bother to explain too much; unfortunately it make the film looks like it desperately wants to end with boy kissing girl and forget the rest of the world. But like I said in the beginning, it is still fun to watch- thanks to Grégori Derangère.
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