Rob Christopher's Blog, page 131
March 21, 2019
3 things about Lee Tamahori’s DIE ANOTHER DAY
Die Another Day [2002]
1. A low point of the series: the opening credits sequence is an extended torture fantasy.
2. Before the dive, a quick wink.
3. “I think I broke her heart.”
After a comprehensive rewatch of every 007 film, I now assert that Die Another Day is the worst. 3 other things.
March 20, 2019
3 things about Michael Apted’s THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
The World Is Not Enough [1999]
1. Tumbling down the roof of the Millennium Dome.
2. “I came prepared for a cold reception.”
3. Cutaway office.
March 16, 2019
3 things about Michael Curtiz & William Keighley’s THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD
The Adventures of Robin Hood [1938]
1. Saucy fellow.
2. Shimmering black gown with forest green headpiece.
3. Splatters of candle wax on the stone floor.
March 14, 2019
Chicago, Illinois, 1953.
[image error]This is a still from Lilli Carré’s animated segment in Roy’s World: Barry Gifford’s Chicago, which is narrated by Lili Taylor. You can read the story it’s based on at Chicagoist.
March 13, 2019
3 things about John Curran’s CHAPPAQUIDDICK
Chappaquiddick [2017]
1. “Fortunately for us, it looks like Ted’s big brother arranged for just that.”
2. Foam from the mouth.
3. He takes off his shoes.
March 12, 2019
Editing ROY’S WORLD has been a blast.
When we started editing Roy’s World: Barry Gifford’s Chicago, my editor Marianna Milhorat lived in Pilsen, right here in Chicago on the south side. That’s about a 45-minute trip via CTA from my own apartment. No big deal.
But this project has entailed a very long-term commitment. And needless to say, that means you have to make adjustments. In the midst of editing, for a variety of professional and personal reasons, Marianna up and moved to Montreal. No longer a 45-minute trip!
At first I was a little worried about how that long-distance arrangement was going to affect the project creatively. But over the course of many months we evolved a workflow that was surprisingly successful. The necessity of having that back and forth with built-in pauses (she’d send me a new cut, I’d meditate on it, dash off some notes, and then she’d recut things and send it back, etc.) actually encouraged us to be more thoughtful. Sometimes being forced to slow down is a good thing; it opens up a space for unexpected ideas and solutions. It’s happened on this project more times than I can count.
But as you get real close to end, there comes a point when you just have to be in the same room together. Thus at the end of February I found myself in the peculiar situation of flying to Montreal for five days of intensive editing of a documentary about 1950s-era Chicago. (I rewatched Robert Altman’s Quintet in preparation of course.)
[image error]
Marianna Milhorat and I at a lumière collective in Montreal, 3 March 2019. Photo by Jason Halprin.
We were graciously hosted by la lumière collective, a space with a very mellow vibe and friendly people. It ended up being exactly the sort of neutral place we needed to concentrate on the movie.
To cut to the chase, it was an amazingly productive trip and … we might have even reached picture lock? Stay tuned.
March 10, 2019
Recipe: Royal Hawaiian Mai Tai Punch
For awhile now I’ve wondered to myself if you could feasibly scale up a Mai Tai to punchbowl proportions. So for our annual Oscars party this year I gave it a whirl. I decided to use the Hawaiian Mai Tai as my basis, which is sweeter and fruitier than Trader Vic’s classic formulation, figuring that would be more appropriate for punch. I was very pleased with the result! It’s very easy drinking, with an intriguing balance of flavors.
ROYAL HAWAIIAN MAI TAI PUNCH
2 bottles of champagne or dry sparkling white
12 oz. pulp-free orange juice
12 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice
6 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
2.5 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 oz. orange curaçao
8 oz. orgeat
10 oz. Lemon Hart Demerara Rum
10 oz. Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Gold Rum
8 oz. white rum (such as Flor de Caña Extra Dry 4 Year)
The day before serving, freeze a large ice mold. 15 minutes before serving place the ice in a large punchbowl. Add all ingredients, saving champagne for last. Stir gently to combine. Serve in small glasses.
March 9, 2019
3 things about Roger Spottiswoode’s TOMORROW NEVER DIES
Tomorrow Never Dies [1997]
1. “You always were a cunning linguist, James.”
2. The women with the enigmatic smile whose Hong Kong apartment their motorbike crashes through the roof of.
3. Carver gets carved.
You’ve gotta have a soft spot for any movie where Ricky Jay plays an evil computer genius. 3 other things.
February 24, 2019
3 things about Bing Liu’s MINDING THE GAP
Minding the Gap [2018]
1. He won’t stop until the skateboard is really and truly wrecked.
2. “You can’t beat up women, but … sometimes a bitch needs to get slapped.”
3. Bing says, “Cut.” And moves his head slightly. And his head is mostly out of the frame. But we can still see his right eye. The expression in that eye.
February 23, 2019
3 things about Robert Altman’s QUINTET
Quintet [1979]
1. “It doesn’t transmit. The information’s still there.”
2. She lifts her arm from the fire, looks down with some curiosity at her own smoldering hand.
3. Light fixture melting the ice.
