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Hello film friends and tumblr addicts. I wrote and directed an entry to ABCs of Death 2 called M for Mundane. It's a spooky little tale of a man who lives a dull everyday life – and really only comes alive on the weekend. Why don't you take a look and give it a vote if you're a fan?

#horror #film #movies #cinema #splatter #gore #torture #abcs of death #26th director #john t woods #give zombies the vote

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Aaaand a review of The Cohasset Snuff Film. Verdict? Read more to find out....

#cohasset snuff film #edward payson #horror #Film Review #film #video #Movie Reviews #movie

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I'm baaaaack – with Michael Myers, no less. Check out my reflections on Halloween for its 35th anniversary on All Things Horror. TL/DR? It's screening all this week! Follow the link to learn more:

http://www.screenvision.com/cinema-events/halloween/

#Halloween #horror #michael myers #masked killers #jaime lee curtis #Donald Pleasance

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I was initially attracted to Blood was Everywhere due to it local flavour (filmed in Massachusetts) and title (Hurrah, blood!). The brief description only furthered my excitement for the Jason Torrey film: “a faceless killer wreaks havoc on the lives of average people in a small Massachusetts town”. Enticing, no? Sadly, Blood was Everywhere does little to fulfill its promise. Click through above for more!

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Jug Face is a film very sure of itself. It doesn't feel the need to explain much beyond the charming, crayon-drawn history that animates under the credits, dropping the viewer in the middle of the action and tension, a tactic which lends itself well to the off-balance confusion of the film. Drawing horror from both familiar tropes and atypical maneuvers, Jug Face is a creeptastic little romp through the fanatical, the supernatural and the perverse.  CLICK THROUGH FOR MORE!

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YOU GUYS I CAN’T EVEN! The Brattle Theatre is doing a Miyazaki retrospective this week and next, with such favorites as Princess Mononoke, Kiki’s Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, and on. Sunday’s feature is particularly perfect to bring your kids, anime-obsessed best friend, or your own sense of childish wonder to: A double feature of Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle (both of which are particularly breath-taking on the big screen).

Even more exciting, however, is the listings for the films that never showed on the big screens (at least, around me) in the US: Pom Poko, Porco Rosso, Laputa: Castle in the Sky, all closing out with the weird and wild Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind on Thursday night. The debut feature film of Miyazaki, the film tends toward that early-80’s anime style film geeks like me grew up with (Unico, anyone?); but with those distinct Miyazaki touches. Having read the comic, but never seen the Miyazaki product, I have to admit squee-worthy joy at being able to see it for the first time on the Big Screen.

Check out the Brattle’s lineup here.

More on my Miyazaki… love? Obsession? General Appreciation? Here.

#Miyazaki #Nausicaa #Laputa #Howl's Moving Castle #Spirited Away #Pom Poko #Kiki's Delivery Service #Princess Mononoke #My Neighbor Totoro #The Brattle #Brattle Theatre

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Harlem Nights - What the Hell Just Happened?

I was a film major, and I work in production. I pride myself on being able to read into movies, to be able to fully support or condemn them based on technical work, historical and genre relevance, or personal belief - yeah, I’m that asshole. What can I say? This is my religion. I’ve read it’s tomes of sanctity and studied its prophet's work. I’m a zealot.

That being said, I was completely stymied by the bizzarity that is Harlrem Nights. The foghorn of a question in my head: What IS it? Drama with little tension? Comedy with few laughs? An overproduced realist film? A statement about the lack of three dimensional black characters in films of the 30’s? A huge navel-gazing flop?

Unfortunately, it seems to be the latter. Background: I attacked the recent Netflix offering of early Eddie Murphy films with a ferocity I normally reserve for art house and sci-fi fare. The comedic perfection of Coming to America (which I rapturized about here) convinced me the gent I associated with Dr. Doolittle or, worse, The Klumps, deserved a second chance. So I followed it with Raw and Delirious. Holy. Fucking. Shit. I’ve admitted my bizarre addiction to stoner comedies and George Carlin before, but these were insane, hilarious time capsules that convinced me this early, raunchy work was worthwhile comedy, up there with early Brooks and Python.

