October. It's A Wrap.

Oh, 2010. We're just getting to know you and you're already approaching history's grave. Stay a little while longer please? Two months... give us two months. Here are a dozen Film Experience highlights from October in case you missed 'em.Claremont & Hammerstein's "The Sound of Mutants"Jake Gyllenhaal Speaks a revealing evening with the star. Quotes on his three key movies.BPFTOI The popular

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75th: "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Other the years I've been writing for The Film Experience I've realized I'm quite obsessed with chronologies and time. Stars that have been part of our rear view mirror of film history our whole lives were once fresh faces. It's a simple concept but intermittently hard to absorb. I mean, Olivia de Havilland and Mickey Rooney, two of the oldest living film stars, were once newbies! In fact,

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The Greatest Halloween Moment in the History of the Movies

"RAAAAACHELLL FLAAXXXX!!!"[img src]Cher, Christina Ricci, Mermaids (1990)If you dare to disagree, you'd better list an inspired trick or a whopper of a treat in the comments!Oh and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!*

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The Final Linkdown

My beloved bloglines -- where I subscribe to hundreds of blogs and websites in case something interesting pops up -- goes the way of the dodo tomorrow. This is the final link roundup as you've come to know (and love / be indifferent to). I'm taking this opportunity to rethink my web reading and start from scratch in terms of what I "follow" since I spend too much time surfing, skimming, reading,

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Halloween Top Ten: I ♥ Zombies; or, Up with Dead People

Craig here. It's Halloween and the new horror tv series The Walking Dead is nearly upon us. This is what I've been thinking about day-to-day for the last few weeks. So here's a Tuesday Top Ten Special (i.e. it's on the weekend instead... and it's Halloween themed) to get you thinking about all things zombified. Perfect for a day made for the dead. Alive or recently embalmed, all enter here.

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Streep Nom #15 & #16: Sister Aloysius Beauvier & Julia Child

In an off blog e-mail correspondence earlier this week, one of my fellow movie bloggers said to me "The best thing about this year's Best Actress race is that Streep isn't in it." That's funny. It's true that her ubiquity can be exhausting. It must especially feel like a relief for other Tinseltown goddesses in those rare years when she isn't in play. More room for them. But since Streep at 60, a

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What if "Australia" Had Ended Here?

On this very day in 1939, Australia's Northern Standard incorrectly assumed that The Lady Ashley (Nicole Kidman) and her Drover (Hugh Jackman) had both perished in the Kuraman Desert!Newspapers. They've always had it rough; The second you publish something it's ancient history.Just as soon as this news was making the rounds the lady and her cattle driving man, rode into town in a cloud of

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FYC Hell: Alice in Uglyland and the Art of Self Editing.

With screeners arriving and campaign parties starting, awards season is raring to go. The Oscar FYC ad pictured below, the first of the season, arrived today in my mailbox from the delightful Guy Lodge with the completely sensible command "Stop. This. Now." As many of you know, I loathe Tim Burton's Mia in Uglyland but I'm not dumb enough to think that it doesn't have a shot at a handful of Oscar

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Kiss The Girl, Win an Oscar?

random Oscar thought of the day If the Best Actress race really narrows down to The Bening (The Kids Are All Right) vs. Natalie Portman (Black Swan) than we have a seriously sapphic situation going on this year."♪ I Kissed a Girl just to try it, I know Oscar won't mind it. ♫ "Hey, it worked last year for the ladies in this category.P.S. Does this mean that The Oscars are basically like frat

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Linktivia

An endless series of links. I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm seriously going to go cold turkey. But let's start with "Boba Fett's Invoice" designed by Brock Davis because it's just making me giggle. [Discovered via]Self Styled Siren great piece on being drawn to older movies and why it's incorrect to reductively label that "nostalgia."Guardian Snarky (but funny) "Can Nicole Kidman pull an

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LFF 2010: Zero Hours Remain

David from Victim of the Time with one last report from the 54th BFI London Film Festival.Craig gave you a packed wrap-up earlier today, but I couldn't let you go without getting in another word myself. I caught near to 50 films during the past month (give or take a couple I, er, nodded off during), and I'm happy to say there were an abundance of highs and a general lack of lows - maybe I just

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Unsung Heroes: The Production Design of The Descent

Michael C. here from Serious Film for another episode of Unsung Heroes. With Halloween fast approaching I thought now would be a great time to shine the spotlight on my pick for the best horror movie of the last decade.I was researching Neil Marshall's The Descent for a post I was writing about horror movies when I was surprised to stumble upon this trivia item:No real caves appear anywhere in

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Lunk. Subgenius. Monster.

awwww, poor Frankenstein Monster. Always so pathetically lonely. Hit refresh ya big lug! I'm sure someone will cozy up. If you're lucky she'll have a huge skunk inspired beehive. [Note: This illustration is brought to you from the wonderful imagination of Mr Hipp.... click over and see other illustrated wonders.]

