tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89741831978582528502012-01-01T17:00:01.387-08:00Viewing journal, lists and movie reviews...spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.comBlogger831100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-87334046059811475642012-01-01T17:00:00.000-08:002012-01-01T17:00:01.493-08:00

Drive is a rare thing in film these day, something unique. I went into this movie knowing almost nothing other than a few people on Twitter said it was really good. I had a little better idea of what I was in for when I saw the credits in a wonderful font right out of 1984 and the name Nicolas Winding Refn. Somehow I paid so little attention to Cannes 2011 that I did not know Refn won the best

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-59287939189288175562011-08-15T17:05:00.000-07:002011-08-15T17:05:00.224-07:00

In his follow up to the critically acclaimed 3-Iron, Kim Ki-duk continues in the realm on non-verbal communication for his leads. The two main characters do not speck aloud for the audience to hear. Rather they only talk in the occasional whisper in someone's ear. Those two near mute lead are an old man and young girl. They live out on a boat together where the man rents out space to fishermen

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-50142921607105581472011-04-09T08:39:00.000-07:002011-04-09T08:41:18.713-07:00

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-3951998872413205172010-11-29T10:37:00.000-08:002010-11-29T10:43:39.298-08:00

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-51307747800988867242010-09-30T19:19:00.000-07:002010-11-29T10:37:17.383-08:00

In 1967 Aurthur Peen ushered in the New Hollywood movement with seminal work Bonnie and Clyde. His impact on the film world is still being felt today.

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-68316403977629191332010-08-24T16:48:00.000-07:002010-08-25T05:39:59.396-07:00

Today the world lost it's greatest director of animated film. Kon was only 46 years old and had completed just four feature films and one 13 episode television series. He will be miss by the world at large but the impact that his passing will have on an ailing Japanese animation industry is massive. There are still a few other talented anime directors but Satoshi Kon made great movies for adults.

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-59916469407666458792010-05-29T11:20:00.000-07:002010-05-29T11:25:45.110-07:00

StoryA leader of the seventies new Hollywood.

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-82776640421921866352010-04-18T23:31:00.000-07:002010-04-18T23:37:58.001-07:00

StoryOne of the most important men in the American side of the anime industry.

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-90337720681986548222010-01-13T22:45:00.000-08:002010-01-13T22:52:24.219-08:00

Story

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-69111852660018421872010-01-11T22:28:00.000-08:002010-01-11T23:14:50.315-08:00

Heath Ledger's untimely death will forever hang over this movie and that really is too bad. This second and final Ledger film to be released posthumously does not have the power of the Batman name or the record setting box office. When The Dark Knight came out last summer the buzz around the film was about how wonderful Ledger was and talk of him getting an Oscar. For Parnassus the talk has focus

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-10625373637886153862009-09-14T18:33:00.000-07:002010-01-13T22:45:31.604-08:00

StoryFor a ten year stretch from 1982 through 1991 Patrick Swayze was in a series of some of the most memorable movies in modern pop culture. Starting with Francis Coppola's The Outsiders and going through Kathryn Bigelow's fantastic Point Break his run of film may have been responsible for more quotable lines than any other actor save Arnold. And even though his career never again reached the

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-65177988435071120432009-07-26T00:03:00.001-07:002009-07-26T00:07:24.475-07:00

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters - 1985 - Paul SchraderMishima was a fascinating individual and Schrader finds a way to show key moments in his life as well as his work. Though he may be most well known for the dramatic way in which his life came to an end, Schrader does a great job of filling in the back story. Do to a scene that takes place in a gay bar, Mishima's family decided not to help

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-87398899123891104342009-07-20T23:42:00.000-07:002009-07-20T23:51:46.961-07:00

(500) Days of Summer is not as good as the films that it cribs from and I get the feeling that it will be forgotten in five years. Annie Hall works because Woody Allen knows how to play with the audiance without taking you out of the film, Marc Webb knows it can be done and has an idea but all of the music video style tricks fall flat. Trying to do too much with a story that does not need it is a

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-80413761968818897162009-07-19T20:04:00.000-07:002009-07-19T20:15:32.613-07:00

