It’s been a while since I really talked out of my ass. Let’s do this! So–briefly, I dedicated my life to filmmaking. I made one film, which was enough to teach me I never wanted to make another one ever again—because filmmaking involves working with other people, and other people suck—specifically, other people who writeContinue reading “Samuel Fuller: The Naked Kiss (1964)”
Category Archives: film
film: Dan in Real Life (2007)
One of the rules I try to keep is that if I wake up, I should get up. In the middle of the night it’s easy to convince oneself that if only it was possible to get out of bed at this moment ownership of the whole world is within grasp, every notion of geniusContinue reading “film: Dan in Real Life (2007)”
Young and Innocent (1937), Mixed Nuts (1994), and This is 40 (2012)
I’ll take any opportunity to use this lovely photo of good ol’ Nova Pilbeam again. I was in love with a British girl once, and I couldn’t understand a thing she said–and she wasn’t trashy either, she was quite proper and dainty, perhaps the daintiest person I’ve ever met. But I couldn’t understand anything sheContinue reading “Young and Innocent (1937), Mixed Nuts (1994), and This is 40 (2012)”
Bataille, Story of the Eye, “Simone”
Yeah, you know you want to see Bunuel’s eyeball-slice…so here you go, you hero, you.
Tanaka: New Tale of Zatoichi (1963)
The radiators are screaming like lobsters boiling alive, outside the sounds of things coming and going, wind whistling in the tree, sirens, planes zipping around, in short, a frighteningly noisy night. A week ago the place was a cornucopia of delights, breads, fruits, juices, yogurts, everything a boy could want. But now, it’s back toContinue reading “Tanaka: New Tale of Zatoichi (1963)”
Mori: The Tale of Zatoichi Continues (1962)
Everything compounds until I’m ripe for madness. The iron will not heat when I plug it in, no matter how many combinations of switches I try, not even when I unplug it and place it on the radiator. I’ve used it once. And that’s the way with us here, we use things once and thenContinue reading “Mori: The Tale of Zatoichi Continues (1962)”
Misumi: The Tale of Zatoichi (1962)
I’ve been in a rut lately. We both have. I suspect it has something to do with that quarter-life crisis everyone’s going through. There’s so much potential for action that always seems to manifest itself in decisive inaction. Shopping for dishes, putting books in thematic order, wondering how two people can create such an enormousContinue reading “Misumi: The Tale of Zatoichi (1962)”
Neame: Hopscotch (1980)
I let Criterion select comedies for me. Well, I let them select anything for me. But their comedy selections are always perfect and end up being some of my favorite films… but I can’t really come up with anything to say about this film except that it made me feel good. I don’t want toContinue reading “Neame: Hopscotch (1980)”
Hitchcock: The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)
There’s a technique surely everyone’s now familiar with in suspense or horror films: humor. Often the first part of the film is lighthearted, which serves to…well, you know, make it so that everyone in the audience is really primed to be emotionally demolished. Hitchcock’s actors in the Man Who Knew Too Much included Peter Lorre,Continue reading “Hitchcock: The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)”
Truffaut: The 400 Blows (1959)
“You take him from here. I’m going home.” It’s those three little words. “I’m going home.” They really strike me as getting to the heart of things in this film. Not in some silly metaphorical sense, I mean, but literally: this guy has finished up at work, though he’s not finished with this particular job,Continue reading “Truffaut: The 400 Blows (1959)”
arts & fetters 