celluloidnotes

PICK OF THE WEEK
Sunshine Cleaning [limited]
dir. Christine Jeffs
Starring: Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin

This was last years Sundance darling. The buzz is still all positive. the film is a quirky sentimental comedy that the studio is hoping is this year’s Little Miss Sunshine. Is there an Arkin connection?

Race to Witch Mountain
dir. Andy Fickman
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, AnnaSophia Robb

Dwayne Johnson. Self explanatory.

Last House on the Left
dir. Dennis Iliadis
Stars: Garret Dillahunt, Monica Potter, Tony Goldwyn

A remake of the classic horror film. A sentence that appears on this site weekly. If you don’t know my feeling about this sub-genre: I think it’s crap.

Miss March
dir. Zach Cregger, Trevor Moore
Starring: Zach Cregger, Trevor Moore, Raquel Alessi

The kids from Whitest Kids You Know have made a film. One guys goes into a coma and wakes up to discover his high school sweetheart is now a model for Playboy. Hijinx surely ensue.

Brothers at War [limited]
dir. Jake Rademacher
Stars: Jake Rademacher, Isaac Rademacher, Joe Rademacher

Jake Rademacher takes cameras into the war in Iraq to discover what his brothers Issac and Joe are experiencing in the war. This is a slightly lo-fi but engaging film that should be seen (and might be now that the heavy slurry of Iraq films has subsided.

Sex Positive [limited]
dir. Daryl Wein
Starring: Richard Berkowitz

Three Monkeys
dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan

This is the newest film from Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Becoming known for his plodding nearly ambient films Ceylan is trying a more plot driven approach with this film. A politician kills a man with his car and decides to turn himself in, but the story is much more complicated than he realizes. Ceylan won the Best Director award at last years Cannes festival for this film.

Severed Ways [limited]
dir. Tony Stone
Starring: Gabriella Mary Hoffmann, David Perry

Severed Ways is a film about the Nordic discovery of America. I think there will be a little less Pathfinder in here, and maybe a little bit more Mongol. Dear lord, let’s hope so.

Z [limited]
dir. Costa Gavras
Starring: Yves Montand, Irene Papas

The Z is not for Zombie. The 1969 Oscar winning film is getting a fresh theatrical release in New York on a fresh 35mm print.

This is a historical-political thriller from cinematic master Costa Gravas. This is fantastic. Pray that people go out and see this and that it winds up in your town. In the meantime find more Gavras and watch it.

Edge of Love [limited]
dir. John Maybury
Starring: Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller

Edge of Love is a story about two women who were connected by the occasionally philandering poet Dylan Thomas. The film has got a decent buzz, and hopefully isn’t too sentimental, because Thomas never was (except in his love letters, which were often far over the top).

PICK OF THE WEEK:
The Class
dir. Laurent Cantet
Starring: François Bégaudeau

This film won the Golden Palm at Cannes this year and was a huge smash at the New York Film Festival. It seems to have been ignored by the Academy and the buzz seems to be dying a bit right now. But this film lives up to it’s huge buzz and is the film to see this week. Unless Elizabeth Banks and the next horrible horror film is more your cup o’ tea.

The Uninvited
dir. Charles Guard Thomas Guard
Starring: Emily Browning, Arielle Kebbel, Elizabeth Banks

Despite the obvious failure of this plot this film does have some star power, with Browning, Banks and ace David Strathairn it’s hard to see how this film isn’t going to poke into the Top Ten. But whether it’s worth a damn, that’s another story.

Taken
dir. Pierre Morel
Starring: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen

This thriller looks like it’s on the same path as last week’s Killshot, an interesting idea, a potential winner, and a potential dud. With Neeson taking the lead there is always the potential that this film will be a success. He’s a winner 8 times out of 10, according to us. Neeson plays an ex-spy who tries to track down his daughter who was kidnapped by slave traders while on vacation.

