tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285043932012-01-29T23:33:04.248-06:00<b>Facets Features</b> is the blog of Facets Multi-Media. ("A temple of great cinema..." -<b>Roger Ebert</b>)<br><br>Facets Multi-Media, Inc., located in Chicago, Illinois and founded in 1975, is a non-profit media arts organization dedicated to making film accessible to all through cinema distribution, preservation, and education, with an emphasis on the best in classic, world, and independent movies.Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.comBlogger7701100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-23326353316627457582012-01-26T17:12:00.003-06:002012-01-27T11:08:22.415-06:00

The Iranian drama A Separation by Asghar Farhadi has been garnering much attention at film festivals around the world, including the Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF), which I recently attended. The PSIFF is known for programming international films submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as candidates for the best foreign film. This year the fest showed 40

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-56625149092712446902012-01-20T15:58:00.003-06:002012-01-26T17:13:29.833-06:00

I attended the Palm Springs International Film Festival for the second year, and one of my favorite viewing experiences was an ambitious documentary series titled The Story of Film: An Odyssey. Directed by Irish filmmaker Mark Cousins, the series is a 15-hour chronicle of world film from the 1890s through the beginning of the millennium. Godard--the "Cinematic Terrorist" This series differs

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-43823564598155273822011-12-30T17:24:00.004-06:002012-01-20T16:00:00.633-06:00

Mention movies with scenes set on New Year’s Eve, and most people will think of When Harry Met Sally or Bridget Jones’ Diary. Film buffs might come up with Strange Days or 200 Cigarettes.  But, there are plenty of other movies that will make good viewing this holiday weekend for those who want to steer clear of noisy, rowdy crowds. To avoid the obvious, I thought I would focus my selection of New

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-70201301813895274022011-12-12T14:43:00.003-06:002011-12-30T17:26:47.645-06:00

This week in College Corner, student Diana Kopecky of Oakton Community College writes about Hugo, Martin Scorsese's valentine to George Méliès and the value of film preservation. After studying Méliès in an introductory film class, Diana found the experience of watching Scorsese's movie very rewarding. Hugo is literally an hommage to George Méliès and the history of film. Within the first three

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-71099985080228702682011-12-02T14:01:00.003-06:002011-12-12T14:44:21.754-06:00

  It’s hard to believe that Alfred Hitchcock has been dead for 32 years. One of the few directors from the Golden Age who remains a household name, Hitchcock can still pack the house. This Sunday, December 4 at 11:00am, Facets hosts a screening of Vertigo, followed by a discussion with mystery writer Sara Paretsky and psychologist James W. Anderson.   In addition to being one of classic

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-67673621995288170322011-11-23T23:05:00.002-06:002011-12-02T14:02:03.092-06:00

On December 4, Facets is screening Vertigo in 35mm, which will be followed by a Film Dialogue with detective novelist Sara Paretsky and psychologist James W. Anderson. I will leave the post-screening discussion topic up to our notable guests, but I thought I would offer a viewing guide for Vertigo. Below is a list of shots, scenes, and ideas to consider while watching the film. 1. Look for

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-23782776891814383682011-11-18T18:37:00.004-06:002011-11-23T23:06:21.166-06:00

This week marked Martin Scorsese’s 69th birthday; next week, his 22nd feature film and first 3-D movie, Hugo, will open for the holiday movie season. If 22 doesn’t seem like a lot of films for someone who is generally considered Hollywood’s most accomplished director, it’s because this tally does not include his documentaries, shorts, or other projects as a hands-on producer. Fortunately for

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-58293495216436557662011-11-11T15:09:00.001-06:002011-11-18T18:38:27.040-06:00

Michael Glover Smith, Chicago-based independent writer-director, film studies instructor, and regular contributor to Facets Night School, is premiering his latest short film The Catastrophe this month at the Illinois International Film Festival at Chicago’s Viaduct Theatre.  Smith took a few minutes from his busy schedule to answer my questions about the film’s production. Brittany Pyle: As

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-67631767945265930672011-10-28T17:17:00.004-05:002011-11-11T15:11:33.590-06:00

This week in College Corner, student Brian Frehr of Oakton Community College writes about the Universal horror classic Bride of Frankenstein—just in time for Halloween! Inspired by a clip of Frankenstein shown in class, Brian watched many of the Universal classics, noticing the Expressionist visual style. Here is his interpretation of James Whale’s much-loved classic.Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-54930866647291074532011-10-24T10:57:00.006-05:002011-10-28T17:20:16.162-05:00

In honor of the 2011 Chicago International Children's Film Festival this month at Facets, I felt inclined to write on film fare made for children. This year's festival has a lineup of beautiful, funny, and smart kids’ films from all over the world, and I am an avid appreciator of this cream of the crop. When thinking of clever and challenging films made for a younger crowd, I gravitate towards a