And then I hit up against Harlem Nights and screeched to a dead stop. What WAS this? Who could possibly have made Richard Pryor such a dreadfully sad, old man? The film didn’t laugh at itself, the funny moments were mumbles into the wind, as if the characters hated to make a joke at this moment. The dramatic, noir attempts were flat, dull, without any tension. The double cross seemed to cross itself - I’m still not quite sure how it worked out in the end. The film was rushed, with little air around the sophomoric comedic attempts and tired slapstick rehash. Most confusing to me was the fact of the (obviously big) budget, and the seeming desire of the filmmakers to make Harlem Nights seem like a credible noir film with a dash of comedy.

So I dug into the background. Created in 1989, Harlem Nights was written and directed by Murphy, the star. Well, there’s part of it… Murphy made this film coming off his meteoric rise to the silver-screen and the box office success of Coming to America. Together these factors were a monster-maker; the studios were ready to give him what he wanted, and, sadly, it shows that he knew that. Harlem Nights is completely self-absorbed, poorly written, and barely directed. While it was a financial success, the film was nominated for two Razzies (Direction and Writing, both Murphy), and was bombed by almost all critics. Murphy admits lack of focus on direction, but I would say that the entire film lacked any focus.

The film focuses around a Sugar (Richard Pryor), an up-and-coming gangster in Harlem, and his adopted son, Quick (Murphy). They run a successful nightclub with a criminal back-room operation employing numbers men and madames (Redd Foxx and Della Reese amoung them) in their gambling, grifting and whoring operations. When they run up against a dangerous established mobster (Michael Lerner) and the cop in his pocket (Danny Aiello), they have to find a way to come out on top.

There’s potential for comedy, there, right? At least with that cast, right? There should have been laughs hiding in the glittery drapery, not just confusion and boredom. While Murphy declared he had always wanted to create a period piece, it could still have featured the comedy he and his cast-mates were known for, if not an out-an-out parody or satire. JESUS! This damn film shoulda been great. Alas, it was anything but.

In a role that should have been a highlight of gangster parodies, Pryor has little comedy time; Sugar is mostly scold and grumble to Murphy’s dumb, cutesy, headstrong Quick. Murphy is barely here - the acting is flat and the jokes barely register. The character relationship, meant to be as Father and Son, is more like Boss and Usurping Employee – disobedient Quick is always trying to steal the show as Sugar tries to keep the delicate balance of crime and public face. Redd Foxx is a slight foil, playing with mostly visual gags and ridiculous (improv?) mumblings that don’t make sense into the whole of the film. Like they sat him down and said “ROLL WITH IT!”. When you have three generations of huge-in-their-time comedians, you’d think you’d get at least a B picture.

Alas and alack, something that could have been swell turned into nothing. Murphy was too busy with parties, too busy getting laid in leather jumpsuits, too busy getting rich. Even worse was the slump that came after - the sequels, the foray into family films and slapstick comedy that’s rarely funny. Nothing to quite match the hilarity and insanity that defined his early career.

#eddie murphy #Harlem Nights #Richard Pryor #Redd Foxx #Beverly Hills Cop #Della Reese #Razzies #Netflix #Dr. Doolittle #The Klumps #48 Hours #Danny Aiello #Michael Lehrner #Sugar Ray #Quick

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I am Polanski-sympathetic. I am, and I’m sorry. He did something wrong, yes. But so did Woody Allen, Charlie Chaplin, and SO many others. None of these men should get a free pass. Few do. But few have been persecuted to the extent of Polanski, and even fewer are recurring tabloid fixtures. I sympathize with Geimer’s plight - consensual or not, sex at that age can be traumatic. But for someone who is so eager to get out of the incident’s shadow, she sure brings it up a lot. She sure grants a lot of interviews. She sure capitilizes on it in as many ways possible… If you’re eager to get out of the shadow of a traumatic incident, you usually don’t agree to keep talking about it to the media for 40 years. You go to a therapist, you seek the beauty of life, you move on, you repress – but you don’t write a tell all.

Maybe that’s just me. What do you think?