New in Town
dir. Jonas Elmer
Starring: Renée Zellweger, Harry Connick Jr., Nathan Fillion

The Neo-Depression films are in. Hollywood is looking for any way they can to remain relevant right now. But last time the social climate felt this way it wasn’t films about the social climate that made the hits. And that’s all their trying to do with this. Smells like another bomb from Hollywood here.

Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh
dir. Roberta Grossman

This documentary about Hannah Senesh, the WW-II poet, activist, and paratrooper, is the first to dig into her life. This looks fascinating, and is nearly the CellNotes pick of the week. If it weren’t for the wonderful The Class coming out this week, this would be the limited release to catch this week.

Last Week’s Top Ten:
1. Paul Blart: Mall Cop
2. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
3. Gran Torino
4. Hotel for Dogs (Movie for the Bored)
5. Slumdog Millionaire
6. My Bloody Valentine 3-D
7. Inkheart
8. Bride Wars
9. The Curious Case of Benjamin Buton
10. Notorious

The Oscar nominees are in. And as I’ve said previously, oy, it was kind of a weak year at the cinema. Glad to see that The Visitor, Frozen River, and Happy-Go-Lucky all earned a nomination. Roger Deakins earned another nomination this year. Maybe it will finally be his year to win an award. He always deserves it, but if he wins it this year it’d be like spitting in the face of all of the amazing films he’s shot.

Only real disappointments: no Wallace & Gromit for short animated film and no Synecdoche, New York for best screenplay, which I think probably deserves it. Though, look at the list, this is no place for experimentation. Especially this year. Also, what the hell happened in the supporting actor category? Heath Ledger and Robert Downey, Jr. Really? I guess.
Best Motion Picture of the Year
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Ceán Chaffin, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall
Frost/Nixon (2008): Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Eric Fellner
Milk (2008): Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks
The Reader (2008): Nominees to be determined
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Christian Colson

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Richard Jenkins for The Visitor (2007/I)
Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Sean Penn for Milk (2008)
Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler (2008)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married (2008)
Angelina Jolie for Changeling (2008)
Melissa Leo for Frozen River (2008)
Meryl Streep for Doubt (2008/I)
Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Josh Brolin for Milk (2008)
Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder (2008)
Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt (2008/I)
Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008)
Michael Shannon for Revolutionary Road (2008)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams for Doubt (2008/I)
Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Viola Davis for Doubt (2008/I)
Taraji P. Henson for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler (2008)

Best Achievement in Directing
Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Stephen Daldry for The Reader (2008)
David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Gus Van Sant for Milk (2008)

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Frozen River (2008): Courtney Hunt
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008): Mike Leigh
In Bruges (2008): Martin McDonagh
Milk (2008): Dustin Lance Black
WALL·E (2008): Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, Jim Reardon

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Roth, Robin Swicord
Doubt (2008/I): John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon (2008): Peter Morgan
The Reader (2008): David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Simon Beaufoy

Best Achievement in Cinematography
Changeling (2008): Tom Stern
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight (2008): Wally Pfister
The Reader (2008): Roger Deakins, Chris Menges
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Anthony Dod Mantle

Best Achievement in Editing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter
The Dark Knight (2008): Lee Smith
Frost/Nixon (2008): Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill
Milk (2008): Elliot Graham
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Chris Dickens

Best Achievement in Art Direction
Changeling (2008): James J. Murakami, Gary Fettis
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Donald Graham Burt, Victor J. Zolfo
The Dark Knight (2008): Nathan Crowley, Peter Lando
The Duchess (2008): Michael Carlin, Rebecca Alleway
Revolutionary Road (2008): Kristi Zea, Debra SchuttBest Achievement in Costume Design
Australia (2008): Catherine Martin
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Jacqueline West
The Duchess (2008): Michael O’Connor
Milk (2008): Danny Glicker
Revolutionary Road (2008): Albert Wolsky

Best Achievement in Makeup
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Greg Cannom
The Dark Knight (2008): John Caglione Jr., Conor O’Sullivan
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008): Mike Elizalde, Thomas Floutz

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Alexandre Desplat
Defiance (2008): James Newton Howard
Milk (2008): Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman
WALL·E (2008): Thomas Newman