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-930218641992963682011-10-19T10:36:00.003-05:002011-10-24T10:59:09.107-05:00

Shut Up, Little Man is a fascinating look by director Matthew Bates at the importance of audio in pre-Internet American culture, but more importantly, it reveals the interest in the lives of others that is so instinctive to us.  It starts off simply: In the 1980s, two young men leave their Wisconsin town for San Francisco after graduation. They find themselves in a less-than-desirable apartment

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-69832002284673655552011-10-13T12:10:00.002-05:002011-10-19T10:36:47.378-05:00

 Gregory Hess returns as guest blogger to offer insights into interesting films available only on VHS. And, where can you still rent titles on VHS? Facets, of course. "Touring can make you crazy, ladies and gentlemen. That is precisely what 200 Motels is about. " Frank Zappa’s 200 Motels begins with this fairly glib intro, half admission and half apology. But if you’re looking for an

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“From the Cinephiles” gives readers, members, and customers the opportunity to meet the staff, and Facets employees a chance to talk about their work outside the job. Just like files of important documents can be a resource for understanding, so are the Facets Cine-philes (our movie-loving staff) our greatest resource.   October is here and that means that towards the end of the month, the

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-89235658642873309252011-09-30T13:49:00.003-05:002011-10-07T15:41:38.368-05:00

Fright School, an offshoot of Facets’ Night School curated especially for the Halloween season, begins today, September 30, 2011. As part of Facets’ film-education agenda, Fright School offers special Friday and Saturday night midnight lectures on cult favorites followed by screenings of the films and post-screening discussions. From classic horror to blood-gorged exploitation favorites, all go

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-56471871908130180992011-09-07T12:41:00.001-05:002011-09-30T13:50:12.857-05:00

Ed. Note: With students returning to college for the fall semester, Facets resurrects one of its recurring columns, in which a student offers a review or commentary on a film-related topic. This week, Brittany Pyle, my bright and erudite intern, offers some food for thought on appreciating disturbing imagery in the movies (or, not). Just in time for Fright School 3, which begins on September 30.

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-88737007092205954792011-08-24T14:21:00.003-05:002011-09-07T12:42:43.343-05:00

Over the years, Facets has released several indie features and documentaries that seemed to prefigure higher profile movies on the same subjects. In an effort to shine a spotlight on these unsung originals, I am introducing a new semi-regular feature for the blog—Get the Back Story—which will expose one of these indies and its connection to its Hollywood counterpart. All of these unsung films are

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-3631406893079663692011-07-27T13:53:00.003-05:002011-08-24T14:26:39.788-05:00

This article was originally written for the Chicago Tribune as one of a periodic series of guest columns by experts from local arts organizations. Film for me is the most important art form of the last 116-plus years. Movies have the power to change lives. In my 36 years at Facets, I've seen films help kids who have trouble in school connect to learning. I've watched as films help adults cross

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-51121228353584302602011-07-15T17:29:00.006-05:002011-07-27T13:53:14.085-05:00

This summer has flown by, and I have shamelessly neglected this blog, partly because I am coordinating a special week-long seminar here at Facets. Called the Summer Film Institute, the seminar is aimed at public school teachers who would like to incorporate movies of all types into their classroom. The Summer Film Institute begins on July 25 and concludes July 29, and it will definitely be worth

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-16392260278231738642011-07-06T14:21:00.005-05:002011-07-15T17:30:40.319-05:00

We are pleased to announce the return of film critic and scholar Gregory Hess as guest blogger for the Facets website. Gregory will continue to offer insights into interesting films available only on VHS. And, where can you still rent titles on VHS? Facets, of course. Franz Kafka is a writer whom most bookworms first encounter at a fairly early age, somewhere not far removed from their teen

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-24194656523101739512011-06-18T18:28:00.001-05:002011-06-19T15:22:54.954-05:00

At the risk of sounding clichéd, one of the perks of working at Facets is that I am able to see films from all over the world. Not only does watching films from places like the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Nigeria, Brazil, Korea, and New Zealand offer a crash course in social studies by exposing me to cultures and societies that I know little about but it allows me to better understand the

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-40717579381515854062011-06-08T18:34:00.010-05:002011-06-18T18:05:25.939-05:00

Night School, Session 8 begins on Saturday, June 18. I can’t believe we have done seven sessions of Night School already. It seems like only yesterday that Phil Morehart, whom I have dubbed “the Father of Night School" for conceiving of a Facets midnight movie series, was brainstorming the idea. Since then, Night School has attracted a core of loyal followers who have become fans and friends in

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-79070986145436135742011-05-20T17:14:00.001-05:002011-06-08T18:35:31.056-05:00

