Cinelation - Latest Comments

Re: Review: HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1959 + 1999) and The Curse of its Colorization!

Lazarus Lupin — Wed, 11 May 2011 14:00:17 -0000

A wonderful critique and overview of "House on Haunted Hill," in all its forms. You are right that it is at heart a caper film even the new version with the nifty ghosts. The ghosts are merely a complication, we really want to know the details of the diabolical plan.

Lazarus Lupin
http://strangespanner.blogspot...
art and review

Re: The Best Films of 2002

Miss Soo — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:18:09 -0000

spirited away.. omgod.. i love love love this movie.. this movie catapulted me to watch anime.. i never use to watch japanese anime (besides sailormoon) until this movie came out.. it reminded me of a japanese version of alice in wonderland.. a crazy dream

Re: The Best Films of 2006

Miss Soo — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:17:08 -0000

perfume: story of a murder.. very much enjoyed.. the filming style reminded me of the fall. Even though he was the killer i was still on his side… haha that sounded bad

pan's labyrinth.. i love the director.. he also directed “the Devil’s backbone” that movie was good.. just scary, dark, evil, sad and good story…lets just say i’ve never watched a sad and scary movie combination before.. i’m glad i watched it with my sister and not alone in my room.

Re: The Very Best Films of 2008

Christopher Beaubien — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 20:54:40 -0000

I usually update my list of the Years' Best on its main page regularly, but I leave these single yearly posts alone for a few months -- I'd go mad otherwise. Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) has been up on the Years' Best page ever since I caught up with it five months ago.

However, I have been struggling with the placement of The Reader for some time. I have the same conundrum with the film as I did with the book back in 2003. The plot about Hanna's struggle with illiteracy and how her young lover Michael deals with that is the best part of the story for me. It's the stuff of an Old Hollywood melodrama that is unapologetic in its earnestness. This aspect of the film is why The Reader gets a modest pass onto the list. It is the Holocaust aspect feels like a real stretch for me here.

For a more successful look at how the shame of illiteracy can drive someone to violence, I highly recommend Claude Chabrol's near-masterpiece La Cérémonie (1995) that stars Isabelle Huppert and Sandrine Bonnaire. The novel A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell, which the film is based on, begins with this sentence: "Eunice Parchman killed the Coverdale family because she could not read or write."

As good as Kate Winslet was in The Reader, I still wish she had won for her raw performance as April Wheeler in Revolutionary Road. That look she gives her husband just before the curtains close on her disastrous dress rehearsal was all that was needed to convey what Yates took three (very enjoyable) pages to do.

Re: “The Happening” Review

Miss Soo — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 05:44:58 -0000

i watched this movie.. didn't do much for me :( -- and zooey was in it.. one of my disappointing movies she's in

Re: New Trailers for “W” and “Happy-Go-Lucky”

Miss Soo — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 05:41:24 -0000

don't be mad at me.. but i was disappointed with happy-go-lucky.. i rented it the other day.. and i had to turn it off.. only because the character had a high pitched squeak.. and she really irritated me.. i think the story would of been good if they picked a different actress..it was tough to keep going and not feel embarrassedfor her.. sorry* >_<

Re: The Very Best Films of 2008

Miss Soo — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 05:35:13 -0000

the fall!! amazing movie, the colour and cinematography.. just so fulfilling

how come you didn't mention Vicky Christina Barcelona? i don't preferably liked that movie's story, but it had some great shots of Spain.. relatable to The Fall

and you forgot The Reader !! but you put definitely, maybe?!?! comeon! ha jk.. anyway the Reader is such a good movie, it was so sad and powerful--tragic that she would of lived if she admitted that she was illiterate-- (i was in Germany when i saw that movie) ...it was kind of disturbing that she was his mother's age .. but other than that .. it was a good story

Re: Shirley Walker’s Contribution to “Apolcalypse Now” (1979)

Miss Soo — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 05:10:17 -0000

awww the classic batman animations. I loved this series.. the newer verions aren't as good and dark as this.. I heard johnny depp is playing the riddler in the new Batman movie! That i can't wait for! he would do such a great job

Re: The Best Films of 2007

Konstantin Miller — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:23:13 -0000

Hi. I like the way you write. Will you post some more articles?

Re: The Best Films of 2007

Sara — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:03:18 -0000

Pretty cool post. I just came by your site and wanted to say
that I've really enjoyed reading your blog posts. In any case
I'll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon!

Re: Review: HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (2008)

Tz — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:17:12 -0000

Well, this was my first and now, having thought about it a little more, I’m fairly certain I liked it. However, it was very dark and difficult to watch. I have a hard time with rape scenes.

Anyway, yeah we should do that petition. I haven’t yet watched more Leigh, but if the music for his other movies is as good as it was for Naked, I buy that stuff up without a second thought.

Under new releases on the linked Andrew Dickson page, all it has are the films themselves…

Re: Review: HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (2008)

Christopher Beaubien — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:32:27 -0000

I’m glad I’m not alone on this one. The music of “Naked” leaks with dread and melancholy while balancing a very tender gentleness at the same time. And you’ve got to love those sickly booms in the soundtrack. I believe every great filmmaker has a truly dark movie in them, like Robert Altman’s “3 Women” (1977), “Naked” is Leigh’s most nightmarish.

In regards to the releasing of Andrew Dickson’s score, I’m as much in the dark as the aimless characters in “Naked”. The only official website promoting Dickson’s work has a few samples from his previous films, however, the supplied “Naked” track can also be heard over the main menu of the Criterion DVD release (http://www.bdimusic.com/Compos....