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, Gulzar(”Jai Ho”)
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, Maya Arulpragasam(”O Saya”)
WALL·E (2008): Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman(”Down to Earth”)

Best Achievement in Sound
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, Mark Weingarten
The Dark Knight (2008): Ed Novick, Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Resul Pookutty
WALL·E (2008): Tom Myers, Michael Semanick, Ben Burtt
Wanted (2008): Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño, Petr Forejt

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
The Dark Knight (2008): Richard King
Iron Man (2008): Frank E. Eulner, Christopher Boyes
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Tom Sayers
WALL·E (2008): Ben Burtt, Matthew Wood
Wanted (2008): Wylie Stateman

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton, Craig Barron
The Dark Knight (2008): Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Timothy Webber, Paul J. Franklin
Iron Man (2008): John Nelson, Ben Snow, Daniel Sudick, Shane Mahan

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Bolt (2008): Chris Williams, Byron Howard
Kung Fu Panda (2008): John Stevenson, Mark Osborne
WALL·E (2008): Andrew Stanton

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (2008)(Germany)
Entre les murs (2008)(France)
Revanche (2008)(Austria)
Okuribito (2008)(Japan)
Vals Im Bashir (2008)(Israel)

Best Documentary, Features
The Betrayal - Nerakhoon (2008): Ellen Kuras, Thavisouk Phrasavath
Encounters at the End of the World (2007): Werner Herzog, Henry Kaiser
The Garden (2008/I): Scott Hamilton Kennedy
Man on Wire (2008): James Marsh, Simon Chinn
Trouble the Water (2008): Tia Lessin, Carl Deal

Best Documentary, Short Subjects
Conscience of Nhem En, The (2008): Steven Okazaki
Final Inch, The (2008): Irene Taylor Brodsky, Tom Grant
Smile Pinki (2008): Megan Mylan
Witness from the Balcony of Room 306, The (2008): Adam Pertofsky, Margaret Hyde

Best Short Film, Animated
La Maison en Petits Cubes: Kunio KatoUbornaya istoriya - lyubovnaya istoriya (2007): Konstantin Bronzit
Oktapodi (2007): Emud Mokhberi, Thierry Marchand
Presto (2008): Doug Sweetland
This Way Up (2008): Alan Smith, Adam Foulkes

Best Short Film, Live Action
Auf der Strecke (2007): Reto Caffi
Manon sur le bitume (2007): Elizabeth Marre, Olivier Pont
New Boy (2007): Steph Green, Tamara Anghie
Grisen (2008): Tivi Magnusson, Dorthe Warnø Høgh
Spielzeugland (2007): Jochen Alexander Freydank

The BAFTA Nominees were just announced yesterday and there are no real surprises in here outside of the number of nominations that Burn After Reading has received, which was a notably weak Coen Brothers film. Slumdog Millionaire leads the pack with eleven nominations, and seems like a sure bet on British Film of the Year. Also somewhat notable is a fair amount of nominations for The Dark Knight. There has been a lot of speculation about what the nominations The Dark Knight have really meant in regards to the year in cinema, as the film will likely receive upwards of four nominations at this years Oscars (cinematography, editing, special effects, make-up, best supporting actor, best score). Now, The Dark Knight was surely a solid film, but is it really Oscar worthy? Was it that good, or is it a particularly weak year at the the theaters? It’s probably a little of both, when films like Burn After Reading, Tropic Thunder, and In Bruges continue to get nominations throughout awards season you can only hope that next year will bring something a little more substantial.