#Samantha Geimer #Roman Polanski #USA Today

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Reblogging the Buster love.

See, the thing is, young Buster I would have loved to love. That quote about his face across the pillow? Girl was right; thought leaves me breathless. Man was a beut, a painting, all big eyes and smooth skin and saudade, melancholy, despair. Stone face had more expression in a twitch of his lip than most actors have in their entire body. I pine for him, I pine for those eyes to look at across a pillow, to have looking at me. The young Buster is a thing of talent, yes, but a thing of charisma and beauty and lust, too. But ‘old’ Buster, Older Buster - that lived-in face, those eyes, that mouth, the lines, those lines, oh god, those lines - I wish for that face to cast, to direct, to turn Keaton around and about, the starring role in a drama, a serious quiet film. That’s a face you can shape, you can mold, you can create beauty in. Not a thing of beauty itself, but the creation of beauty, and the symbol of a beautiful (well, mostly) life. His face, and the expressions that grew in it in his age are one’s I would love to put in a role, a dream for a film with the expressions that only those lines could give him.

Please excuse the rant, gentle people. Sometimes it’s hard to keep the admiration in.

Buster and Eleanor perform for the Medrano Circus, 1952

#Buster #Rant #Movies #Cinema #Film

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While this list from The Hairpin is missing Beth from Hostel II, and Wienerdog from Welcome to the Dollhouse (a horror movie in it's own respect), and it slanders darling Rob Zombie (Hello, Hairpin? Sorry, he's awesome.), it captures a broad swath of awesome movies you should be hoarding for tomorrow nights movie fest you plan to have with your friends. Candyman? YES. The Descent? YES. TCM? YES. Go, learn, and get ready.... it's coming...

#Halloween #Horror #Rob Zombie #The Hairpin #Texas Chainsaw Massacre #Hostel II #The Descent #Candyman

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Ms. Glitter and Horror has an interesting quote from Elijah Wood on his nifty new venture. I agree that we've been waiting for a space where horror films could become the big budget stuff of dreams (versus the shut-out, the cheap, the T&A filled), but will that keep them the same? There's something very dear about our outsider monsters, something very precious about the precocious community horror holds.  In my experience, it's somewhat like the metal and punk communities: scary and deadly on top, but accepting and generous to expansive boundaries underneath. An iceberg, if you will. That's part of what I love about the genre and the people. Will it keep this way with money and attention and effort to clean up being thrown at it? What do you think?

“I’ve been a fan of horror and genre cinema in general since I was a child and have become increasingly passionate about the idea of there being a space in which horror films that take their subject matter and characters seriously could be produced,” he said. “What was born out of a conversation of our mutual love for the genre and what we felt was lacking in a broad sense, especially from the U.S. market, became The Woodshed.” ~ Elijah Wood, on the recent announcement of his new horror studio, The Woodshed.

#Elijah Wood #The Woodshed #GlitterandHorror

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Timepiece (1965; Jim Henson) – I like to think that upon viewing this film I have a little more intrigue and insight into Jim Henson's brain. Alas, I am but a child of the 80's, and my favorite moment was the little Kermit-voiced 'Help!' at the end. Bizarre, funny, and curious, it does still enhance my appreciation for the brilliant creator.

#Jim Henson #Kermit the Frog #TImepiece

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I'm Sorry, I thought you were somebody else.

I was positively DELIGHTED this weekend to discover the selection of new films Netflix had added to their roster at some point over the past week. Scanning Netflix is somewhat of a nightmare with me - I add 10 - 20 new films to my queue, but can't settle on one to watch now. But this time, I instantly new what I had to watch first. Was it that strange foreign film I've been dying to see? The strange new indie film I'd been pining over? 

I've probably watched the film a dozen times since the age of 6 or so, but watching the Eddie Murphy/Arsenio Hall vehicle as a grown adult was an interesting experience. The comedy holds up after 24 (YES! TWENTY FOUR!!!) years; it had me shrieking with laughter at some scenes, even when I could still remember the next line.

...walkin' down the street minding my own business, just walking on. Feelin' good. I walk around the corner, a man walk up, hit me in my chest, right. I fall on the ground, right. And I look up and it's Dr. Martin Luther King. I said 'Dr. King?' and he said 'Ooops, I thought you were some body else.' 