Jimmy Stewart was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, 103 years ago today, May 20. His star image of the Everyman who embodied uncomplicated honesty and integrity seems the stellar opposite of today’s tarnished stars and publicity-hungry celebrities. Stewart’s career and star image epitomized an era when movie stardom held value for American culture, when each star represented a value or ideal on the

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-49885854270100734922011-05-13T17:49:00.001-05:002011-05-20T17:14:58.064-05:00

Guest blogger Sharon Gissy continues her in-depth coverage of Ebertfest 2011.  Day 3 of Ebertfest opened with a quiet, beautiful marvel that ended up becoming a festival favorite for many. 45635, a loving and poetic documentary by brothers Bill and Turner Ross about their hometown of Sidney, Ohio, is a meditation on small-town America that foregoes a classical narrative in favor of washing the

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-8152744582074164662011-05-11T12:28:00.003-05:002011-05-13T17:50:27.884-05:00

Attending a film festival is a crucial experience for movie lovers given the state of the commercial film industry. Not only have the Hollywood studios given up on innovation, invention, and solid storytelling, but mainstream distributors and exhibitors fail to offer anything but the sequels, series, and remakes churned out by the studios. The Facets Blog encourages the festival experience by

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-60556648402141652562011-05-04T14:05:00.003-05:002011-05-11T12:30:09.460-05:00

This is a tale of two movies, two directors—and two strongmen. This Friday, May 6, Thor will be thundering into a theater near you—in 3-D, no less. Directed by a slumming Kenneth Branagh, the film officially opens Hollywood’s summer blockbuster season. In case you don’t have the money for the ticket, which will be jacked up to 3-D prices, let me give you an overview: Muscular hunk from an

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-40523556149007560522011-04-20T14:15:00.005-05:002011-05-04T14:05:40.391-05:00

Werner Herzog has directed the perfect film for those who despise 3-D. In Cave of Forgotten Dreams, he uses 3-D as a  true cinematic technique to enhance and support his content, unlike most Hollywood blockbusters in which 3-D is merely a gimmicky spectacle to distract the audience from sophomoric stories or dull animation. Cinema Chicago held a special screening of Cave of Forgotten Dreams on

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-55734241800005380002011-04-07T01:09:00.003-05:002011-04-20T14:16:31.554-05:00

  st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } This week would have marked Bette Davis’s 103rd birthday, and she deserves our attention and respect. If she were alive today, she would demand it. Independent and fiery, Davis considered herself an artist, honed her craft, and fought for better roles long before method actors made those quests a given for any serious thespian. And, she did this in the 1930s and

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-18968274059074748572011-04-04T11:55:00.002-05:002011-04-07T01:10:18.760-05:00

The other week Facets sent out a call (via Facebook, Twitter, and our This Week at Facets newsletter) requesting the aid of any willing wordsmiths among our supporters. The Community TechKnowledge Foundation's Heart and Soul Grant Award Program was offering up to $10,000 in funds, and all an organization had to do to apply was submit a four-to-eight-line poem describing their work and mission.

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-70890482635070682312011-04-01T14:10:00.000-05:002011-04-01T14:10:24.329-05:00

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-84968244990678158012011-03-24T18:03:00.007-05:002011-04-04T12:01:51.844-05:00

Well-cast character actors can strengthen the performance of the star in the leading role, and they can enrich a formulaic storyline by infusing their secondary characters with color and personality. These are the type of actors whose faces are familiar to movie-goers but whose names are seldom remembered. In previous eras, veteran character actors often enjoyed careers that were five or six

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-16272517920344893162011-03-15T18:41:00.009-05:002011-03-24T18:03:40.461-05:00

The Long Kiss Goodnight, playing at Facets this Saturday at midnight, is an excellent addition to this session of Night School, which is devoted to female protagonists. Not only is The Long Kiss Goodnight a genre-busting action film in which the protagonist is a CIA agent-turned housewife-turned rogue agent, it also stars Geena Davis, who has dedicated her time and money to addressing the issue

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-14435391449886512492011-03-10T14:00:00.003-06:002011-03-15T18:41:53.447-05:00

This Saturday, Professor Michael Smith presents Dance, Girl, Dance at Facets Night School, our unique midnight movie series. Beginning at midnight, Michael will introduce this 1940 movie musical and reveal what makes the movie special.  His remarks will be followed by the film and then a Q&A with the audience. I am particularly excited to see Dance, Girl, Dance because it costars Lucille Ball

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-50699845598321800132011-03-02T14:27:00.004-06:002011-03-10T14:02:27.608-06:00

Charlie Sheen’s recent meltdown has created more headlines than it deserves, with every word of his hyperbolic ranting chronicled for posterity. However, this recent celebrity scandal is but one incident in a long-line of dreadful behavior and outrageous antics that have been part of the Hollywood scene since the 1920s. Today’s hellraisers are pursued by a barrage of media, including television