Anyhow, the nominees:

Best film
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Best British film
Hunger
In Bruges
Mamma Mia!
Man On Wire
Slumdog Millionaire

Leading actor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Leading actress
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Kristen Scott Thomas - I’ve Loved You So Long
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Supporting actor
Robert Downey Jr - Tropic Thunder
Brendan Gleeson - In Bruges
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Brad Pitt - Burn After Reading
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt

Supporting actress
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Freida Pinto - Slumdog Millionaire
Tilda Swinton - Burn After Reading
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

Director
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Milllionaire
Stephen Daldry - The Reader
Clint Eastwood - Changeling
David Fincher - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon

Original screenplay
Burn After Reading - Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
In Bruges - Martin McDonagh
I’ve Loved You So Long - Philippe Claudel
Milk - Dustin Lance Black
Changeling - J Michael Straczynski

Adapted screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Eric Roth
Frost/Nixon - Peter Morgan
The Reader - David Hare
Revolutionary Road - Justin Haythe
Slumdog Millionaire - Simon Beaufoy

Film not in the English language
The Baader Meinhof Complex
Gomorrah
I’ve Loved You So Long
Persepolis
Waltz With Bashir

Animated film
Persepolis
Wall-E
Waltz With Bashir

The Carl Foreman award for special achievement by a British director, writer or producer for their first feature film
Simon Chinn (Producer) Man On Wire
Judy Craymer (Producer) - Mamma Mia
!Garth Jennings (Writer) - Son of Rambow
Steve McQueen (Director/Writer) - Hunger
Solon Papadopoulos, Roy Boulter (Producers) - Of Time And The City

Music
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Alexandre Desplat
The Dark Knight - Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard
Mamma Mia! - Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus
Slumdog Millionaire - AR Rahman
Wall-E - Thomas Newman

Cinematography
Changeling - Tom Stern
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight - Wally Pfister
The Reader - Chris Menges, Roger Deakins
Slumdog Millionaire - Anthony Dod Mantle

Editing
Changeling - Joel Cox, Gary D Roach
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall
The Dark Knight - Lee Smith
Frost/Nixon - Mike Hill, Dan Hanley
In Bruges - Jon Gregory
Slumdog Millionaire - Chris Dickens

Production design
Changeling - James J Murakami, Gary Fettis
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Donald Graham Burt, Victor J Zolfo
The Dark Knight - Nathan Crowley, Peter Lando
Revolutionary Road - Kristi Zea, Debra Schutt
Slumdog Millionaire - Mark Digby, Michelle Day

Costume design
Changeling - Deborah Hopper
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Jacqueline West
The Dark Knight - Lindy Hemming
The Duchess - Michael O’Connor
Revolutionary Road - Albert Wolsky

Sound
Changeling - Walt Martin, Alan Robert Murray, John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff
The Dark Knight - Lora Hirschberg, Richard King, Ed Novick, Gary Rizzo
Quantum Of Solace - Eddy Joseph, Chris Munro, Mike Prestwood Smith, Mark Taylor
Slumdog Millionaire - Glenn Freemantle, Resul Pookutty, Richard Pryke, Tom Sayers, Ian Tapp
Wall E - Ben Burtt, Tom Myers, Michael Semanick, Matthew Wood

Special visual effects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Eric Barba, Craig Barron, Nathan McGuinness, Edson Williams
The Dark Knight - Chris Corbould, Nick Davis, Paul Franklin, Tim Webber
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Pablo Helman
Iron Man - Shane Patrick Mahan, John Nelson, Ben Snow
Quantum Of Solace - Chris Corbould, Kevin Tod Haug

Make-up and hair
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Jean Black, Colleen Callaghan
The Dark Knight - Peter Robb-King
The Duchess - Daniel Phillips, Jan Archibald
Frost/Nixon - Edouard Henriques, Kim Santantonio
Milk - Steven E Anderson, Michael White

Short animation
Codswallop - Greg McLeod, Myles McLeod
Varmints - Sue Goffe, Marc Craste
Wallace And Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death - Steve Pegram, Nick Park, Bob Baker

Short film
Kingsland #1 The Dreamer - Kate Ogborn, Tony Grisoni
Love You more - Adrian Sturges, Sam Taylor-Wood, Patrick Marber
Ralph - Olivier Kaempfer, Alex Winckler
September - Stewart le Marechal, Esther May Campbell
Voyages D’Affaires (The Business Trip) - Celine Quideau, Sean Ellis

The Orange Rising Star Award (voted for by the public)
Noel Clarke
Michael Cera
Michael Fassbender
Rebecca Hall
Toby Kebbell

PICK OF THE WEEK
Synecdoche, New York
dir. Charlie Kaufman
Starring: Phillip Seymore Hoffman, Samantha Moore, Catherine Keener, Emily Watson, Jennifer Jason Leigh

The highly anticipated directorial debut from Charlie Kaufman finally hits theaters after a string of delays and a tough time finding a buyer for distribution on the festival circuit. You can only anticipate that it’s going to be fantastic. Maybe not, but my money is on an interesting film.