Funny Games - 1997 - Michael HanekeMedia violence in an issue that occupies Michael Haneke's mind. All of his films use violence to get a desired reaction from the audience but, he clearly does not think that it should be used solely to entertain. Funny Games is hard to watch, not only do to the on screen subject matter but also because of what it says about the viewer. Funny Games - 2007 -

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-61516569723554826202009-07-12T00:41:00.000-07:002009-07-12T00:54:23.272-07:00

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father - 2008 - Kurt KuenneThere is no question that this is a very moving work. I feel kind of like a jerk for saying it but, as a film it is not made well. On a technical level the use of sound effects and animation are amateurish and pull you out of the film. Once you get past the flaws, there is a story worth telling. I did as I was told and avoided

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-82386123529913368322009-07-01T20:59:00.000-07:002009-07-01T21:03:52.434-07:00

Story

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-25251769692432070292009-07-01T20:20:00.000-07:002009-07-01T20:58:13.919-07:00

The good folks over at the Criterion Forum put together a top 100 list of films from the 1990's as voted on by it's members. They have done these for every decade but this is the first time I have participated. So here is my list, the top two flip-flop pretty often.50. Naked Lunch -1991 - David Cronenberg49. The Wind Will Carry Us - 1999 - Abbas Kiarostami48. Perfect Blue - 1998 - Satoshi Kon47

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-18031182452537561162009-06-25T19:34:00.000-07:002009-06-25T19:35:20.780-07:00

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-62416012727720218532009-06-25T19:29:00.000-07:002009-06-25T19:32:51.166-07:00

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-17820092016948840862009-06-04T20:17:00.000-07:002009-06-04T20:18:41.673-07:00

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-58401708707098639122009-05-10T23:54:00.000-07:002009-05-11T00:04:36.530-07:00

The second of Steven Soderbergh's films to employ the experimental distribution method of a near simultaneous release on-demand, theatrically, and on HDNet; The Girlfriend Experience is the type of film that I wish more directors would try out. Shot in a couple of weeks with RED digital cameras, for under two million dollars and staring adult film performer Sasha Grey, this is the type of work

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-77683884628662099662009-04-26T16:53:00.000-07:002009-05-11T00:06:04.924-07:00

The Cinematographer behind Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes and many other films pasted away on April 22nd. He only won one Oscar but he was one of the best for many years.

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-10442807502714165362009-04-18T23:12:00.000-07:002009-04-18T23:37:02.716-07:00

Like Shadows or Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song Chan is Missing is an important film in the history of American independent cinema. When considering the film outside of it's historical significance, you still have an interesting plot, solid direction and competent cinematography. The one weakness that stands out is the acting which ranges from passable to awful. It is a film that is definitely

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-62348140306767732882009-04-12T07:00:00.000-07:002009-04-12T07:00:00.458-07:00

Mark Borchardt is an inspiration. The man has a passion that he is following no matter the cost. I cannot say that I would every want to live like Mark but as he says throughout American Movie he is doing it, not just dreaming it. I hope that one day Mr. Borchardt will get a chance to finish Northwestern.

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-19560926874464559742009-04-11T21:04:00.000-07:002009-04-11T21:07:57.963-07:00

P.T. Anderson's first feature has many of the hallmarks that he has carried throughout his career so far. People who are on the fringes of society even when they are successful within there niche, a free roaming camera that is never out of place, wonderful dialog, great performances and so on.

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-23460267227003318662009-04-09T20:46:00.000-07:002009-04-09T20:59:03.384-07:00

I'm Not There - 2007 - Todd HaynesI wish I could say that the traditional biopic was dead. It would be a more interesting world if more filmmakers would forgo the easy retelling of events from a person’s life and instead follow Todd Haynes' example and try to capture the feel and sprite of the subject's life. In I'm Not There, Hanyes has six different actors are all Bob Dylan and at the same

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-33259085263663357112009-03-18T21:29:00.000-07:002009-03-18T23:01:57.886-07:00

"From the visionary director of 300." The problem with the tag line on the Watchmen poster is that, thus far in his career, Zach Snyder is not a visionary. I know that what Snyder did with the book is likely the most faithful adaptation possible under the constraints of a feature film but, I do not think that makes for the best film possible. In choosing to use the good will that he banked with