We rarely comedies of such a stature these days - huge sets, elaborate makeup (Murphy and Hall both play multiple characters, including Murphy's turn as an elderly Jewish man), dance numbers, hundreds of extras, complicated costuming (lions and panthers, oh my!) and a script that doesn't stop. Now, don't get my wrong - you kids know I love me some Grandma's Boy, Wedding Singer or How High. But those films don't present have half of the production value of Coming to America. Add to this cameo's by up and coming black performers (Cuba Gooding Jr., Samuel L. Jackson) and the multiple established performers in key roles (James Earle Jones, John Amos, Madge Sinclair) and you have a goddamn expensive '80's comedy (estimated at $39M). But, something about that moment was perfect for Hall and Murphy - they had what the studios wanted, they knew it, and they ran with it. 

Delightfully, the film made back over 7 times what it cost to make in admissions alone. That's not counting 24 years of rentals and purchases. Impressive to say the least, considering other heavy hitters these days, Judd Apatow and king of the man-children, Adam Sandler haven't come close. The last Apatow movie (Funny People, coincidentally starring Sandler) didn't break it's budget (however, 40-Year-Old Virgin came close with a gross just under 7 times it's budget). The last Adam Sandler schlock (That's My Boy) didn't break it's budget either (and the films at the peak of his career, such as The Waterboy only marginally did). 

Murphy was at his peak, coming off the starring role in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise and his stand-up work, as captured in the films Raw and Delirious (neither of which I can recommend enough). He was a superstar - he had a humongous fan base, had broken any color barriers that might have faintly stood in the way, and was ready to take the world by storm. 

Alas this showed through on the set - from fights with the directors to post-production lawsuits for stolen ideas, Murphy seemed to have become an over night diva. He continued to make delightful comedies throughout the 80's, 90's, and even the oughts, but nothing has quite stood up to Coming to America in my eyes. From the potty humor of The Nutty Professor, to the dry family fare of Doctor Dolittle, to the downright crap of Daddy Day Care, Murphy has ceded the crown of outrageous comedy to others - Sandler, Carrey, Carell, Ferrell - but alas they don't have half the integrity and production value in their features as Coming to America does.

Part of the beauty of the film is it's character development and plot line; with it's responsible, earnest main character, Akeem, and it's tale of being an upright person, and searching for your passions in life, it actually makes for a responsible, thoughtful script. When the two characters find that they like each other's values and interests - it's not a love at first sight or over-the-top romantic piece - it's realistic (of course, the male lead is a prince, but to the female character, Lisa [Shari Headley], that's gravy). Shitty boyfriends like Darryl (Eriq La Salle) are painted in a bad light; players like Semmi and Patrice (Allison Dean) are painted as dopey, vain, and materialistic. With the scripts of today filled with child-men, misogynist assholes, and boors, and comedy scripts being gag-fall after ball-shot it's refreshing to see not only a decent character in a comedy, but a script that says something. 

So, yeah. Thanks Eddie Murphy. 

#Eddie Murphy #Arsenio Hall #James Earl Jones #Daddy Day Care #Adam Sandler #Judd Apatow #Will Ferrell #Steve Carell #daddy day care #coming to america #eriq la salle #Allison Dean #The Nutty Professor #Doctor Dolittle #Jim Carrey #Raw #Delirious #Beverly Hills Cop #40-year-old virgin #That's my boy #The Waterboy #films #movies #cinema #comedy #grandma's boy #The Wedding Singer #How High #Cuba Gooding Jr. #Samuel L. Jackson

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To Sir, mit liebe.

There is a man I count as friend, mentor, pen-pal, ex-drinking-buddy; a brilliant artist that Miss Trixie cherishes knowing. He is a bit older than me in years, and quite more learned in the ways of life, art, and all things important. He is a brilliant animator, a creative, thoughtful filmmaker. His work never ceases to touch me, thrill me, intrigue and fascinate me. He is original, authentic, and all of those words that we give those who are a step above the rest of us.  In honor, here is a belated film fest on his rapturously inventive work. 