Fear(s) of the Dark (10/22)
dir. Blutch , Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti, Richard McGuire

An odd sounding “horror”ish film from a variety of visual artists, that could garner some cult attention and looks very interesting.

Stranded: I Have Come From a Plane That Crashed on the Mountains (10/22)
dir. Gonzalo Arijon

If the title doesn’t get caught in your mouth and you decide to hit up this film you likely won’t be disappointed. It’s an often told tale of survival and it is being documented in a documentary for the first, being told by the people who survived the crash.

Passengers
Directed by: Rodrigo Garcia
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Patrick Wilson

Two plane crash movies this weekend? Ok. This one looks like it might not be quite as good as the other. Looks like some sort of hodge podge of Pet Cemetery, Final Destination, Red Eye, The X-Files and slew of other crappy action films.

Saw V
Directed by: David Hackl
Starring: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor

If the relentless placements for this film on websites everywhere, and on every broadcast of a Tampa Bay Lightning game haven’t turned you off yet this might be an alright film. The series that brought gore-porn into the mainstream is back for another gruesome installment of Jigsaw tricks. Really, horror series tend to drag on a bit, but as far as lengthy horror series go, this one has kept me entertained.

Let The Right One In
Directed by: Tomas Alfredson
Starring: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson

Ah, yes the week before Halloween, the yearly slew of bad horror films begins…or maybe it will be ok, who am I to judge? But I am, and I don’t expect much…

Pride & Glory
Dir. Gavin O’Connor
Starring: Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Jon Voigt

The director of Miracle tries to bring something a little bit more serious to the screen in this film about two cop brothers who try to solve a series of cop slayings in New York. Could it be one of them? Oh man, sounds like some Shymalan style twists coming up to me.

We’re going to go ahead and skip talking about High School Musical 3 and go straight to last week’s Top 10:

1. Max Payne
2. Beverly Hills Chihuahua
3. The Secret Life of Bees
4. W.
5. Eagle Eye
6. Body of Lies
7. Quarantine
8. Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist
9. Sex Drive
10. Nights in Rodanthe

A new documentary being released on DVD through First Run Features may be one of the most unique shorter form documentaries available on DVD this fall. Proteus focuses on the life 19th century artist and scientist Ernst Haeckel. Haeckel, as a young man, was working through school towards becoming a scientist. Until doing research on coastal regions and he began pursuing a career in painting, as for the first time, he met a fertile community of artists. But soon afterwards his interest swung back towards the burgeoning study of the undersea world.In this period the mystery the undersea world held were viewed with the same sense of mysterious draw that many modern scientists and poets have towards space. It was an uncharted region, so close to our everyday living spaces. It’s potential seemed unlimited. It became a source of scientific intrigue, a muse for poets and painters, the catalyst of myth.Proteus explores this 19th century fascination with the mysteries of the deep sea through the eyes of the scientist. The film often falls into rut of routine and begins feeling someone like a PBS special on the deep sea. But what is working here is it’s ability to make a topic that is, without doubt, esoteric to the extreme, palatable for the film lover. The film is full of striking pictures and beauty. Composed entirely of photos and paintings from the 19th century the film is an engaging look back upon the mysteries of the century, how the artists and scientists came together in their fascination and determination to discover what was lurking in the hidden depths.Utilizing beautiful paintings, journal entries, poems such as “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” and other source material Proteus is a look back upon the mysteries of a different era, which helps to illuminate the ways in which we see the mysteries of our own. The ways the science and art come together in an insatiable way which is often lost upon it’s own era. Despite it’s sometimes glacial pacing, the film is an engaging study with an avant-garde approach to viewer experience. It’s cycle of internal narrative seem to beg that the viewer take this and look through the lens of their own time and see the parallels to learn more about the time in which we live in. Proteus is a rare film that feels a little slow when in progresses, but engages the viewer in an intellectual dialogue in a way that few films have the gumption to attempt.

