ph: Rafael Stahelin
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Greenberg (2010)
A man from Los Angeles, who moved to New York years ago, returns to L.A. to figure out his life while he house-sits for his brother.
Staid tragicomedy in Woody Allen territory, but a touch more bleak; Ben Stiller does a good job in an unusual role as misanthrope.
Maltin***: "Baumbach and Leigh conceived this incisive, if laid-back, character study of a self-absorbed screwup (Stiller, in a finely tuned performance). Spending time with Greenberg may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the film has undeniable resonance, and paints a vivid picture of everyday life in L.A."
Friday, April 10, 2015
First Lines: C. S. Lewis - Out of the Silent Planet
The last drops of the thundershower had hardly ceased falling when the Pedestrian stuffed his map into his pocket, settled his pack more comfortably on his tired shoulders, and stepped out from the shelter of a large chestnut tree into the middle of the road.
Rarely Heard: Vijay Iyer Trio - Historicity
Although Vijay Iyer is probaly one of the most celebrated pianists in contempoary jazz, I assume that most jazz music is rarely heard, if your not really a full jazz fan. I had the opportunity to see the Vijay Iyer Trio live at the jazz festival in Saalfelden, Austria. I didn't know about him till then; I was there to see Ornette Coleman, who played right afterwards. His album "Historicity" was voted by Downbeat's Critics Poll as Best Jazz Album Of The Year 2010, his album "Accelerando" made the Poll again in 2012. And then some say his most recent album "BreakStuff" tops them all.
Thursday, April 9, 2015
From my library: Peter W. Engelmeier - Beauties
A nice coffee table book presenting a large collection of photos of female movie stars.
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror
from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a
war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction.
OK continuation of the early Star trek beginnings, rich on action and visual effects, but not quite as exciting as the first entry.
Maltin***: "High-energy follow.up...Every crisis is pitched as a life-and-death struggle, but there's never a dull moment in this entertaining popcorn picture. Plus, there's always time for some humorous banter among the diverse personalities of the U.S.S. Enterprise."
Cromwell (1970)
Disgusted with the policies of King Charles I, Oliver Cromwell plans to take his family to the New World, but on the eve of their departure, Cromwell is drawn into the tangled web of religion and politics that will result in the English Civil War.
Well-produced history lesson that doesn't manage to make any more exciting than at school either.
Halliwell*: "Disappointingly dull schoolbook history, with good production values but glum handling."
Maltin**: "Turgid historical epic has everything money can buy, but no human feeling underneath...Great battle scenes, great cinematography and Oscar-winning costume design, hampered by Harris and amateurish music score."
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
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From my library: Hollywood and the Great Fan Magazines
This book reproduces pages from Hollywoods great fan magazines like Silver Screen, Screenland, Modern Screen, Screen Book and Photoplay from the 1930s when Hollywood was amazing. Of course it also reveals the gossipy character of these magazines with stories titled as "What About Clark Gable Now?", "Jean Harlow From Extra to Star", "The Truth About William Powell", "What was Hollywood thinking?" or "Norma Takes a Dare". Nevertheless, it gives nice insight into the history of cinema fandom.
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