Saturday, April 22, 2017

Hannah Davis


Tiergarten Straubing


Tiergarten Straubing, April 2017

Carolina Sanchez


A day in the life, Apr 16


A day in the life, Apr 16, Easter still life

Sybil Buck


New York


New York City, c1903

Rosie Tupper


First Lines: John Lloyd Stephens - Incidents of Travel in Yucatan


The reader of my "Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan," may remember that the researches of Mr. Catherwood and myself in the last-mentioned country were abruptly terminated by the illness of the former.

Sveta Utkina


Tiergarten Straubing


Tiergarten Straubing, April 2017

Alexandra Egorova


A day in the life, Apr 15


A day in the life, Apr 15, Regensburg by night

Niki Hajdu



 ph: Danny Roche

Bear Island (1979)


On the remote Norwegian Bear Island, used as a submarine base by the Germans during WW2, an U.N. scientist sends a distress signal using an emergency NATO frequency and is received by scientific vessel Morning Rose.

Good example how a production with top credentials results into a mediocre product.

Halliwell (no star): "Highly implausible adventure yarn, indifferently presented."

Maltin*1/2: "One of Alistair MacLean's best novels became one of his worst movies...Strong cast, capable director and scenic locations come to naught."

Friday, April 21, 2017

Anna Gerasimova


ph: Milos Nadazdin

New Stuff: The New Yorker


(art: Harry Bliss)

Frida Gustavsson


An Unfinished Life (2005)

 
A down on her luck widow, desperate to provide care for her daughter, moves in with her father in-law from whom she is estranged, because he gives her the fault for his son's death.
A deliberately simple tale is well produced and the cast in great form, but the movie is slow-paced and not too exciting.
 
On renewed viewing: I still agree with my first assessment, but it is a likable movie.
Maltin***: "Warmhearted, embracing story about family ties and the need for forgiveness. It's a treat to watch Redford and Freeman as two old codgers with an unshakable bond of friendship."
 

Who's That Girl?


Photographer: Rebecca Lepkoff

Jang Yoon Ju


ph: Tae Woo

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

New York


Rush hour on Fifth Avenue, New York City, 1953

Sun Feifei


ph: Sun Jun

First Lines: Richard Hakluyt - Principall Navigations


In the yere of Christ, 517, king Arthur in the second yeere of his reigne, hauing subdued all parts of Ireland, sailed with his fleet into Island, and brought it and the people thereof vunder his suniection.

Molly Bair


Tiergarten Straubing


Tiergarten Straubing, April 2017

Mengmeng Wei


A day in the life, Apr 13


A day in the life, Apr 13, objet trouvé

Lana Turner


Pieta (2012)

A loan shark is forced to reconsider his violent lifestyle after the arrival of a mysterious woman claiming to be his long-lost mother.

Intense and complex tale of love, guilt and redemption, competently directed with good lead performances.

Lydia Hearst


New Stuff: Jonathan Lethem


Viola Podkopaeva


Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)





A frustrated circus magician from Kansas is transported to a magical land called Oz, where he will have to fulfill a prophecy to become the king, and release the land from the Wicked Witches using his great (but fake) powers.

Likable and entertaining fantasy offers some nice moments, but doesn't have the magic one would expect considering all the credentials, and it's a bit too long.

Maltin**1/2: "Elaborate, eye-filling production...can't be compared to the 1939 THE WIZARD OF OZ, aside from some winks in its direction. Fairly entertaining on its own terms but overlong and, frankly unmemorable. Braff provides consistent laughs as a talking monkey."

Caitie Greene


ph: Steven Meisel

New Stuff: Diamanda Galas



Kiko Mizuhara



Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Profondo rosso (1975)

 
After witnessing the murder of a famous psychic, a musician teams up with a feisty reporter to find the killer while evading attempts on their lives by the unseen assailant bent on keeping a dark secret buried.
 
Creepy horror thriller in classic Argento style: dark atmosphere, bizarre murders and an irritating soundtrack; the original uncut Italian version is - in parts - bit too talkative.
 
Halliwell**: "Slick, stylish, decadent, suspenseful thriller, with a disquieting atmosphere that continually puts its audience, like its victims, off-balance. Hemmings's character owes much to his role in Antonioni's Blow Up." 

Maltin**1/2: "There's style to burn in senseless horror thriller...Flashy, bizarre murders set to pounding rock soundtrack."


Who's That Girl?


Art: Aleksandr Deyneka

Achok Majak


ph: Thierry Le Goues