A film by David Lebrun
Format: DVD 2008
Release Year : 2004
Running Time: 60 minutes
Color: Color
Language: English

Michael Moore’s new film, Slacker Uprising, has just been released (about a half hour ago). Slacker Uprising is being released by Moore for free online. You can download the video at SlackerUprising.com. The video is currently only being offered in a stream from the website. But, according to Moore’s press release, the video will soon be available in an HD stream for free from Amazon.com, and will shortly afterwards be released for iTunes and iPod.

Moore’s film seems to follow in the tradition that Radiohead have laid out for new media, pay what you want, though in this case you can’t pay at all. It’s a clever idea and I hope it works. Can you imagine living in a world where quality documentaries (though I make no claims to the quality of this as I have not yet seen it) are released for free, to inform the public. A world where this type of film could break free from the bonds of the narrative film system and where recognized as a separate type of art, where they aren’t doomed to failure in the theaters from the moment “documentary” is uttered. That’d be nice. Even if the film isn’t that great I think Moore is doing something great for the industry (though this has been done before, but not at this level - Spare Change and other great docs are currently available for free online at various websites).

I’m excited to see it, even if it doesn’t end up being his best work.

For readers in the Minneapolis area:

If you are like me, you enjoy a good cup of coffee, a nice tumbler of whiskey, rain storms, and movies. Particularly movies that are not going to be found at your local Blockbuster. Also you probably enjoy all of these things at locally run businesses (damn those FOXNEWS sponsored thunderstorms…).

This isn’t just a random rant about something that pissed me off so stick with me here.

I frequented Cinema Revolution for many years - prior to moving away - it’s easily one of the best video stores (if not the best) in Minneapolis/St. Paul, and they are in trouble. The store is having some financial difficulties and I thought I’d throw something up in hopes that you value what John and Cinema Revolution do for the community as much as I do. The store is run by volunteers who support film screenings around town, host cinema discussion evenings, allow you to rent local filmmakers (often for free) and have a selection that no one else in town can compare to. So here’s a little bit of an e-mail John Koch (owner) sent out to some today, about why Cinema Revolution is important:

We believe that a local store run by live local people is something of value - a store that curates film as a gallery would curate any other form of art, a store that actively promotes film in the community, a store with a real, tangible personality. Cinema Revolution creates an artistic context for your DVD rental experience; we help guide you through innumerable choices, and celebrate films that otherwise are marginalized or ignored. We are active in the community as well. Through the nearly five years of our existence, we have shot a feature film using all local talent, we have held dozens of film screenings through Cinema des Artistes and our Film Society, commissioned new original short films from local artists, held weekly live film discussion groups, started a local record label, and have helped actively promote countless festivals, performances and screenings by local producers. It is a major part of our mission to connect, support and inspire our local artistic community. If you value what we do for the community, we ask you to please help us continue in these endeavors.

So, if you can donate a little bit to help them out, if you can’t do that, make an effort to rent some films from there, go to a screening hosted by Cinema Revolution, or participate in one of their weekly film discussions.

Here are the details sent out about how you can help out:

We are seeking to raise $5,000 by September 15th to help make our move to a new location a reality, as it cannot be done without this additional support. The suggested donation is $20 (and if 250 people can do this, we will make our goal), but please feel free to give at any level you can afford. With your collective help we can make this happen.

We are also seeking volunteers to help in this fundraising effort. If you are interested in helping out, contact john@cinemarevolution.com. We are also open to any suggestions or advice anyone may have to help us along.