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Captain America's Mighty Shield Pecs

Behold: Chris Evans as Steve Rogers (aka Captain America), post-serum obviously.Captain America: The First AvengerIn all seriousness now, I have to ask: How they gonna make him look scrawny and unfit before he drinks the drink that transforms him into a super soldier?  If you would like to reread this post for several minutes  (no one will blame you) here's a little musical accompaniment. Read my

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LFF 2010: five final festival films to wrap up with...

Craig here from Dark Eye Socket with my LFF wrap-up.As of tonight the BFI London Film Festival is done for another year. It's been a stellar year all told, if the surplus of reports are to be believed. And I'd willingly add a further approving nod to the list. I didn't manage to see everything I wanted (juggling festival times and dates with travel arrangements is an art – one that's open to

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Animal Kingdom To Rack Up Awards (...In Australia)

Remember that one year (2001) when the list-happy AFI (American Film Institute) decided to compete with the Globes and the Oscars in year end prizes? No, that didn't last long. But there's another AFI, The Australian Film Institute, that has been around for a long time and is in no such danger of being a one-off. This year, they're all about the amazing family crime drama Animal Kingdom which

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Hit Me With Your Best Shot: "Night of the Hunter" (1955)

"We've reached the Season 1 Finale of "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" I've had a lot of fun doing this shot-based series, wherein we choose our favorite images from films though sometimes, like tonight, when we're covering the great noir THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (1955) things haven't gone remotely as planned.<--- This is the disc as I received it in the mail this morning for this post.Obviously a

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The Dark Knight Rises: A Review Starter Kit.

Christopher Nolan has revealed the title of his third Batman film (Batman 8 if you're counting*) to Hero Complex and it's The Dark Knight Rises. We also know that the villain will not be The Riddler so stop that photoshopping of Tom Hardy in green tights even though his musculature is undoubtedly fun to move one's cursor around. What? Okay, you may leave the question mark upon his chest because

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Oscar's Collection: The Youngest Best Actress Nominees

Another Oscar Trivia Explosion. This time it's the Actresses. Jennifer Lawrence made quite a film-carrying impression in Winter's Bone this past summer. It was one of the leggiest arthouse hits in some time, playing for months, and wracking up $6+ million without a huge advertising budget or bankable stars and with grim subject matter. Well done. At Christmas Hailee Steinfeld will lead us on a

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"Every Ending... Has a Beginning."

The Birds (1963) gets the prequel we definitely needed...The Birds (The Prequel) from NYSUfilms on Vimeo.... because everyone hates movies without exposition / backstory. [/sarcasm] I love the gentle spoofing of our modern need for all mystery to be explained to us "We had no answer... until now". Ha!Apparently this prequel trailer for Alfred Hitchcock's classic The Birds is a year old. But I'm

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This Link Goes to 11

Live Feed Glee inspired political attack ad. Who knew an attack ad could be cute?Kenneth in the (212) my friend Kenneth will be seen briefly in the new Mindy Cohn gay flick Violet Tendencies. When was the last time you heard "new Mindy Cohn flick"... let alone a gay one?Pop Justice "Bad Romance" is one year old today. Kinda. Still love it.This Leonardo TotallyLooksLike double gotsaved on my

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Which movie...

...most reminds you of a happy night in your life? (It doesn't even have to be a happy movie to do so.)

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A Midwestern 80s Moment: Kathleen, Meryl, Terri, Lesley

I'm sure it was because I lived in Michigan in the 1980s and that's when John Hughes movies were always in theaters but it seemed (to young me) that the Midwest was Hollywood-Hot back then. So this one goes out to all the Midwestern readers and to four fine actresses who are often associated with the 1980s though one of them has clearly transcended our puny mortal concepts of time.So we'll start

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"NOW a warning?"

According to The Movie Timeline, which I like to visit on occasion,  Helen (Goldie Hawn) drank that potent boob &butt lifting potion in Death Becomes Her (1992) on this very day, October 26th, back in 1985! That scene isn't included onscreen but we do get to see Madeline (Meryl Streep) follow in her footsteps years later. And, anyway, I'm always up for an excuse to celebrate a 25th anniversary!"