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-55183482543177613312009-03-01T15:28:00.000-08:002009-03-01T15:33:30.163-08:00

The rest of the story

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-742349184802215882009-02-18T20:09:00.000-08:002009-02-18T22:35:13.864-08:00

Preciousness is the Achilles' heel of the modern American romantic comedy. The formula is always the same and that is what we want as an audience. Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy and girl get together in the end and along the way we get a few laughs and a couple of Hallmark moments. There is nothing wrong with a formula movie but, it does mean that you need something other than the story

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-87718941998552734252009-01-24T18:11:00.000-08:002009-01-24T19:26:44.047-08:00

The film takes place in a surreal kind of purgatory filled with people who have killed themselves. No one can smile, no bright colours, everything is drab and dull. Zia(Patrick Fugit arrive after offing himself. The first thing he notices is that everything is pretty much the same, only a little worse. Zia meets Eugene, a man who's whole family is in this world, and Mikal, a girl who insists

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-62604637009369976732008-11-08T19:22:00.000-08:002008-11-08T19:30:42.241-08:00

In a lot of ways Zack and Miri Make a Porno is the culmination of all of Kevin Smith's work thus far in his career. Take two parts Clerks vulgarity and one part Jersey Girl sweetness and you get Zack and Miri. This is a paint by numbers romantic comedy. Luckily for us they are Smith's numbers and he knows how to to paint them well. There are quite a few laugh out loud moments as well as a

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-64576254357903077442008-10-29T20:02:00.000-07:002008-11-08T19:32:31.043-08:00

One of the early iconic films from the French New Wave, Varda's story of a woman waiting to hear if she has cancer is fascinating. As the story unfolds, in real time, we follow Cleo around Paris while she tries to come to grips with the idea that she may be dying. I have a hard time calling this film "feminist" but, it most certainly is feminine.

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-55395151239974614272008-10-28T20:01:00.000-07:002008-10-28T20:01:00.735-07:00

Ang Lee is a great technicaly director. His pacing and shot composition are wonderful. Storytelling, on the other hand, is not a strength of his. Eat Drink Man Woman like most of Lee's other films has a story worth telling but Lee does so with all of the subtlety of a sledge hammer. In this case the heavy hand does not harm the warmness this film.

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-40964601383566101602008-10-23T19:59:00.001-07:002008-10-23T19:59:00.963-07:00

The Fall of the Roman Empire is an epic film in all senses of the term. Shot in gorgeous Ultra Panavision with a cast of thousands, Mann's story of Rome's decadent fall is a site to behold. At over three hours in length, this is not the type of movie that Hollywood makes anymore. While most people these days know that story of Marcus Aurelius, Commodus and the rest from Ridley Scott's Gladiator

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-63926933335074834822008-10-19T23:03:00.000-07:002008-10-19T23:23:54.548-07:00

Sex Drive does not bring anything new to the table. It uses many of the same gags as other sex comedies have over uses for years. And it is very funny. The plot come from dozens of teen sex comedies. A high school senior goes to great lengths to have sex and learns some things along the way. Luckily, the plot does not matter. Seth Green is fantastic as the sarcastic Amish man who is good

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-7609357005619310942008-09-27T11:37:00.000-07:002008-09-27T11:41:42.429-07:00

A.P. story

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-60598488829699614102008-09-21T21:44:00.000-07:002008-09-21T21:55:01.108-07:00

Variety story

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-69712368467127937912008-09-11T21:53:00.000-07:002008-09-21T21:56:03.145-07:00

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-31722630201419489142008-09-07T10:51:00.000-07:002008-09-07T10:56:23.430-07:00

Well the list is in and the people have spoken. Two of my top 20 made the list while I was the only vote for nine of my picks.100. Network99. Monty Python & The Holy Grail98. Ran97. Wall-E96. High Fidelity95. The Silence of the Lambs94. Spirited Away93. Nights of Cabiria92. The Searchers91. Duck Soup90. Stalker89. North by Northwest88. Crimes & Misdemeanours87. Paris, Texas86. Memento85. The

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-56911237935395014302008-08-24T13:10:00.000-07:002008-08-24T13:42:02.199-07:00