Happy Birthday, Bob White.

Rip Out Your Eyes ('83) is a favorite of mine. Eerie and experimental, the untranslated Japanese soundtrack only adds to your curiosity of whats unfolding before you: Bats blotting out the sky, nightmare creatures consuming smaller humans as the soundtrack shrieks and unseen women wail tremulously. Interspersed tintypes of babies lead you to relate Prof. White's creations to monsters under the bed, eviscerating children in some nameless rite. Bombs explode. As Nazi's chant, decidedly male angel creatures blind themselves. It's disturbing, strange, and shiveringly beautiful. The work brings to mind some of Bakshi's more alternative work, ranging to, at times, the more bizarre imaginings of Steadman. But, happily, it's Prof. White's, and I cannot recommend it's strange beauty enough. 

Next on my list is Sorcerer's Lace, ranging back slightly further - somewhere between '73 and '83, with perhaps an edit or two thrown in during the oughts:

Curious and mysterious, the short features a man who encounters three shrouded figures on the beach. As he watches, they weave an intricate lace. He is seized upon, falling to his knees and out of consciousness. Upon waking, he discovers a completed square of lace, the shrouds containing nothing but sand. The film is compelling, strange and lovely. It's a dark little romp through exploration and discovery, but not for you - it's secret is lonely and distant, hidden around a corner in the viewers mind. With a sinuous sidetrack and a bizarro world feel, Sorcerer's Lace will get stuck in your mind, a thistle. 

In the interest of self-reference, vanity, etc. me childhood memories in the prison maternity farm is the third film of the day, a piece a college-me helped Prof. White out with (very minorly) in '07. In black and white, the film moves between 2-D, with lost characters moving through a tremulous, newsprint land, and a smooth, half-clothed 3-D girl, watching through a trans-dimensional (seeming) portal. The film leaves you wondering about the characters, the mystery of their movements, their motions; the piece has a sparse, shivery beauty. The sweet melancholy of looking out of a window on a rainy day. 

Prof. White's work is addicting. The more you watch, the more you want - I've spent countless time getting lost down the rabbit hole of his youtube. So much there is new, different, and interesting. His shorts are interesting, bizarre, sad, funny and creepy. His work is fantastic, as a whole, and not to be missed. 

#Bob White #Animation #Film #Cinema #Movies #Simmons

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Out This Weekend

There's really only 3 films coming to a theatre near me this weekend that I'm genuinely excited about... 

First we have Ruby Sparks, which I wrote about back in April:

Not usually a big fan of this particular flavour of twee indie-film, I adored Little Miss Sunshine, the previous offering by Dayton and Faris. One of the few films I appreciated Paul Dano in, Sunshine was witty and well-directed; I look forward to Ruby Sparks, and hope that, for all the ideas it borrows, we’re in for another smart, authentic piece.

Also showing up on the local Boston screens is To Rome With Love, the Woody Allen piece I'm not so sure about:

It looks like Woody-no-goody took all the best parts of indie movies and cobbled them together into some big, not-so-hot indie film monster. So sad. Can’t say I’m truly looking forward to it, as I have with his other films...

Though I'm still probably going to see it. I mean, it's in Rome, for Chrissake. Swoon! and whatnot...

Also (and this is in total confidence, okay cats?), THE action blockbuster of the... summer?... is out this weekend. Oh, yeah, that's right. I'm totally in a tizzy about seeing Expendables 2 on the big screen. I mean, WHO ISN'T amirite? All those one-liners and bullet casings! Willis! Li! Coture! Statham! and to a lesser extent, The Italion Stallion and that Bratwurst of a Governor! Even NPR is digging the action love-fest from the sound of things...

What are you looking forward to in films this weekend?

