What is it about those fabulous mid-fifties icons? The three whose names instantly come to mind—James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and the young Elvis—are as idiosyncratic as can be, unique, sans pareil, but remain evanescent. Stars from the previous decade were glamorous, talented, and they had heft. We love Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, Bette Davis or Katherine Hepburn but we don’t feel sorry for ... more >
Archives for April 2007
ARCHIVES
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY AT TRIBECA FESTIVAL
By ALI NADERZAD - April 19, 2007The Tribeca Film Festival was founded in an attempt to revive lower Manhattan after the terrorist attacks of September 11. It's fair to say that the festival accomplished much more than breathe much-needed life into Tribeca and surroundings: it has helped young filmmakers achieve better exposure. Columbia University's School of the Arts has been fostering a growing ... more >
CANNES SELECTION OUT
By ALI NADERZAD - April 19, 2007The 60th Film Festival's selection has just been announced; a well-rounded package of films will be presented before press and public from Emir Kusturica (Promise Me This), Alexandr Sokourov (Alexandra), Quentin Tarantino (Death Proof), Gus Van Sant (Paranoid Park), Julian Schnabel (Le Scaphandre et le Papillon) and persian artist Marjane Satrapi, presenting an ... more >
James Schamus
Indie cinema's lion talks at Columbia University club
At the Columbia Club a woman in the audience asked producer/screenwriter James Schamus about the state of independent cinema. Schamus (he most notably produced Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon; 2000 and The Brothers McMullen; 1995) answered with a quip about semantics: "yes, I am an independent producer, but can you show me somebody who call themselves a dependent producer?" Nowadays, Schamus said, ... more >
Diane Keaton
Annie Hall actress honored at Lincoln Center
Not so long ago Woody Allen played Alvy Singer in Annie Hall alongside Diane Keaton. It was 1977, cocaine was still fun and people stopped in the middle of the street to argue about books. The Annie in question was played by Diane Keaton, who had her own existentialist crisis to solve (and would not tackled Alvy's), had an unhealthy fear of spiders and was prone to the endearing phrase ... more >
Babel
Multi-story narrative is reminiscent of Crash
Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and Gael García Bernal
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
Babel (Inarritu; 2006) raises an interesting question about the relationship between a film and a filmmaker. Is it entirely a symbiotic one? How much Inarritu is in Babel, and vice-versa? Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu seems very much present in Babel's stories, taking a prominent position among the individuals who form this wide net of a cast. He lifts the veil draped over human suffering and lead ... more >
Irreversible
Cannes Fest’s most controversial film in years
Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel and Albert Dupontel
Directed by Gaspar Noé
The first thirty minutes of Gaspar Noé's "Irreversible" had a background noise added which hovers around the 28 hz frequency. This type of frequency causes nausea, sickness and vertigo in humans; this might help explain the numerous walkouts on the festival circuit the year the film came out (2002; San Sebastian, Cannes)--though there were other reasons (fire extinguisher, anyone?). ... more >