In just the past two years we have lost legendary video stores Discount Video and Box Office Video. We have seen the Oak Street and Bell Auditorium film programs vanish, we have watched the entire film editorial staff at the City Pages lose their jobs, and Hollywood fare is now seeping into our beloved Lagoon Cinema. Please help keep an active, inspiring film culture alive in the Twin Cities and donate securely via PayPal today at www.cinemarevolution.com (Click on the link below).

Please note that if for any reason we do not achieve our financial goal, your generous donations will be refunded directly through PayPal. If we should raise more than our goal, the extra money will be applied to growing our movie collection to help fill our new space. Also be aware that we are not organized as a non-profit organization for tax purposes, so your donation is not tax deductible.

That’s all I’ve got, it’s well worth a little bit of your time or money to help keep filmmaking in the city alive. Adios.

I just wanted to quickly comment on something that I’d like to explore a little more in depth later on. But I was reading a New York Times article about how 2008 is one of the worst years in the last decade for documentaries at the box office, and that oddly there have been more positively reviewed documentaries than in recent years (I don’t have the numbers handy, but I will get them up here soon).

I’ve been watching a lot of the documentaries and feel like there have been some exceptionally strong docs this year, Operation Filmmaker, Young @ Heart, Standard Operating Procedure, The Sugar Curtain, and on and on. But I’m wondering if it’s actually the topics that are not attracting people to the cinema. Since Michael Moore’s bursting doc records at the box office it seems as though documentaries saw something of resurgence in the theaters, but this year (for both narratives and docs) war films have been a notorious failure, and other films are exceptionally well done, but possibly on topics that don’t really matter, topics that are in the news, but may not really be a big draw in the theater. There have been docs on changes to civilian life in Cuba since Castro, steroids in America, a retirement home band, war vets from WWII (East L.A. Marine). This is just a small list, but this seems to be the issue. No one is interested in political films like the above listed or RFK Must Die, Oswald’s Ghost, or Recount. And who cares about steroid use, or a geriatric band? Good films, but the answer seems to be that no one cares.

I recently reviewed RFK Must Die: The Assassination of Bobby Kennedy over at Film-Forward. So I thought I’d provide a link to it.

I couldn’t help but notice the similarities (in subject matter, timing, and approach) to Robert Stone’s documentary on the JFK assassination Oswald’s Ghost (which I also reviewed at the same site). But the major difference was that Robert Stone really explored all of the conspiracy theories throughout the bulk of the film, without providing much bias. He attempted to reveal the reasons why people believe any of the many theories on the assassination. But by the end of the film he begins providing the reasons why Oswald may have actually done it by himself. This is where his bias is revealed (I wouldn’t try to argue that the film lacks bias).

There is a similar approach at the beginning of RFK Must Die. Director Shane O’ Sullivan seems to be exploring different theories on the assassination. Where it begins to differ is that the viewer becomes aware that you are really following Sullivan’s personal journey through the assassination. And that there has been a bias all along, because it has such a personally exploratory approach. It is an interesting method he has chosen, and it’s effective in it’s own way. Many of the questions the viewer may develop throughout the film seem to coincide with the questions Sullivan is asking as well. In that way he draws the viewer into his own experience and you almost go on the journey with him. But this is clearly a flawed approach. And by the end of the film I become frustrated with the lack of gumption on his behalf to question his own ideas. He never really explores the possibility that Sirhan Sirhan did do it, by himself, sans conspiracy. Whether not he (or I) believe that is irrelevant, because it is a question that needs to be asked. Similarly it seems reasonable, it such an exploration, that the filmmaker needs to not only criticize the LAPD and FBI investigation of the assassination, but to try and reason if there is a possibility of human error in their investigation, or whether they actually came to the conclusions in their respective reports. Sullivan never attempts to do this. He mentions the investigations, but only to say that they were flawed. Even for the sake of clarity he never, not for a moment, supposes that maybe there was a real investigation and not a cover-up. In this sense the film ultimately fails to be convincing, there are too many simple questions that go unasked. It’s really a very interesting, well researched film, I don’t want to insinuate that it was terrible because I have a problem with aspects of Sullivan’s investigation. But there are holes in his approach, and that keeps the film from ever becoming great.

You can read my review here.