#Expendables 2 #Ruby Sparks #To Rome with Love #Paul Dano #Woody Allen #Ellen Page #Stallone #Schwazzenegger #Jet Li #Jason Statham

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In honor of Herr Herzog's 70th, take a gander at this great retrospective put together by IndieWire for the release of Cave of Forgotten Dreams. One of my favorite's, Herzog fits into the same category as Polanski, Lynch, Gilliam - sticking by his guns, a little crazy, ballsy and overall awesome. How many directors do you know who would continue with an interview after being shot? How many directors have descended into jungle madness only to emerge with a brilliant, beautiful film (and Klaus Kinski)? How many directors excel at both the fiction and non-fiction forms? Not a lot can compare to the brilliance of Kinski and Herzog's work together on the latter's early fiction films (most notably Nosferatu and Aguirre). The breathless cinematography of Herzog's more contemporary documentaries is hard to hold a candle to (see: Lessons of Darkness). 

This piece by Indiewire really outlines his accomplishments as a filmmaker, an artist, and a heroic badass. Read on!

#Werner Herzog #Herzog #Klaus Kinski #Kinski #Aguirre #Aguirre Wrath of God #Nosferatu #lessons of darkness #IndieWire

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Top 5 Film-Related things I did on my Summer Vacation; or: And you thought I was dead!

Ah, summer – a time for frolicking, lazing, and general merriment; at least, in childhood’s past. While I may be a grown lady now, with jobs, responsibilities, and other such bothersome things, I do still like to make my summers as carefree as possible. So, alas, I took a departure from writing, blogging, and (how dare I!) anything that really took time and energy to process. Beach Reading and Blockbuster watching, y’all!

1.     Rotted my Brain

I (finally?) watched Lost in a little under three months. I found it interesting, frustrating, creative, predictable, and overall enjoyable. It was an interesting mix-up of the really good, the silly, and the eye-rolling.  For all it’s low points and highlights, I have to say it’s a decent show, and one I respect, if only for how damn long it lasted with such a (wonderfully) confusing plot. 

Couple that with my almost exclusive viewing of big blockbuster movies, and I essentially took an intellectual break.  I lived on the film geek’s junk food diet of Prometheus, Avengers, Hunger Games, etc. There’s just something about the summer, about beaching or kayaking or general running around outside in the heat and getting dog tired, only to relax back into the seat in the frigid AC, the dark, the colors, the peace and sometime solitude of it all… watching films in the theatre is an exquisite pleasure in this life. 

2.     Had a tattoo memorializing Charlie Chaplin inked in Toronto

Oh, Charlie. While I do love Buster’s films more, something about who Chaplin was to the film industry, community, and history really sticks with me. Seeing his bust in the National Gallery several years ago was close to a religious experience as I’ve come. It seemed only logical for my first film-based tattoo to commemorate Chaplin; I have to admit though, I’m already thinking about how to expand on the idea…

3.     Visited the George Bailey Memorial Bridge in Seneca Falls, NY

Seneca Falls is a small town big on history. Besides discovering my inner feminist, I was overjoyed to prance about on the bridge and about the town that is said to be the inspiration for the fictional Bedford Falls.  Staying in a Victorian B&B only served to cement the image further in my mind… But standing on the George Bailey memorial bridge (hidden just off the main drag) really nailed it home. It seems to really be a happening spot in the winter, if you're as obsessed as I...

4.     Started work on a horror screenplay with Ms. Buchanan of Glitter and Horror

Y’all, this is straight up top-secret stage right now, but I will go so far as to promise that we’re going to creep, scare, entertain, and gore you right out of your various clothing items. Hey, horror (mostly) boys club – we’re comin’ to GITCHA!

5.     Saw the amazing Master of the Flying Guillotine

Every August, Boston’s Chinatown hosts the spectacular ‘Films at the Gate’ outdoor mini-fest. This year their line up was pretty epic (curated by ex-projectionist and tai-chi enthusiast Jean Lukitsh), but we this pick looked particularly epic. Introduced as a ‘live-action cartoon’, the film involves extendable arms, walking on ceilings, and over the top melodrama. If you got a kick out of Kung-Pow, this is as close as you can come with the real thing.  Coupled with dumplings, Hello Panda! Cookies, and an audience of irrepressible children, it’s a full win. 

#Cinema #Film #Movies #Lost #Avengers #Prometheus #Charlie Chaplin #Master of the Flying Guillotine #Summer Vacation #it's a wonderful life #george bailey