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-62321543081480708552011-02-25T17:07:00.006-06:002011-03-02T14:28:44.249-06:00

st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } This weekend marks the 83rd annual Academy Awards ceremony. I don’t remember when I began watching the Oscars telecast, but I can tell you that I have not missed a show since. And, I continue to watch every year despite the fact that my choices rarely win, many of my favorite films don’t even get nominated, and, well. . .the show itself has become as dull as

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-36210121095639586842011-02-21T17:01:00.002-06:002011-02-25T17:07:41.947-06:00

  st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } For my second entry in “From the Cine-Philes,” I interviewed Facets’ Customer Service Manager Jenny Grist. “From the Cinephiles” gives readers, members, and customers the opportunity to meet the staff, and Facets employees a chance to talk about their work outside the job. Just like files of important documents can be a resource for understanding, so are the

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-35590512144736259892011-02-16T13:59:00.010-06:002011-02-21T17:02:35.714-06:00

This post about Arthur Penn’s Night Moves is part of the For the Love of Film Noir Blog-a-thon, hosted by Ferdy on Films and The Self-Styled Siren. The purpose of the blogathon, which concludes next Monday, is to raise money for the Film Noir Foundation to help them restore The Sound of Fury, directed by Cy Endfield, a victim of the blacklist. A nitrate print of the film will be restored by the

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-26881902829952540882011-02-11T15:01:00.005-06:002011-02-16T14:49:23.702-06:00

Since 1966, Kartemquin Films has been producing documentary films that examine and critique society’s issues, problems, and contradictions by focusing on the stories of real people. The group’s most widely acclaimed film, Hoop Dreams, became their greatest commercial success, but Kartemquin’s other films are equally as dedicated to showcasing extraordinary ordinary people or tackling important

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-59189672188790379412011-02-07T11:37:00.005-06:002011-02-16T14:50:06.503-06:00

  st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } The five nominees for the Best Documentary Feature Academy Award were recently announced along with the other nominations. Every film seems a worthy inclusion on the list, though the excellent Inside Job appears to have a lock on the Oscar. Each nominee will benefit with renewed press attention, a higher profile, more inclusions in Netflix queues, and perhaps

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-30626454730917541432011-02-02T00:52:00.006-06:002011-02-16T14:51:21.743-06:00

To take your mind off Snowpocalypse 2011, I am proud to announce the films for the next session of Night School, Facets’ unique version of the midnight movie series. Session VII, which begins Saturday, February 19, is titled Heroine Addicts because every film in the series features a female protagonist. From the offbeat Japanese exploitation film Female Prisoner Scorpion #701: Beast Stable to the

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-80165968080228405972011-01-28T17:07:00.003-06:002011-02-16T14:50:47.507-06:00

  st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } 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

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-22355115238466029892011-01-26T02:20:00.002-06:002011-01-31T13:34:04.144-06:00

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

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-69381102522404793732011-01-21T16:44:00.006-06:002011-01-27T13:02:50.827-06:00

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

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-54792282986812625112011-01-19T10:37:00.007-06:002011-01-27T13:01:42.259-06:00

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

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-66407381172023283202011-01-14T12:50:00.005-06:002011-01-19T10:48:15.409-06:00

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) In 1944, when Russell lost both hands in a TNT explosion during army training in North Carolina, his hands were

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-40400112187460309772011-01-12T12:26:00.006-06:002011-01-14T12:53:08.304-06:00

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

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-38262661552035747792011-01-07T16:50:00.007-06:002011-01-12T12:34:14.396-06:00

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

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-73051563883232525612011-01-05T11:41:00.010-06:002011-01-12T12:35:44.361-06:00

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

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-88861584323223118552010-12-24T09:00:00.013-06:002010-12-24T09:00:02.081-06:00

To all the movie-loving gift-givers out there: as you make your list and check it twice, why not include a donation to Facets? We can’t wait to start 2011 in style, with more fantastic premieres, director Q&A’s, and cinema classes to open your mind and get you talking about the movies that matter. But times are tight. We want to keep restoring rare independent films that would otherwise be

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-32924221031368999162010-12-22T11:10:00.012-06:002010-12-22T12:03:36.601-06:00

This past Saturday saw the final screening at the Bank of America Cinema. Last week the Cine-File blog posted a lovely retrospective reminiscence by previous BAC programmer Mike King. We are republishing this article with the kind permission of Mike King and Cine-File. We especially appreciate its ability to encapsulate the magic of watching these cinematic treasures amidst a community of fellow

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-89549659272524937102010-12-17T13:36:00.010-06:002011-01-12T12:36:48.179-06:00

In support of the two-day celebration of the films of Marco Bellocchio this weekend at Facets, I offer some biographical background on the least-known director of the New Italian Cinema. If you have never seen a film by Bellocchio, the 35mm prints in this three-film mini-fest will show of the director’s work to its best advantage. In the previous post, Bellocchio was placed in the context of the