A great cast is wasted in this preachy, unbelievable and spineless movie. The underlining message is fine but, there is no commitment. A speech by the President at the end of the film is laughable as he wags his finger at Congress for being mean during a conformation hearing.3/10

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-16215552530637560972008-08-23T19:00:00.000-07:002008-08-23T19:00:00.583-07:00

Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a board American tourist traveling in Thailand. While in Bangkok he has an encounter with a man called Daffy who tells him about a beach. Daffy is clearly insane and the next day he leaves Richard a map before checking out. Richard takes this as a sign and decides to ask the French couple staying next door to him if they would like to go on an adventure with

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-7231768997614442802008-08-12T19:00:00.000-07:002008-08-12T19:00:00.604-07:00

Robert Graysmith's books serve as the basis for David Fincher's thriller about the killings that took place in the San Francisco area during the late 60's and early 70's. Zodiac was a man who loved the attention and toyed with the authorities throughout his run of killings. Zodiac is most famous for sending coded messages to the San Francisco newspapers. The ciphers were partially solved but

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-35537411943689535442008-08-10T19:00:00.000-07:002008-08-10T19:00:01.304-07:00

The last dance for a master. John Ford was one of the great directors of the cinema's first century. For his final film he moves from the beautiful vistas of Monument Valley to an isolated mission in China. Ford's ever present theme of what it is to be a hero movie the action here but, instead of John Wayne or Jimmy Stewart we have Anne Bancroft as a doctor who has come to the mission.

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-67618333845898276822008-08-10T15:12:00.000-07:002008-08-10T15:17:24.036-07:00

A.P. story

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-37169614030757519992008-08-09T22:00:00.000-07:002008-08-09T22:00:02.546-07:00

Based on the 1963 noval of the same name by Jim Thompson, Stephen Frears' neo-noir tale of con artists is a master class in acting. John Cusack, Anjelica Huston and Annette Bening are all fantastic. The look is much brighter and the dialoge not as snappy as the great noir films of the forties but, the feel and tone are dark as night. Betrayal of the most personal variety abounds. Nothing

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-33469514159766358892008-08-09T10:00:00.000-07:002008-08-09T10:05:17.888-07:00

A.P. story

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-32351826114094206382008-08-08T21:38:00.000-07:002008-08-09T18:39:33.822-07:00

The combination of David Gordon Green and the Judd Apatow group making a stoner comedy is the kind of idea that one may have while partaking of the sticky greens. Green has been an indie darling since he first appeared on the scene with the beautifully lyrical George Washington. On the other hand Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen and the rest of the crew have made it big with a string of hit comedies.

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-34250362015783406902008-08-03T20:46:00.001-07:002008-08-03T22:53:37.721-07:00

Over at the Filmspotting Forums they are compiling a list of the forum's top 100 films. The first round of voting goes until August 31st. Anyone who wants to can submit a top 20 list and those films gets points based on placement e.g. 20 points for #1. The only issue with this format is that it may invite people like me to game the system.My Submitted List #1 - Umi ga Kikoeru (Ocean Waves)

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-57236633372054472192008-06-08T18:29:00.000-07:002008-06-08T18:31:07.897-07:00

James Cann is always good when playing a bad ass. After being betrayed by his best friend and partner, played by the great Robert Duvall, Mike sets out to get revenge. San Fransisco looks fantastic throughout and the performances are wonderful, but the plot is weak and it is hard to take ninjas seriously.6/10

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-43478356980843279952008-04-19T13:50:00.000-07:002008-04-19T14:08:49.408-07:00

Peter O'Toole is great, but it feels like there is something missing. The relationship between Maurice and Jessie bounces back and forth between oddly sweet and extremely awkward. I would have like to see more of Ian and Maurice interacting to help flesh out Maurice's character.6/10

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-85222897933079925432008-04-13T18:24:00.000-07:002008-04-13T19:07:32.484-07:00

Mann's style is dripping from every frame of this film.8/10

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-21439137273257048642008-04-13T16:25:00.000-07:002008-04-13T16:32:19.081-07:00

Funny at times, but dark for the sake of being dark.7/10

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-16961821005834945622008-04-13T16:18:00.000-07:002008-04-13T16:25:21.080-07:00

