Hey folks, Harry here, and from the sounds of KOMODO, I'm extremely interested in taking a look at this movie. And also this 8 1/2 WOMEN from Peter Greenway... Very cool. Another cool as can be report from Anton Sirius... More interviews tomorrow...
Wednesday the 15th
First off, I must apologize for yesterday's update. Crankiness is no excuse. The big sufferer is of course, the little people- in this case Cass Paley, the director of Wadd. The film is not as bad as I indicated- I was suffering under a combined attack from a nasty, stuffy theater for the screening and Doc Overload Syndrome (if I'd seen My Best Fiend instead of Augustin I would have been as 'sensitive' as Kinski by the end of the night.)
Ditto for Born to Lose, which apparently is still being tweaked and edited. The various screenings this week have varied in length by as much as a half-hour. But it's a half-hour of talk, all the concert footage is still there (I think).
Dan Clark and Jesper Jargil interviews both in the bag, and coming soon (along with the Lantieri one, written up tomorrow.) Each was fascinating to meet in their own strange, unique ways.
In the turnabout is fair play Dept., I got interviewed for a short bit on Chum 1290 out in Winnipeg- just a little what's hot/what's not kind of deal. I think they were hoping for a gush on Top of the Food Chain, but I missed it utterly, unless I can put hands on a screener copy. If anyone at the fest could dig one up, or for Speedy Boys (which sold out both screenings, I believe) or Boys Don't Cry I'd be eternally grateful. (Aren't I terrible?)
Nothing is confirmed yet, but I am still holding out hope that I will be able to interview Hayao Miyazaki this weekend. If you have any question for the Master please send them to robbie_dogstar@yahoo.com, and hopefully they will prove useful.
The Dogme crowd had their last moment of glory today at the fest- now the Japanese move in for good. 8 ½ Women was just the teaser!
Komodo (USA 1999, directed by Michael Lantieri)
FX giant Michael Lantieri makes his feature debut with Komodo, a tale about lizards not as big as the crappy American Godzilla, but which could probably take it down and eat it if they had to.
The film isn't your conventional monster movie per se- there no real siege to climax the end of the picture, for instance, and for the most part the characters have a shred of brain in their heads. But plot is not why you'd see a big lizard movie. Even Jill Henessey isn't enough to get more than her Canadian cult out in force. No, you want to know- how are the effects?
Superb. Phil Tippett handles the CG. A lot of Lantieri's old buds factor in some way or other- sound was mixed at Skywalker, for instance. The lizards move like lizards, chomp like lizards, lunge like lizards- at a fraction of the price they are as life-like, if not more, than the lizards in Jurassic Park.
Interview with Michael to follow tomorrow.
julien donkey-boy (USA 1999, directed by Harmony Korine)
Sometimes a filmmaker just tries too hard, you know? They've got too much of themselves invested in a certain idea or style or point of view, and lose their ability to communicate that idee fixee to an audience the closer they get to their obsessions. Harmony Korine ain't there yet, but I am starting to get worried.
julien is an audacious film, of course. Shot in stunning DogmeColor (with the certificate to prove it) it follows… it follows Harmony's whims, mostly. Which is not to say it isn't compelling to watch, far from it. But strong, coherent narrative is obviously not the first concern of julien, and I wonder if it would even crack the top three. If you've seen Gummo you know how futile it is to attempt to do justice to the plot, but suffice it to say that julien turns Gummo's 'gimmick' on its head in a way. And Harmony gets terrific performances (I've been saying that a lot this year, hmm) from Ewen Bremner and Chloe Sevigny and especially Werner Herzog. The Dogme style both helps and hinders the film, and compared to the Euro Dogme that's been made so far it's like comparing Husker Du to the Damned- they're both punk, but…
Those of you who saw it, let me know what you thought- coming out of the theater I liked it, but thinking about it later made my head spin a little. I'd be curious to see feedback.
Coven (USA 1997, directed by Mark Borchardt)
Playing out like George Romero's student film (if it were a Twilight Zone episode) Coven is the tale of a struggling writer on a permanent lost weekend who gets drawn into a sinister support group. The ultra-low budget production wears its bastard origins on its sleeve, and doesn't shy away from being ugly if that's the only stylistic choice available. Mark actually shows a pretty good eye as director- some of the therapy sessions have a wicked Reefer Madness kind of feel, and the editing on the action sequences is sharp- and while the acting and script might not be up to Herschell Gordon Lewis standards, hey, whaddaya want from a black & white flick shot for a few thousand? Stigmata?
Coven might not be the greatest movie ever made, but even Spielberg started out with those crappy little war films he made as a teenager.
8 ½ Women (UK etc. 1999, directed by Peter Greenaway)
Greenaway's funniest movie in, well, forever, 8 ½ Women is a brilliant collision of Greenaway's normal obsessions and compositions with a candid glare at Cinema itself.
The opening sequence is such classic Greenaway that it seems to border (intentionally) on parody- a Japanese businessman in debt to a Brit must give his family's interest in 8 ½ pachinko parlors to cover his debts. From there the film takes off on a dizzying ride through All Things Greenaway: collections, gender roles, Japanese culture and naked old men among them. Very deliberately the film echoes Greenaway's entire canon- a final look back at his directing career, if you buy that he is indeed giving up working in film. But after seeing 8 ½ Women I honestly can't believe it- he seems to be having way too much fun to pack it in now. The primary backdrop for the film is of course Fellini's 8 ½, but Greenaway doesn't end his tour of European film there- echoes abound, from Pasolini to Bunuel. In fact it wouldn't surprise me to discover on subsequent viewings that there is at least one reference to every director of any import to Greenaway at all. And how does he view his own place in this pantheon? With no small amount of humility and mockery.
Greenaway gets a tremendous performance from his two male leads, and solid supporting work from the 8 ½ (actually 10 ½ if you count the help, but who does?) women, including Toni Collette, nailing an old-school 'Swedish' film accent perfectly. And the film is so gorgeous! Foreground, background, color, balance, all betray the deft hand of a true master of the image.
I can't recommend 8 ½ Women highly enough, even if you hate Greenaway. Especially if you hate Greenaway- this might very well be your last chance to get offended and leave a Greenaway film in the middle. Personally I'd suggest Toni's long walk if you want maximum effect- and to think people are upset over Dogma and Stigmata!