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-6087707077530941112010-12-15T15:25:00.009-06:002011-01-12T12:37:12.351-06:00

By Susan Doll The Facets Cinematheque presents a two-day celebration of the work of veteran director Marco Bellocchio this weekend, December 18 and 19. Cosponsored by the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago, with help from Cinecitta Luce, this three-film mini-fest highlights the contributions of an important director of an era dubbed the New Italian Cinema. The 35mm prints will show of the

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-5745148917031570122010-12-10T11:13:00.007-06:002010-12-22T12:16:29.562-06:00

Most of the staff members at Facets work on outside projects that are creative, whether it be writing scripts, performing music, acting on the stage or screen, directing films, writing film criticism, or some other artistic venture. This makes the staff a unique, interesting, and highly entertaining group to work with, but it also informs their approach to their jobs here. They bring a passion

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-79013557229242444802010-12-08T13:12:00.007-06:002011-07-15T12:28:21.019-05:00

By Gregory Hess “It’s a Barnum and Bailey world, just as phony as it can be. But it wouldn’t be make-believe, if you believe in me.” -“It's Only a Paper Moon” (song published 1933) The Water Engine, written by David Mamet, is introduced with the subtitle “An American Fable,” but it doesn’t need to be. It’s crystal clear from the outset what Mamet’s on about—the “American Dream,” and all of its

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-45279633346157971362010-12-02T16:52:00.012-06:002010-12-22T12:25:31.822-06:00

Jean-Luc Godard turns 80 today, and Facets is celebrating with a Name-That-Godard-Clip contest. The prize? You could win one of five Godard DVDs! Below you'll find five short clips from five different films by Godard. For each clip you correctly identify, you will receive one entry into our Godard DVD drawing. So if you get all five clips correct, you get five entries. To enter, email your

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-4933171372046866952010-12-01T13:25:00.010-06:002011-01-12T12:37:54.383-06:00

If you want to buy the remake of The Karate Kid or yet another version of Avatar, you can pick it up at the grocery store. Just toss it on the conveyer belt alongside the cereal, soda, and junk food of your choice. I don’t have anything against either film; as a matter of fact, I saw both of them in the theater. But, I resent that they are treated like products to be consumed—like Froot Loops,

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-9271221693354859332010-11-24T16:57:00.008-06:002010-12-01T13:25:20.690-06:00

On November 24, 1896—114 years ago today—serial killer H.H. Holmes began writing his autobiography modestly titled “Holmes’s Own Story” in Moyamensing Prison in Philadelphia where he was awaiting trial for conspiracy to cheat and defraud an insurance company on a claim involving his partner, Benjamin Pitezel. Holmes claimed his partner’s death was a suicide, but the Pinkerton Agents who arrested

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-74188299751311999762010-11-04T11:24:00.003-05:002010-11-04T11:29:36.999-05:00

Editor's note: As one of their assignments in Introduction to Film at Oakton Community College, students were asked to attend a film at an alternative venue and write about the value of the experience. J’mal Riley attended The Mystics of Bali, an exploitation film from Indonesia, introduced by Facets staff member Katie Rife on October 9.I attended the midnight movie series [called Fright School]

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-21844395390237138432010-10-29T12:57:00.004-05:002010-10-29T13:10:27.010-05:00

Editor's note: As one of their assignments in Introduction to Film at Oakton Community College, students were asked to attend a film at an alternative venue and write about the value of the experience. Joseph Mikhael attended The Black Cat, a horror film by Lucio Fulci, introduced by Facets staff member Michelle Zaladonis on October 15. For those of us who work hard to present the midnight movies

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-38446215973243792892010-10-20T15:14:00.015-05:002010-10-21T10:06:16.400-05:00

For two weeks in August of 1988, a Winnebago salesman by the name of Jack Rebney gathered in the Iowa outdoors with a small crew to star in a clip promoting the Itasca Sunflyer RV. Facing extreme heat throughout and besieged by flies, Rebney repeatedly erupted in a series of profanity-laced tirades that would appear on the underground VHS tape trading circuit as a brief compilation known as “

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-39436039516299008532010-10-07T17:37:00.006-05:002010-10-08T09:55:46.291-05:00

It’s that time of year again, when “everybody’s entitled to one good scare,” as Charles Cyphers puts it in Halloween. In addition to our own continuing Fright School series, coming up this weekend in Chicago is the 6th annual Music Box Massacre, a 24-hour marathon that is the ultimate horror nerd endurance test. I’m especially looking forward to seeing George A. Romero’s rarely-screened Hungry

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-71830884672164603542010-09-29T15:14:00.013-05:002010-09-29T17:14:09.141-05:00

