Adrift in Vardis Marinakis's Black Field

 

Two weeks after attending the Palm Springs International Film Festival, I find the films, events, and informal conversations with directors still fresh in my mind. Provocatively programmed and well organized, the festival showcased many films that both avid and casual movie-goers would want to see—if only given the chance. I wonder how many of the 190 films shown at the fest will find distribution, and I worry that my favorites will not.

Black Field, a Greek drama from young filmmaker Vardis Marinakis, was spotlighted in a festival showcase titled “New Voices, New Visions,” and I hope that a distributor will recognize Marinakis’s voice and vision and pick up this film. Beautifully photographed and delicately paced, the film at first seems like a well-crafted period drama but it is spiked with provocative imagery and unexpected events that make it thematically richer and relevant. (continued)

Ten from Facets: Mike Wraps Up the Series

Every Wednesday for the month of January, I have posted the top ten lists of some of Facets’ favorite members. Each participant listed the ten titles they enjoyed the most from those movies they rented from Facets or saw in the Cinematheque in 2010. Each list revealed the unique tastes and personality of the lister, which made this series a lot of fun to organize.  The last list in this series comes from Mike McCune, a Chicago cinephile who is the co-organizer of the Chicago Horror Meetup Group. Mike attends several films every month, including many at Facets. A fan of Facets Night School, Mike can always be counted on to show up when there is a zombie movie on the schedule. 

Enjoy this last list, along with Mike’s comments on the merits of each film. (click for the list)

The Musical Outlaws of SOUND OF NOISE

The recent Palm Springs International Film Festival introduced American audiences to a wide array of well-crafted films from talented directors all over the world. Over 190 films from 70 countries were showcased in the festival, which originated 22 years ago as the brainchild of former mayor Sonny Bono (of Sonny and Cher). I saw 13 films during my four-day visit, and every one of them was beautiful, thought-provoking, or charming.

            I ended the fest on a high note—so to speak—by catching Sound of Noise, an imaginative comedy from Sweden about a band of outlaw musicians who wreak havoc on an unsuspecting city. Outraged by the bland Musak that is broadcast through the neighborhoods via tiny speakers mounted on poles, and bored by the predictable concerts of the local symphony orchestra, the sonic outlaws devise a plan to take their percussion-based, avant-garde music to the streets. The group’s opus is titled “Music for One City and Six Drummers;” and, the outlaws consist of the band’s leader—a spunky heroine named Sanna Persson—and five percussionists who invade four of the city’s civic or corporate institutions to make music with whatever tools, machines, or equipment they find. (continued)

Ten From Facets: Sharon and Andrew Go Listing

The couple that plays together stays together. Today’s top-ten list of Facets-related titles comes from a young married couple, Sharon Gissy and Andrew Horton, who share a passion for the movies. Together, they came up with a list of ten films they saw at Facets in 2010, either in the Cinematheque, at Night School, or from Rentals. They provide a sort-of “he said/she said” commentary for a unique approach to the top-ten idea. The image below is from their #2 selection, Lady Terminator. (click for their list)

 

Happy Birthday, Harold Russell

Army veteran and character actor Harold Russell was born today in 1914. His best known role was as the disabled Homer Parrish in William Wyler’s The Best Years of Our Lives, for which he won two Academy Awards. Russell is the only actor to win two Oscars for the same role. (continued)

Ten From Facets: Lists of Classics from Two Facets Veterans

For this second in a series of top-ten lists from our members and patrons, I post the selections of two special members, Al Kwiatkowski and Brad Strauss. Not only are they knowledgeable movie buffs, they are also both assistant organizers of a terrific meet-up called the Chicago Film Discussion Group. They take turns, along with fearless organizer Jimmy Otto, suggesting outings to movies around Chicago and arranging Sunday brunches where CFD group members pontificate on all things cinematic. In the past, outings for the group have included movies in the Facets Cinematheque, but both Brad and Al kept their 2010 lists largely to titles that they rented last year. I am sure their selections represent good suggestions for future rentals for the rest of us. --Susan Doll (click here for the lists)

From the Aisles of the Cinematheque: Night Catches Us

As soon as I noticed this indie film on the Cinematheque schedule, I became enamored with the title. Haunting and romantic, “Night Catches Us” stands in contrast to the colorless clichés and dull, literal titles of contemporary Hollywood releases. I mean, does anyone recall that “How Do You Know” is the name of the recent romantic comedy with Reese Witherspoon? The title is as forgettable as the film. And, while many flocked to see Tron: Legacy, there is certainly no mystery to the title, just like there is no Romance with a capital R to the title “The Tourist.” The latter film was clearly channeling those classic romantic mysteries enchantingly named Charade or Arabesque, but the lackluster title echoed the mundane script—obviously written by someone who wouldn’t know Romance with a capital R if it came up and bit him. (continued)

Ten From Facets: An Eclectic List from Jason Coffman

It’s that time of year again, when critics, reviewers, and bloggers rethink the movies from the past year to generate lists of their favorite viewing experiences. This year, instead of printing the staff’s lists, I thought it would be interesting to share the perspectives of our members, patrons, and regular viewers about the movies available at Facets---either on the big screen in the Cinematheque, as part of a class in the Videotheque, or in Rentals.


My reasons for this new feature, which will appear every Wednesday during January, are many. Because Facets members and patrons tend to be knowledgeable cinephiles or diehard movie lovers, I thought their top ten lists would make good suggestions for future viewing. Plus, I was curious about which Facets screening or rentals title struck a chord with patrons. Finally, it is simply a good idea to bring new voices to the public discourse on film.

First up is cinephile Jason Coffman, whose eclectic tastes have given him a good eye for exploitation films that are much more than they seem. I love an organized list, and Jason helpfully noted whether a title was one he viewed as a rental, or as a big-screen offering at Night School, Film School, or the Cinematheque. (read on for Jason's list)