Recently in Film Category

Let's watch some movies that help keep us safe:

Voldemort has been cast, and evil, thy name be Ralph Fiennes.

Director Sam Raimi has announced a proposal to make a four hour movie over the next 1,000 years, according to CNN.

Raimi has proposed building the "Century Cam," a network of cameras that would document the United States' urban landscape for a millennium. Cameras would be placed above all major American cities shooting one frame each day at noon.

a year's worth of shots over a particular city would add up to 15 seconds of film, a decade would blow by in two and a half minutes and a century would run 25 minutes. A full 1,000 years of film would last just over four hours.

Preview Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11. Damn does it look good.

The New Yorker's decisions to release their archive of short film reviews going back to 1990 warms the hearts of film buffs everywhere. The archive contains over 2,000 film reviews sorted alphabetically.

Using the power of the Internet I can now recall Aamir Khan's performance in Lagaan or read about Alexander Sokurov's Russian Ark, the meandering single shot film that glides through the Hermitage to tell the story of Russian history.

For the last few days I have been home sick. My fever broke around 1:45 this morning and I am now on the mend.

Housebound for days, Julie and I finally found the time to watch Angels in America. I can't find words to describe the qualities of this film. It is incredibly moving and relevant. If you have not seen it on HBO it is truly worth all six hours.

Ah the historic Uptown theater, a rare cinemascope screen living nearby in the Cleveland Park neighborhood. A screen bred for only one purpose: to show Lawrence of Arabia. Sadly, a theater cannot make ends meet on one classic so they are forced to fill the other 362 nights of the year with more popular fare, and I'm not talking about The Bridge on the River Kwai and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

If you haven't been to this theater or one like it I can describe it's effect only by saying that it had the power to overcome the sheer crappiness of X-Men 2 and prevented me from killing myself before the horrible horrible end. Road to Perdition was grand on this screen and Seabiscuit less cold and inhuman (though that soundless and quick death scene right at the beginning really screws with the mood of the whole film, I mean the guy loses his kid....).

Back to the point of this entry (yes I do know how to stick to a point and not get lost on asides). Yes that was an aside to declare my ability to avoid asides. There is a comment button for situations like this.

With the release of the third and final film in the Lord of The Rings trilogy coming this Wednesday, DC has been fortunate to have this historic theater showing the extended versions of the first two films on the big screen. Beginning Friday the 5th we had the privilege of seeing the bigger-longer-and-uncut version of The Fellowship of the Ring only as it could previously be seen on DVD. The Two Towers with additional scenes is now being screened until Tuesday the 16th when the Uptown will have two exclusive long since sold out shows of all three films in the trilogy back to back. That is a nine and a half hour Lord of the Rings extravaganza.

Can you imagine it?

Seriously: Imagine it.

Sadly the "sold out" part of these showings combined with my weekly obligations to my employer prevent me from joining in this experience and thus prevent me from sharing it with you. Because of other sold out shows I probably won't be seeing the Return of the King until Sunday. The important piece here is that if you are a fan of these films, or are even just considering seeing Return of the King, go rent the DVD of Fellowship of the Ring and watch the extended version. Go to the Uptown and see the Two Towers and then reserve tickets for the Return of the King. This is truly a rare cinematic event for DC so don't pass it up!

The only question remaining is will the extended version of Return of the King coss the four hour mark? The theater release is, after all, a full 3 hours and 40 minutes.

I know I am a big geek but I just ordered tickets to see The Matrix Reloaded next Wednesday, that would be the night before the official release. That would be a special preview show.

I hadn't been excited about it until I saw a preview before X2 last weekend. Now I must justify seeing X2. It was a) fun, b) had Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, c) had cool mutants doing mutanty things. Did I mention the really good preview for The Matrix Reloaded that, on the enormous screen at the Uptown, blew me away.

Sadly none of the Matrix films show at that Uptown. I suppose the new Loews Georgetown multiplex will have to suffice.

Three cheers for Fandago!

"Song is what keeps us alive."
-- Lindiwe Zulu (Freedom Fighter)

From the beginning to the end of Apartheid in South Africa song played a critical part of resistance. Song comes from deep within all of us in our times of happiness and in our times of suffering. In twentieth century they were pushed to extremes and song broke out with tremendous power.

Documenting the music that came out of the struggle to end Apartheid is the subject of the new documentary Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony. Using one art form to express the power of another is a challenge but Lee Hirsch's inspiring film shows true mastery. With color as vivid as the emotions and cuts as fast as the dancing, Amandla! packs a whollop. See this film at your first opportunity, it is like no other.

As I watch the credits roll by I am overcome with emotion. Andy has commented to me many times that our protests against this war and occupation in Iraq need more song, more rhythm, more dance. How right he is. Two Saturday's ago the Rhythm Worker's Union showed up for the DC Area Peace Network feeder march to the major anti-war march with a drum caravan. Marching illegally in the street for eight blocks with the drums before the police shoved us on the sidewalk was invigorating. The music lit a fire in all of us. Our culture has silenced many of songs. I whistle or hum in public and people look at me as if I were out of my mind. To the contrary, when I have music in me I feel the distance between my thoughts and my feelings lessen. See this movie, I implore you.

I am reminded of Brad's lectures on South Africa in Modern Non-Western History. I see images of police holding Uzi's and I think of the shameful relationship of the Israeli government to the Apartheid regime. I think now, as Passover ends, how appropriate it is that I am reminded of the ongoing struggle for redemption and freedom. All peoples, and to not beat around the bush specifically the Palestinians, deserve freedom. Nobody, nobody ever for any reason, deserves to be shot at or chased by a tank. We may grudgingly accept war in some circumstances but let us never deceive ourselves. There is no such thing as heroism or glory. There is only horror and humanity standing against it. There are enough struggles to be had as free people, let us not give people needless pain.

The latest film by Pedro Almod\xDBvar has been out long enough to win at BAFTA, Bodil, the Bogey Awards in Germany, the Czech Lion, the Cesar Award, the EU Film Awards, the Golden Globe, the Goya, LAFCA, and the Vancouver Critics Circle. We are still waiting to hear how it will do against Chicago, Gangs of New York, The Hours, and The Pianist for Best Director at the Academy Awards.

If it wins the Oscar is will get the wider public play it deserves. Almod\xDBvar's previous films have not gone to the Academy and thus have limited exposure to American audiences. All About My Mother and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown were met with broad international success and are strongly recommended by samfelder.com.

Almod\xDBvar is known for his strong female characters and Talk To Her contains the two most powerful comatose female roles yet seen. Following the lives of two men who meet accidentally we are taken backwards into the lives of the male characters and then forward again through the beginning to the end. This rhythmic retreat into the past and quick thrust through the perceived present is a fairly standard story-telling device that Almod\xDBvar is able to direct with a genuine artistic touch.

Even though I saw Talk to Her at the CO Dupont 5, one of the crappiest theaters in the DC area, I still recommend it highly!