Fresh from the rapturously received free concert in Millennium Park that re-introduced new Music Director Riccardo Muti to the local audience, on Tuesday the Chicago Symphony Orchestra capped four nights performing Hector Berlioz’s two-part Episode in the Life of An Artist at Symphony Center. Each night, following the Symphonie fantastique, the legendary Gerard Depardieu joined Muti and the CSO

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-72182207335827842112010-09-28T18:55:00.015-05:002011-07-15T12:32:23.770-05:00

The next installment in Gregory Hess' examination of forgotten flicks of the VHS generation - all of which are available for rent at Facets! I’ve never been to film school, but I imagine that when students today first get their caffeinated hands on DV-cams and MacBooks, their professors encourage them to make their work inherently “cinematic” – that is, to give their films some reason to exist

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-27132569380863645302010-09-08T16:50:00.007-05:002010-09-08T18:11:41.803-05:00

Photo courtesy Lisa Wilson of Telluride Daily Photo.The Telluride Film Festival, a four-day whirlwind of cinematic exhibition 8700 feet above sea level, lit up Colorado this past weekend. The festival showcases a number of promising films as they emerge onto the scene for the coming fall, and Facets' own Milos Stehlik is on the Board of Governors. We've compiled some reflections and overviews

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-60612764749838518282010-08-27T12:28:00.002-05:002010-08-27T12:31:46.816-05:00

This clip of Salvador Dali on What's My Line makes me long for television's past. Badly.

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-82132571696492025562010-08-27T12:09:00.003-05:002010-08-27T12:17:00.770-05:00

Facets Night School is proud to present Teinosuke Kinugasa's surreal 1926 Japanese silent film, A Page of Madness, with lecture and a live score performed by Cursed Bird (current and former members of Chicago favorites Del Rey, Head of Femur and more)! One Night Only! Tomorrow, Saturday, August 28th at MIDNIGHT! Only $5!! FREE for members! "This virtuoso Japanese silent film, made in 1926...uses

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-41259460138013827112010-08-26T14:25:00.001-05:002011-07-15T12:21:12.012-05:00

Gregory Hess continues his examination of forgotten flicks available ONLY on VHS--all of which are available for rent at Facets! You wouldn't know it from its tacky cover art, but Candy Mountain is born of some pretty remarkable pedigree, both in front of and behind the camera. Its two directors, Robert Frank and Rudy Wurlitzer, had both achieved major artistic achievements well before this

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-46775283003460404682010-08-20T15:15:00.003-05:002010-08-20T16:10:30.454-05:00

We're wrapping up our obsessive survey of filmmaker interviews with a rare two-parter from Japan with one of our idols--the zombie master himself, Mr. George A. Romero!

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-87979455191662683382010-08-19T09:59:00.003-05:002010-08-19T15:39:47.376-05:00

Identity drama set to choreography doesn’t quite work.By Lauren Whalen, Facets Features contributing writer.I’m a sucker for dance movies, which fall into two categories: dance plot and dance porn. The former are character-driven, using actors who don’t actually dance or making allowances for dancers who don’t actually act. The latter prompts the audience to sigh at any semblance of a story, but

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-13909145153102115592010-08-11T17:55:00.002-05:002010-08-11T18:00:18.050-05:00

Hey Chicago-based Facets Features readers! Want to see a certified classic on the big screen? Introduced by a preeminent film scholar? Pick up limited edition Facets postcards wherever you see "WE LOVE FILM. WE LOVE FACETS." posters and you can! Find all four for an invite to an exclusive night at Facets devoted to a Hollywood classic this fall! We can't reveal the film just yet, but let's just

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-45314853809741698302010-08-09T12:20:00.003-05:002010-08-11T18:00:58.845-05:00

Director Bob Rafelson discusses his classic, Five Easy Pieces (1970), at The Loft Cinema in Tucson, Arizona! We still prefer his tripped-out Monkees flick, Head, but that's just us.

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-87190851549376190312010-08-06T12:39:00.002-05:002010-08-06T14:46:46.902-05:00

Alfred Hitchcock explains the Kuleshov Effect to TV show host Fletcher Markle in 1964. He also loves bikinis.

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-17864283962854968662010-08-04T11:06:00.002-05:002010-08-04T11:10:30.325-05:00

Facets Features continues its survey of great directors talking shop (and more) with an interview with Fritz Lang, where he discusses his classic, M, and working with Peter Lorre, among other things.Lang, we bow to thee!

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-32249218345575339242010-08-02T16:58:00.002-05:002010-08-02T17:02:31.585-05:00

Wim Wenders! Nicholas Ray! Lightning Over Water!

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-6447882451650142152010-07-30T13:37:00.003-05:002010-08-01T13:41:09.671-05:00

One of Facets' favorite filmmakers, the great Guy Maddin (The Saddest Music in the World, My Winnipeg), discusses his support of internet piracy, the evolution of his editing style and more in this illuminating interview!