Dreamlike and beautiful.8/10

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-38636975838941371942008-04-06T00:19:00.000-07:002008-08-09T18:40:25.641-07:00

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-55455937726907444892008-04-05T01:48:00.000-07:002008-04-05T01:50:51.606-07:00

Carice van Houten plays Rachel, a Jewish singer doing whatever it takes to survive in occupied Netherlands during World War II. After being bombed out of her hiding place and barely surviving an attempt to flee, Rachel joins the Dutch resistance and takes the name Ellis. While helping with a plan to bug the Gestapo headquarters, she meets an SS commander named Muntze. In order to help save

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-60709841321243539392008-04-03T22:07:00.000-07:002008-08-09T18:45:17.695-07:00

On April 3 1998 the greatest television show ever debuted on TV Tokyo. It was only a partial broadcast and it stated with the second episode. Later on in 1998 the series was shown in its entirety and in order on WOWOW.

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-20240103897721872612008-03-30T11:42:00.000-07:002008-03-30T11:46:11.367-07:00

Two old friends, Mark (Daniel London) and Kurt (Will Oldham), go on a weekend trip out to a hot spring in the mountains outside of Portland, Oregon. Mark lives with his pregnant wife and dog outside of the city, while Kurt is single and living in the city. The guys get lost on the way and have to camp out for a night before they find the spring. The next mourning they stop at a restaurant,

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-46199122008147117052008-03-16T17:26:00.000-07:002008-08-09T18:43:25.196-07:00

James Caan is Frank, a thief who is looking to get one more score so he can go straight. Frank get involved with the mob and finds that the family does not like to let people go. He does the job, but there are issues when he tries to get his money.Thief was Michael Mann's first film and it lays the ground work for all that followed. While James Caan's performance and the focus on character

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-65890653595741186932008-03-16T12:49:00.000-07:002008-08-09T18:42:26.670-07:00

A bored psychiatrist, Dr. Margaret Ford(Lindsay Crouse), meets a confidence man, Mike(Joe Mantegna) through a patient with a gambling problem. Dr. Ford goes down to a pool hall to confront Mike after he threatens her patient. Mike has the doctor help him in his poker game. From that point on Dr. Ford is obsessed with the art of the con. She wants to see how the different scams work. Being

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-44765794912027159882008-03-10T16:57:00.000-07:002008-08-09T18:44:09.773-07:00

Betrayed by his partners, Cable Hogue (Jason Robards) vows to survive and take his revenge. Cable wonders the desert, giving the occasional prayer, looking for water. In a dust storm and at deaths door, Cable stumbles upon his salvation. He sets up shop to sell water to the stage and any other passers by. After an eventful encounter with his first customer, Cable meets Joshua (David Warner),

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-13738734736953157182008-03-09T21:53:00.000-07:002008-03-09T21:56:22.169-07:00

Tommy (Hugh Jackman) and Izzi (Rachel Wiesz) are a couple whose story we follow through a thousand years. Immortality is the goal that pushes Tomas the conquistador to seek the tree of life and retrieve the sap for his queen, Isabel, Tommy is trying to find a cancer cure from a South American tree to save his dying wife, Izzi, and Tom is trying to make it to a dying star to save the dying tree

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-49932468006010692482008-03-04T21:05:00.000-08:002008-03-04T21:10:45.152-08:00

Jake Geismer(George Clooney) is an American military journalist in Berlin to cover a post-war conference in Potsdam. Shortly after his arrival he runs into Lena Brandt(Cate Blanchett), a woman with whom he had an affair before the war. Lena is having an affair with Jake's driver Tully(Tobey Maguire). Tully is trying to get papers so he can get Lena out of Germany when he finds out that the

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-39705782127024323872008-02-26T19:24:00.000-08:002008-02-26T19:27:18.873-08:00

Civic TV programmer Max Renn(James Woods) is always looking for sleazy programming to air on channel 83. Max feels that the only way for his little station to compete is to show people things that they cannot get anywhere else. One day Max is invited to appear on the Rena King show to defend himself and his programming. On the show he meets Nicki Brand(Deborah Harry) and Prof. Brian O'Blivion(

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-55251296647592910372008-02-23T00:43:00.000-08:002008-02-23T00:50:21.953-08:00

