By Craig Kennedy - February 24th, 2013; 10:38 pm
One of my favorite John Williams compositions is this week’s Watercooler Musical Interlude. Why? Because I just friggin rewatched Empire Strikes Back, DUH!
The Oscars are thankfully over (Yeah Ang Lee!) so lay whatever else you have in mind in the comments section below….
Filed under: The Watercooler
Great Williams composition of course!
And Ang Lee’s win was truly fantastic! The night’s highlight!
Lucille and I only went out twice this week, to see:
Like Someone in Love **** (Friday night) Montclair Claridge
The Circus ***** (Sunday morning) Film Forum
Charles Chaplin’s THE CIRCUS was screened at the Film Forum on Sunday morning as part of their Film Forum Jr. series, and the sold-out throng that included many youngsters got to enjoy members from the ‘Clown Warehouse’ perform a deft juggling act ahead of the Silly Symphonies short “The Three Little Pigs” that preceded Chaplin’s 1928 masterpiece. Program Director Bruce Goldstein told the crowd that Chaplin’s film won a special Oscar for artistic achievement, a fact all ardent Academy Awards followers have long known! Ha! When the immortality of Charles Chaplin is broached, one will readily identify the uproarious ingenuity of the conveyor belt and winding gear sequences in Modern Times, the eating of the shoe and the dinner roll dance in The Gold Rush, or the continuing drunk vs. sober saga of the millionaire played by Harry Myers in City Lights. Likewise, cineastes will no doubt recollect Monsieur Verdoux’s continued failed attempts at murdering Arabella, the hysterical vocals inflections in The Great Dictator or the spirited slapstick in Shoulder Arms when the dough boy goes undercover dressed as a tree. All of these films have multiple moments of comic inspiration, and still others like One A.M., A Dog’s Life and The Kid would serve as springboard for further discussion. Since it first appeared in 1928 The Circus has steadfastly held down the dubious position as Chaplin’s most underrated film, and the one that has received short shrift in both summary assessment and in the unavoidable rankings of the master’s canon. Yet The Circus has been favorably re-evaluated in recent years, and is now being seen by many as one of the silent clown’s supreme masterpieces, a film that boasts the strongest first reel of any of his films, and one that includes some of the best set pieces.
World class Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami’s newest film LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE is likened as a thematic continuation of CERTIFIED COPY, but it’s different in many aspects, when you can actually feel TASTE OF CHERRY in some of it’s universal concerns. Kiarostami brings together two strangers for a few hours during which they re-imagine themselves, perhaps revealing their true natures, perhaps creating alternate personas. The director filmed his new film in Japan and in Japanese and he again examined disorientation and alienation, setting aside language and culture, and using the story within a story device. glass and mirrors are used effectively and the film seems to gain momentum after a sluggish start. I suspect this film will work better on repeat viewings.
Staying home allowed me to watch all but the final part of the stupendous Shakespearean collection THE HOLLOW CROWN, of which I took in Richard II, and Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2. I also watch Pedro Costa’s O Sangue (Blood) a Samuel Beckett-Bela Tarr hybrid that immediately takes it’s place among the best films of 1989. I hope to have more to say about these works on the thread.
Been lurking for a while on here and enjoying all of your posts, Mr. Kennedy. Decided it’s about time to say hello and participate a bit more in the discussion.
Hello.
Thanks for dropping by Max. It’s a little quiet around here lately, but things’ll pick up soon.
Glad you liked the new Kiarostami, Sam. I kind of figured you would. Tell me more about the Hollow Crown series. Are those the recent BBC adaptations? I love the history plays.
Craig, I finished the series last night and was extremely imprssed! What sets this apart from other versions of Shakespeare is that it was opened up and ffilmed on location, with top-drawer technical specs. The performances are extraordinary, with Ben Whishaw and Tom Hiddleston electrifying as Richard II and Henry V respectively. Simon Russell Beale is fantastic as Falstaff. THE HOLLOW CROWN in it’s all-encompassing excellence breathes new life into three history plays: “Richard II,” “Henry IV Parts 1 and 2,” and “Henry V.”
I can’t praise the settings, cinematography and costumes enough, but this is a case when Shakespeare is fully riveting on all counts.