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-74285587847685993092010-07-27T17:03:00.006-05:002011-07-06T14:39:33.065-05:00

Video. Home. System. It’s unlikely JVC had any idea how prophetic their abbreviation for a home video player would be, but it couldn’t have been more perfect. When the VHS format first debuted in the late 1970's, the world of movies (and, more specifically, movie watching) was forever changed. Never before had mass consumers been given the opportunity to control when and where they watched a

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-69363785970491403052010-07-23T14:48:00.002-05:002010-07-23T15:29:08.737-05:00

Our love for the "film school generation" directors continues with Martin Scorsese rapping on his criminally underrated film, New York, New York (1977)!

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-20376581175313911262010-07-22T21:43:00.003-05:002010-07-22T21:47:01.331-05:00

Our look at some of our favorite film school generation directors continues with Robert Altman discussing casting and directing in a 1983 interview.

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-40952545410673156792010-07-21T21:24:00.002-05:002010-07-22T21:26:55.295-05:00

Francis Ford Coppola predicts Youtube? You decide...

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-73710318564483425972010-07-19T16:50:00.000-05:002010-07-19T16:59:49.316-05:00

Spielberg on Truffaut. 1978!

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-51495512053954898702010-07-16T16:45:00.000-05:002010-07-16T16:50:08.787-05:00

Tomorrow night, Facets Night School is throwing up the devil horns and getting wicked with "Open the Gate: Heavy Metal as a Gateway to Ritual and the Satanic Panic in The Gate," artist Terence Hanum's lecture on the '80s cult favorite about two teens who open a door to Hell with heavy meeeetaaaaal! To prep for this gloriously awesome event (which hits at midnight at the Cinematheque-hint, hint),

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-86571717710625154352010-07-15T10:43:00.003-05:002010-07-15T11:25:11.691-05:00

Facets members! Please join us for a special Members Appreciation screening of The Living Wake, this Sunday, July 18th at 3pm!!Bizarrely hilarious, The Living Wake stars Jesse Eisenberg (The Squid and the Whale; Adventureland) in a smartly scripted film with clever dialogue and quirky characters that shows off his talent for comedy. The film follows eccentric, egotistic writer K. Roth Binew (

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-14306397178593838232010-07-12T18:12:00.002-05:002010-07-12T18:16:38.261-05:00

Facets Features can't quite let go of World Cup fever, so we're keeping it alive with non-stop viewings of Alejandro González Iñárritu's World Cup Nike commercial. Goal!

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-77665464153888688102010-07-09T12:17:00.002-05:002010-07-09T12:41:09.700-05:00

Yeah--it's a Spaceballs kind of day. Did you know that the film was developed into an animated series on G4?! Me neither! The internet enhances the mind so.

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-63744119376251571772010-07-02T15:51:00.002-05:002010-07-02T16:12:36.778-05:00

Happy birthday, America!Yours, Kim.

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-85803270538082459172010-06-30T17:05:00.004-05:002010-06-30T17:23:03.562-05:00

Did you miss this past Saturday's edition of Facets Night School devoted to Larry Cohen's The Stuff? Well, you're in luck.MTV Movie Award-nominated filmmaker Maria Gigante's lecture, Advertising, Wonder Foods & Other Nasty Businesses: The Stuff Behind The Stuff, is now online! And thanks to USTREAM, you can enjoy ALL Night School lectures without venturing to the Cinematheque late night. Not that

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-83937869616985420022010-06-28T15:48:00.002-05:002010-06-28T16:24:41.544-05:00

Where films from around the world face off in brutal competition, brought to you by Facets Multi-Media, the leader in world cinema.To get in on the action -- go to our Facebook page, "Friend" us, and vote for your favorite films.You just may win a Facets membership worth $250!!

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-25094764433457710642010-06-28T15:40:00.002-05:002010-06-28T15:43:10.841-05:00

Director Shane Meadows (This Is England) and actor Paddy Considine sit down with the BBC's Jonathan Ross to discuss their mock-rockumentary, Le Donk & Scor-Zay-Zee, which is screening all this week at Facets Cinematheque!! Please head over and check it out. It's truly funny--shot in 5 days; improv-style; straight crazy!

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-5542616785323800622010-06-28T12:03:00.003-05:002010-06-28T12:53:04.536-05:00

Many congratulations are in order to Gregory Hess for winning our "blog the Human Rights Watch Film Festival" contest with his review of Joe Berlinger's documentary, Crude. We were impressed by his beautiful writing, and most importantly, the strong analysis. Gregory is joining Facets Features as a contributor, so keep your eyes peeled for his work!

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-82113840091563395152010-06-25T10:26:00.004-05:002010-06-25T14:33:40.776-05:00

Fascinating footage of San Francisco's Market Street, before and after the great earthquake of 1905!