Barry Blaustein's inside look at the world of professional wrestling is fascinating and tragic. Most of the film focuses of three wrestlers; Mick Foley, Jake Roberts and Terry Funk. We get to see these men outside the ring and we see the toll that years of wrestling has taken both physically and emotionally. Funk is at the end of his career, but he is having a hard time letting go. His family

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-23919233770976855562008-02-17T13:41:00.000-08:002008-02-26T19:26:52.664-08:00

Breach is based on the true story of Robert Hanssen(Chris Cooper) the greatest spy in U.S. history and how he was captured. Ryan Phillippe plays Eric O'Neill a young clerk who is assigned to Hanssen to observer him and collect information for Agent Kate Burroughs(Laura Linney. Being a based on real life events, you should know from the outset where the story is headed and how it will

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-4847973702316211382008-02-14T19:12:00.000-08:002008-02-14T22:09:32.861-08:00

Vince Vaughn play a smooth talking telemarketer that goes by the name Pendelton 'Penny' Wise. Penny is the top saleman at a shop pushing vacations. He live with his friend Joel(Rory Cochrane), who is not a fan of working. After the shop starts to run into financial trouble, Penny starts to look for a new job. He meets Caitlin(Julia Ormond) and she introduces Penny to Kelly Grant(Ed Harris).

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-7516505189890129572008-02-14T17:41:00.000-08:002008-08-09T18:40:50.082-07:00

The great Japanese director Kon Ichikawa died on Wednesday, he was 92.

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-43394699627782181762008-02-02T19:16:00.000-08:002008-02-14T17:16:56.062-08:00

He was 25 years old. He combed his hair like James Dean. She was 15. She took music lessons and could twirl a baton. For a while they lived together in a tree house. In 1959, she watched while he killed a lot of people. The tagline from the original poster sums the film up pretty well.Badlands is an amazing debut from a director that has gone on to make nothing but amazing films. Terrence

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-62474786960467095072008-01-27T13:46:00.000-08:002008-02-14T17:17:56.443-08:00

First time director Géla Babluani crafted this wonderful little thriller about a man who assumes another identity for a chance to make a Fortune. Sébastien(George Babluani) is a handyman working of the house of a man called Jean-François(Philippe Passon. While working on the roof Sébastien overhears a conversation about Jean-François getting an opportunely to make a lot of money.

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-15797419513219230242008-01-22T19:50:00.000-08:002008-08-09T18:41:04.289-07:00

AP Story. My thoughts and prays go out to Heath's daughter and the rest of his family...

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-60016594421107776372008-01-12T15:44:00.000-08:002008-02-14T17:18:25.655-08:00

Tideland - 2005 - Terry GilliamThis odd tale follows the events in the life of a young girl by the name of Jeliza Rose (Jodelle Ferland). First we meet her and her parents (played by Jennifer Tilly and Jeff Bridges) who are both heroin addicts who use their daughter to help them get high. Mom die of an overdose and Jeliza and her dad head out to her grandmother's old house out in the country.

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-8486313862022772552007-12-26T20:17:00.001-08:002008-02-14T17:18:57.499-08:00

Cameron Crowe is capable of making amazing movies, Say Anything and Amost Famous, and they are all structured around the soundtrack. Elizabethtown has all of the hallmarks of Crowe's really good work, but in this case the whole is less than the some of it's parts. Even a good soundtrack feels wasted in this film due to a lack of anything for it to tie together. Orlando Bloom plays Drew Baylor,

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-35321365419948370172007-12-16T18:04:00.000-08:002008-02-14T17:19:27.740-08:00

Primer is the kind of sci-fi movie that you would expect form Stanley Kubrick or Andrei Tarkovsky. The story is not easy to follow but if you pay attention most of the information that you need is provided. It starts out with four friends that are trying to get thier fledgeling tech company off the ground. The guys are all engineers and they are trying to come up with an idea that will get

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-54695357914623515232007-12-10T21:06:00.000-08:002008-02-14T17:20:16.015-08:00

Joel Coen and his brother Ethan are, without a doubt, one of the most interesting teams working in the film industry today. From Blood Simple throught today they have made films that are, even if you end up not liking, alway worth seeing. I feel that their skills are suited more to the dark side as shown in such great works as Miller's Crossing, Fargo and The Man Who Wasn't There. But the

