Jason's Blog, page 106

Singin' in the Rain

Some days you want to see Seven, other days you want to see Singin' in the Rain.

It has, at least, three amazing numbers: Make'em Laugh, Good Morning and, of course, Singin' in the Rain. Or five, if you count Fit as a Fiddle and Moses Supposes. Sure, why the hell not! Only the movie within the movie, the whole Broadway Melody part, drags a bit. It doesn't really have anything to do with the main story. Jean Hagen almost steals the whole film, as Lisa Lamont. "And I cayn't stand'im." It's a great comedic performance. I thought she was mostly a dramatic actor. Besides this film, I think I've only seen her in The Asphalt Jungle. What should be put in a time capsule representing the 20th century, to be found by Martians when life on Earth is over? I'd say this film.

Peanuts

Audrey Totter

20.12.1917 -12.12.2013Time to rewatch The Set-Up...

Lyle Lovett

Pulp drawing, unfinished

Jim Woodring

I was looking through some drawers, and found this, a note from Jim Woodring I received after sending him a copy of my comic book, Mjau Mjau. I believe it was nr 1, possibly nr 2, so it was either 97 or 98. It was a pretty big deal for me receiving it, encouraging me to continue making comics. Thanks, Jim!

Simple Men

Robert Burke and Bill Sage are looking for their dad. So is Elina Löwensohn. Martin Donovan has a crush on Karen Sillas. Written and directed by Hal Hartley.

Is this Hartley's funniest film? Hot fucking tuna. Why do women exist? Why is that one scene with the hand against the window so memorable? It took a couple of viewings before I realized that the dad in this film and the one in Trust is played by the same actor. There's not enough slapping in films these days. There's nothing but trouble and desire. I can't stand the quiet! You're drunk. And emotional! You can have what you want or what you need, but you can't have both. Don't move.

Peter Weir

Top 5 Peter Weir films:

1. Witness
2. Gallipolli
3. Dead Poets Society
4. Picnic at Hanging Rock
5. Green Card

Still haven't seen Mosquito Coast or The Year of Living Dangerously.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Apparently, someone shoots Liberty Valance. Starring John Wayne, James Stewart and Lee Marvin, directed by John Ford.

So okay, it's got the famous line, "Print the legend.", but I find it hard to like this film. All the broad comedy bits get a bit tiresome in the end. It dates the film. Stewart is miscast - too old to be convincing in the flashbacks where he's supposed to be a young lawyer. John Wayne does the John Wayne thing. And then there is Lee Marvin who seems to be acting in a much darker film. There are constant clashes in tone. In the end, it's an old man's film, Ford's more resigned look back on the genre he was most known for.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

So yeah, Jesse James is assassinated by Robert Ford. Starring Brad Pitt as Jesse James and Casey Affleck as Robert Ford, directed by Andrew Dominik.

It's like some lost 70s revisionist Western, the little brother of McCabe & Mrs Miller perhaps. It's almost amazing how Dominik got away with making such a slow and moody film. Probably he wouldn't have without Brad Pitt in the lead role. Who's good, but the film still belongs to Casey Affleck. And is it the most beautiful, most Terrence Malicky Western ever made? Roger Deakins' cinematography is some kind of wonder. Possibly the film drags a tiny bit in the middle, but then it gets even more interesting after the death of Jesse James, when we follow Robert Ford who has to live with the conscience and regret of his act. It's one of the few films where a narrative voice actually works. And I like how muted the gunshots are, sounding almost as sad as the sound effects in a Chris Ware comic.