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-77136461768164561562010-06-22T23:20:00.003-05:002010-06-28T17:09:31.395-05:00

Chris Bartone's review of the doc, Crude, rounds-out our selections for our "blog the Human Rights Watch Film Festival" contest! Which of the past five pieces did we choose as the best, winning its author a Facets Features writing gig? Stay tuned for the big reveal!For the media establishment, the pursuit of balance is a compulsion—the pursuit of truth, less so. This is why when you turn on

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-83363053366038255112010-06-21T15:20:00.000-05:002010-06-21T15:24:53.156-05:00

Next up in Facets' "blog the Human Rights Watch Film Festival" contest: John K. Wilson's review of Joe Berlinger's Crude!With Crude, the powerful documentary about the destruction to the Ecuadorian Amazon caused by Chevron-Texaco’s oil spills, director Joe Berlinger has made two movies. No, I'm not talking about some intricate storyline or the “he said-corporation said” technique of firm

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-58461498430481216742010-06-18T16:04:00.001-05:002010-06-18T16:04:58.136-05:00

Paul Christian Fermin's excellent review of Fabrizio Lazzaretti and Paolo Santolini's Back Home Tomorrow is the next featured entry in Facets' "blog the Human Rights Watch Film Festival" contest!There’s a scene in Back Home Tomorrow where a mother tries negotiating with doctors preparing to amputate her son’s hand, or at least what’s left of it, after being exposed to a residual land mine. Her

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-28022256502060815682010-06-17T17:30:00.003-05:002010-06-18T16:05:22.091-05:00

Next up in our "blog on the Human Rights Watch Film Festival" contest--Gregory Hess' look at the particularly timely doc, Crude!From the opening image of Crude, of an old woman with a long wooden piercing stuck through her nose, a red flower adorning it at one end, the path of Joe Belinger's documentary would seem mostly cut and dried. The woman, a member of one of the myriad Amazon Indian tribes

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-73881658345217754562010-06-16T17:05:00.003-05:002010-06-16T17:11:57.553-05:00

The reviews are in! Reviews? What reviews? Some background...Two week ago, Facets challenged its Facebook fans to review films screening at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival, which ran last week at the Cinematheque. The best reviews would be published here at Facets Features, and the writer of the best piece would join us as a Facets Features scribe for 6 months (or maybe more).Our awesome

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-34133778853376151242010-06-14T16:22:00.003-05:002010-06-14T16:31:52.363-05:00

Jean-Luc Godard's masterpiece, A Bout de Souffle (Breathless), is rolling out in theatres across the country once again in celebration of its 50th anniversary. 50 years! Unbelievable. Viewed today, it's as vibrant and modern as many contemporary films. And a helluva a lot better, too!Philip French from the Guardian has some interesting thoughts on Breathless at 50 here. I also highly recommend

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-50093996792041060972010-06-11T10:49:00.002-05:002010-06-11T10:53:51.650-05:00

It's World Cup time! In between matches, Facets Features is staying pumped with soccer movies! First up, the high-energy action of Stephen Chow's spectacular Shaolin Soccer (2001)!

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-43549971408180192162010-06-09T14:21:00.001-05:002010-06-09T14:30:29.054-05:00

Did you miss the Facets Night School Guest Host edition kick-off event this past Saturday night? Fear not! Film writer Jason Coffman's lecture, Pam Grier, Switchblade Sisters & Spider Babies: An Intro to Jack Hill is now online! And thanks to USTREAM, you can enjoy ALL Night School lectures without venturing to the Cinematheque in the wee hours of the night. You really should, though. You don't

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-59375838541331709562010-06-07T16:02:00.000-05:002010-06-07T16:09:51.344-05:00

Shalom! Want to make some extra money? Okay, it’s simple: you’ll be transporting medicine for rich people. Take this suitcase, and don’t open it for anybody. If you’re asked questions, give simple answers. Relax. And above all, act Jewish.Between 1998 and 1999, over 1 million Ecstasy pills were trafficked into New York by a small group of Hasidic Jews. Holy Rollers uses this true premise as the

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-57952330771446915922010-06-04T17:39:00.000-05:002010-06-04T17:44:15.627-05:00

Sometimes you stumble across something on Youtube that changes your life. This clip from the Dogville Comedy short, The Big Dog House (Zion Myers/Jules White, 1930), qualifies. Absolutely. Wow.

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28504393.post-25837506995547267542010-06-02T17:18:00.002-05:002010-06-02T17:34:26.852-05:00

Summer's here! Well, technically it doesn't kick-in until June 21st, but the heat and crazy drive to be outside has Facets Features in the summer state of mind. That can only mean one thing...Frankie and Annette!If you don't want to drop everything and hit the surf and sand after watching Beach Blanket Bingo (William Asher, 1965), then you have no soul.

Facets Multi-Mediahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13346556387810977946noreply@blogger.com0