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-69167208436822947502007-12-09T19:11:00.000-08:002008-02-14T17:20:41.868-08:00

Director Brad Bird's first feature film is an homage to both sci-fi films of the nineteen fifties and to the classic Disney animated films from the pre-Pixar years. The plot is simple enough, a giant robot(Vin Diesel) crash lands off the coast of Maine and, having lost his memory, begins to wonder the forest outside of the town of Rockwell. As the giant roams around eating whatever metal he

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-57507138579008335802007-12-02T18:12:00.000-08:002008-02-14T17:21:14.004-08:00

Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett are both in top form in href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0264236/">Richard Eyre's adaptation of Zoe Heller's novel. The story is about apair of teachers at St. George's school. Sheba Hart(Blanchett) is the new art teacher at the school and Barbara Covett(Dench) a long time history teacher. Barbara keeps a detailed diary of the goings on in her life and this device is

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-59179287533139169592007-11-17T21:36:00.001-08:002008-02-14T17:21:44.216-08:00

The 1957 adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's novel about the lost generation suffers from the age old problems that come along with putting a great book on the screen. Famed producer Darryl Zanuck put together a cast that included Tyrone Power as the protagonist Jake Barnes along with Ava Gardner as Brett Ashley and the great Errol Flynn as Mike. The film works as overall as light entertainment

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-74984072232299595652007-11-10T15:07:00.000-08:002008-02-14T17:22:29.031-08:00

Stanley Kubrick was a master of the cinema. This film shows how well he could frame shots within his trademark 1.66:1 window. Lolita takes place in a world filled with people who lack almost any redeeming value. Dolores 'Lolita' Haze is played to great effect by Sue Lyon. Peter Sellers is great as always in a small but important role. I have not read the book but, this is the better of the two

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-55539414093488075722007-11-09T19:28:00.000-08:002008-02-14T17:23:13.559-08:00

I first thing I think of when watching Magnolia is the greatness of Short Cuts but, that's another story. Anderson's tale of people struggling with assorted difficulties during one fateful day in Los Angeles plays to the strengths and skills of the director. Anderson manages to coax wonderful performances out of everyone in this film. Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly, and the stunning

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-25128564506433696372007-11-08T20:46:00.000-08:002008-02-14T17:23:44.234-08:00

Preston Sturges, Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda together almost guarantees a fantastic movie. The Lady Eve is classified as a screwball comedy but, Sturges never lets the slapstick elements overrun the film. In the end the film manages to achieve an excellent balance of romance and comedy. 7/10

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-8979242622309341172007-11-07T20:31:00.000-08:002008-02-14T17:24:28.853-08:00

Zana Briski & Ross Kauffman direct this documentary about the children of sex workers in Calcutta's red light district. This film has moments but, on the whole it just feels flat. The kids have very tough lives and seeing how photography can bring a little happiness into their world is interesting but it feels like there is a better movie to be made out of this story. Nice effort with their

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-6811476398022375732007-04-28T22:12:00.000-07:002008-02-14T17:24:56.932-08:00

Johnny To & Ka-Fai Wai's 2001 thriller about two assassins working in Hong Kong is a joy to watch. Tok (Andy Lau) is a flashy, arrogant killer who is out to become the number one hitman in Asia. O (Takashi Sorimachi) is the top assassin that Tok is trying to become. The two men go about their business while each trying to kill the other. The plot is pretty straight forward, but with a tour de

spooncivicRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10473825503613100785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8974183197858252850.post-90971108102928342602007-04-01T20:49:00.000-07:002008-02-14T17:25:18.216-08:00

Reviews to be added later...01. Lost in Translation - (Sofia Coppala, 2003)02. Duoluo Tianshi (Fallen Angels) - (Wong Kar-Wai, 1995)03. High Fidelity - (Stephen Frears, 2000)04. Umi ga Kikoeru (Ocean Waves) - ( Tomomichi Mochizuki, 1993)05. Sennen Joyû (Millennium Actress) - (Satoshi Kon, 2001)06. Traffic - (Steven Soderbergh, 2000)07. The Red Shoes - (Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, 1948)

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