Weekend of Movies

I spent a good bit of time with the DVD player this weekend.  (I really need to get out more.)

 

No Country for Old Men (2007)

2nd viewing, I enjoyed it much more the second time around. Parts of it were shot in Santa Fe and Las Vegas, NM, so it is interesting to see familiar sights.  Javier Bardem’s character, Anton, is a twisted soul and is played very well.  I’ll never view a coin toss the same way.  The ending may leave you scratching your head, but it feels right.

There Will Be Blood (2007)

Daniel Day-Lewis probably earned his Oscar for this role, although it felt like a cross between Tom Selleck and Sean Connery.  The first 14 minutes were notable for the total lack of dialogue.  This scheme really draws you into the setting and feel of the movie.

The Majestic (2001)

Somehow, I have never seen this before.  It was a very ‘nice’ film.  Jim Carrey was convincing in the role and didn’t over act in it.  Martin Landau is always a joy to watch.  Good family fare.

My Kid Could Paint That (2007)

An interesting story of a 4 year old artist.  The documentary aspect of it was fairly transparent, but as always, the recording of the events may have been biased.  Even the film maker admits that he was not impartial as it began.  As the controversy grew, he changed his style of presentation.  As much a film about the art industry as about Marla Olmstead.

This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006)

A documentary about the film ratings board.  Not any great revelations about the process, but interesting.  Well edited film with quick pacing.  Kind of interesting to see the investigators track down MPAA members.

Treasures from American Film Archives (disk 4)

Short, important films from the birth of the film industry up to the beginning of its post WWII growth.

Peepshow Kinetoscopes (1894, 30 seconds, 25 seconds, silent)- No, not that kind of peepshow.  It’s called a peepshow because you peep into the box from the top. The Kinetoscope (right) was the first motion picture viewing apparatus. These 2 films were made by the Edison Manufacturing Company. The first is The Contortionist, a film showing the flexibility of a circus performer. The second film is Caideo, The King of Slackwire, about a (not so) tightrope walker that shows incredible balance and movement.  

Interior, New York Subway (1905, 5 minutes, silent) – Exactly what it is.  A ride through the New York subways, from 14th Street to 42nd Street.

The Land Beyond the Sunset (1912, 15 minutes, silent) – Another Edison produced film. This is a one reel movie that follows a NYC newsboy from the slums on a trip to the country given to him by the Fresh Air Fund.  Nice special effects of superimposing Joe’s home life above him.

I’m Insured (1916, 3 minutes, silent) – Early animation effort, a Komic Kartoon about pulling an insurance scam.

Beautiful Japan (1918, 15 minutes, silent) – A travelogue form Benjamin Brodsky, excerpted from the 2 hour movie. Quite a modern style dance at about 9:30 with a young dancer.

The Autobiography of a Jeep (1943, 10 minutes) – The US Office of War Information put this out as a PR film, narrated by the Jeep himself.  Nice news reel type release.

Marian Anderson: The Lincoln Memorial Concert (1939, 8 minutes) – From a restoration in process, the African American contralto, Marian Anderson, performed a number of songs from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC to a full crowd around the reflecting pool.  I wish there were more of Ms. Anderson and less of Harold Ickes, but still, it is a very important part of American history.