Film blogger Simon Wilkinson has noted that Dickson “is seemingly impossible to track down.” (http://www.thebluemask.com/blo....

If I find more news on this, I will be sure to update the page with further developments. I strongly encourage anyone to forward more about Andrew Dickson. Perhaps we need to petition for a Complete Film Score Compilation of Andrew Dickson.

As a fervent admirer of Mike Leigh’s work, I understand that he is an acquired taste, though he tends to grow on people.

Re: Review: HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (2008)

Tz — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:35:25 -0000

Can’t say I’m a big Leigh fan (just watched Naked not 15 minutes ago and I’m still letting it sink in - usually takes me a little while to decide whether I like a movie or not lol). However, one thing I know is that I loved the music. So, I’m echoing your question up there. Does anyone know where I can find the soundtrack to Naked without ripping them off the movie? That music was brilliant and drove right into you. I’d love to have it to listen to. So, yeah. Any knowledge on this?

Re: “Coraline” Review

Olivia — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:46:35 -0000

This is the best review of “Coraline” I’ve ever read!

I loved the movie too and everything you mentioned about Coraline I agree 100%!

I can’t say more than I love this review because I love this movie. I can see that you have grasped the true beauty and glory for this film as I have. I’m glad that someone thinks the way I do about “Coraline”.

Re: Review: WENDY AND LUCY (2008)

Christopher Beaubien — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:40:33 -0000

“River of Grass” is a hard film to track down outside of Netflix. Thanks for the recommendation. I’m interested in how Reichardt’s filmmaking aesthetics were back in 1994.

Re: Review: WENDY AND LUCY (2008)

valis — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:29:03 -0000

I think RIVER OF GRASS by Kelly Reichardt is an extremely interesting, yet overlooked film. It is a car chase movie where the protagonists can’t seem to get out of ‘park’. All of her pictures are worth a look, and this movie is a gem in the rough.

Re: Review: HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (2008)

DW — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 05:01:00 -0000

An excellent review of this very entertaining movie! I couldn’t agree with you more. I watched it for the first time last night on DVD and I find myself thinking about my own negative attitudes and those I come into contact with at home and work. What a great character. An excellent perspective on the world and all its challenges and stress.

Re: Obituary: Natasha Richardson (1963-2009)

Christopher Beaubien — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:14:41 -0000

Thank you, Lauren. I have corrected the oversight.

Re: Obituary: Natasha Richardson (1963-2009)

Lauren — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:26:09 -0000

In The Parent Trap, Natasha Richardson played the lovely Elizabeth James, mother to Annie and Hallie. Elaine Hendrix played the awful Meredith. Natasha Richardson was wonderfully warm in this role, and the viewer roots for her the whole time.

Re: If I chose the Oscar Nominees...

Christopher Beaubien — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:02:39 -0000

You caught me with a bloody palm dripping on the floor in the bowels of a Swedish exercise center! On my list of the Best Films of 2008, which I will publish soon, I have “Let the Right One In” at #3. “Revolutionary Road” and “Wendy and Lucy” are in the Top Ten, but they are not numbered one and two.

When making the alternate Oscar nominations, I kept the Best Picture nominees within the American releases, which reflects the Academy’s frustrating insistence of keeping foreign films out of that ballot - rarely do they vote at least one in (re: “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, 2000). I don’t have a bias towards the American films, I just figured I could nominate more films by putting “Let The Right One In” (a shoo-in if Sweden had put it in) in the Best Foreign Film category and see that powerful indie “Wendy and Lucy” - the antithesis of films like “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” - run for Best Picture.

Pondering your comment, I concede that it would be more gratifying to see that masterful vampire film, which is about a great deal more than just vampires, run for the Best Picture of 2008. After all, I did nominate Tomas Alfredson for Best Director.

Re: Review: HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (2008)

Christopher Beaubien — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:39:05 -0000

I’m glad that you, a Leigh-aficionado, enjoyed the review so much. Very soon, I plan on reading Amy Raphael’s engrossing interview-book “Mike Leigh on Mike Leigh” that’s waiting for me on my bookshelf.

For the holidays, I’d like to get The Mike Leigh Film Collection, an eleven-disc box set available only in the UK. It also includes High Hopes (1988) and Bleak Moments (1971), unavailable on Region 1 DVDs. To boot, most of the films include commentaries by Leigh - only the commentary for Naked (1993) released through Criterion is available here in North America.

Re: “Slacker Uprising” Review

katy k — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:11:21 -0000

I love the Monkey Bowl song, “Al Gore”. I have it on the first MB record and now he as a new one that has “Al Gore-The Musical” which is amazing. I put the website for the little indie label that sells them if anyone’s interested in checking it out. (Needless to say, I’m a huge fan of Monkey Bowl And Michael Moore!)

Re: Review: HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (2008)

Jamie Leo — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:03:25 -0000

Thank you for your really thoughtful, informative, and interesting essay. Your insights on Leigh — and the brilliance and importance of his work — are much appreciated.

Re: Review: LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (2008)

sacralas — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 13:24:37 -0000

Great review but the boy isn’t Norwegian. He’s Swedish and so is this flick.

Re: Review: LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (2008)

Christopher Beaubien — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 20:35:12 -0000

You’re right. I must have had a brain-fart because I knew about the film originating from Sweden before watching it.