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Curio: Wes Anderson's Bad Dads

Alexa from Pop Elegantiarum here with your weekly arts and crafts. There is a very cool exhibit coming up for those in San Francisco. As I've noted many times, Wes Anderson is a bottomless source of inspiration for visual artists. So Spoke Art, a transient art gallery and publishing house based in the Bay Area, is taking advantage of the bounty by putting on an art show tribute to Wes Anderson

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First and Last, "I'm in the Wrong Movie"

the first and last images in a motion picture (excluding opening/closing credits)Hmmmm. You may need another clue. The first and last lines:first: "Hey, what's this? One of ____'s tricks? I'm in the wrong movie!"last: [Can't share it. They're singing the title.]Can you guess the movie?Want to try more puzzles? Challenge your friends to guess. All solved puzzles have the answers in easy

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Linky Linky

Movie|Line offers up pre 1970s horror movie suggestions for Halloween/Film James Franco making another poetry film. From behind the camera this time.MCN Halle Berry's Frankie & Alice to get Oscar qualifying release. Have I ever told you how much I hate the one week qualifier rule?  "YES. SHUT UP," the readers shout in unison. I'm just sayin' movies should be eligible only if the year of their

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LFF 2010: Northern Lights, Black Swans

Dave from Victim of the Time, reporting from the 54th BFI London Film Festival.We're winding down now. Today's gala screening, the sparky, perceptive The Kids Are All Right, is old news on American shores, so it's a good thing that I've taken so long to ponder over today's films. Today's theme might be... don't expect too much. You'll only get hurt.Darren Aronofsky’s films consume. They consume

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7 Word Reviews: Made in Dagenham, Stone, 127 Hours, Etc...

Can you feel Oscar precursor season gearing up?Left: Aron Ralson as himself.Right: James Franco as Aron RalstonThe mountaintops are a-rumbling. To delude myself into thinking I've "caught up" before the avalanche, herewith seven word reviews on a bunch of movies I haven't got around to talking about just yet. More to come on three of them.127 HoursIn which James Franco plays Aron Ralston who is

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15 Directors Who Shaped My Movie Love

So there's this meme going around that Paolo tagged me with. So why not? The idea is that you list 15 directors, mainly off of the top of your head, that contributed to the way you experience and think about the movies. This is not a list of my all time favorites though half of the list would probably overlap. This is the list I come up with when I think briefly on the formative masterminds and/

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Para Normal Activity.

What did you see over the weekend? Care to share? The only movie I managed to catch, on a total whim, was the original Paranormal Activity on Instant Watch just as the new one was packing them in at the box office. Hey, I've never claimed to be current with horror. I am totally not that guy. So here I am talking about a year after its sell-by date! I'm not in the now. I am beyond time.See, even

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Take Three: Anna Faris

Craig here with Take Three. Today: Anna FarisTake One: Even cowgirls get the bluesI’m always up for a spot of Brokeback love. I know there's been plenty of attention around these parts in the past but let’s divert the love that-a-way. Let’s ride sidesaddle and gallop slightly away from Jake ‘n’ Heath. And Michelle 'n' Anne. And Ang. Hey, look, it’s Anna Faris as Lashawn Malone in Brokeback

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First and Last, Far Away

first and last puzzles. Can you guess the movie?first image: last line:"You'll see. You'll see how far away we'll be."This one took a while for people to guess. It's such a good movie. The answer is [highlight the invisible text] BURNT MONEY (2000) from Argentina. Really intense crime drama about "the twins" who aren't twins but gay lovers. You should rent it.*

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LFF 2010: What I Love the Most

Craig reporting from the London Film Festival. Argentinian film editor Delfina Castagnino makes her directorial feature debut with What I Love the Most / Lo que más quiero, a slight but thoughtfully quiet film full of long takes and extended pauses. The slim plot follows Pilar, who has recently lost her father, visiting her friend Maria, who is absconding from her boyfriend. The two spend their

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You eat that watermelon, Juliette...

Just eat it!I'm totally not crazy about watermelons myself. I don't like anything where I have to spit out seeds. You?This entirely random post has been brought to you by a recent screening of What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993) in which just about everyone is excellent even though people only talk about it today in terms of Leonardo DiCaprio's first entirely deserved Oscar nomination. I meant to

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LFF 2010: Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

Like Winter Vacation (reviewed yesterday and also showing today), more snowy desolation abounds in Almari Helander’s debut film Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale. But this time the setting is a much more grim (bordering on Grimm) and fable-like Finland (bordering on Lapland). There are 24 days to go until Christmas, and high on a mountain a mysterious company called Subzero Inc. are drilling

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Yes, No, Maybe So: "Rabbit Hole"

I probably need to start covering movies I'm not absolutely drooling for in this yes, no, maybe so trailer series. It gets hard to pick the "no" and "maybe" elements for a film like, say, this one here...John Cameron Mitchell's RABBIT HOLE will hit theaters, albeit only a few of them we're guessing, on December 17th, a date obviously chosen with the perception that it will maximize Oscar

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Catherine Deneuve and The Terrified Naked Model

Yesterday was the 67th birthday of the one and only Catherine Deneuve. As some of you know, she's one of my top ten actresses of all time. I didn't celebrate because I was too busy tinkering with blog coding. (Lots of good changes coming. Cross your fingers)<-- Deneuve with foxy François on the Potiche promotional trail.Here in the USA when people talk about 60something actresses, it's almost

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First and Last, 4.45

the first image in a motion picture, and the last... Can you guess the movie?That's right. It's the very recent hit [highlight for the answer] ZOMBIELAND (2009).  *

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