Tuesday, October 31, 2006
blog bog
My posts have been few and far between lately. It is mostly due to the blog provider, which has been having technical problems, making it impossible for me to post anything. They are in the middle of upgrading. I'm going to upgrade to the beta version of their new software and see what happens. Things can only get better?
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
The Hat Trick
No matter how talented the filmmaker, it is inevitable that they lay an egg. Often the dud comes right after a really good movie. Three "great" films in a row is rare. Rarer still is the trifecta to begin one's career. Paul Thomas Anderson arguably did it with his first three. Francis Ford Coppola had four in a row in the 70s, but his career began much earlier. Mike Nichols made two fantastic films before stumbling badly with Catch-22.
Sofia Coppola arrived on the directorial scene in 1999, best known for two things-her father and her terrible performance in Godfather Part III. The Virgin Suicides had a unique voice. That voice continued through to Lost in Translation, which cemented her auteur status.
Ok, so that is two films. What about the third? Well, Coppola certainly aimed high. A costumed period piece always has the potential for unmitigated disaster, if only for the reviewers who seem to take bountiful glee in tearing down such a work. Throwing in a contemporary soundtrack is filmmaking suicide.
So what is the result? Does Marie Antoinette succeed?
Well, the reviews have been decidedly mixed-53% at Rotten Tomatoes. Enough reputable reviewers have praised the film for it to be worth a shot. That's not enough consensus however to objectively say that Coppola has done it again. Hey, at least she remained ambitious and didn't make an Adam Sandler movie. And maybe I'll even like Marie when I get around to seeing it.
Sofia Coppola arrived on the directorial scene in 1999, best known for two things-her father and her terrible performance in Godfather Part III. The Virgin Suicides had a unique voice. That voice continued through to Lost in Translation, which cemented her auteur status.
Ok, so that is two films. What about the third? Well, Coppola certainly aimed high. A costumed period piece always has the potential for unmitigated disaster, if only for the reviewers who seem to take bountiful glee in tearing down such a work. Throwing in a contemporary soundtrack is filmmaking suicide.
So what is the result? Does Marie Antoinette succeed?
Well, the reviews have been decidedly mixed-53% at Rotten Tomatoes. Enough reputable reviewers have praised the film for it to be worth a shot. That's not enough consensus however to objectively say that Coppola has done it again. Hey, at least she remained ambitious and didn't make an Adam Sandler movie. And maybe I'll even like Marie when I get around to seeing it.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Back to Work
Well, Roger Ebert has returned, kinda. His letter of explanation reveals exactly why he has been gone so long, and what can be expected for the future. That future is apparently going to be rather quiet until 2007, after another surgery and rehab are completed. I was beginning to wonder whether his film festival in Champaign would be canceled, but he confirmed that the show will go on.
Meanwhile, the lunatics have been running the asylum. David Poland wrote a scathing entry in his Oct. 8th blog about the perplexing choices made for replacement co-hosts of the tv review show. Poland shares my sentiments. Ironically, during this reign of terror the local time slot for this show has switched from 5:30 A.M. to the much friendlier 11:30 A.M. slot. It doesn't make any difference to me since I use a DVR anyway, but it is still worth noting. Some might say the show would be better off airing in obscurity.
Meanwhile, the lunatics have been running the asylum. David Poland wrote a scathing entry in his Oct. 8th blog about the perplexing choices made for replacement co-hosts of the tv review show. Poland shares my sentiments. Ironically, during this reign of terror the local time slot for this show has switched from 5:30 A.M. to the much friendlier 11:30 A.M. slot. It doesn't make any difference to me since I use a DVR anyway, but it is still worth noting. Some might say the show would be better off airing in obscurity.