CATCHING UP WITH FILM - THE QUEST FOR A PERSONAL CANON

Videotheque in South Pasadena, CA was my film school post-college. Even though I live far away now, I still make it out almost every Sunday to check out movies that I have no luck finding online, for money or otherwise. In this ongoing series, I will give my brief impressions about my rentals from the past week. Innocence (2004) dir. Lucile Hadzihalilovic, starring Marion Cotillard, Helene de Fougerolles, Zoe Auclair, Berangere Haubruge A film that pre-dates Yorgos Lanthimos’ Dogtooth by five years, yet has the same mystery and sense of constant disorientation that Lanthimos would make his trademark. Hadihalilovic’s movie is so tightly composed and written that, as absurd as this world is, i

I’ve always been a sucker for pub trivia, and I almost like creating trivia quizzes more than competing in them. The answers to the first nine questions are all connected by a theme, and the tenth is the theme. Feel free to share this quiz, and no Googling when you’re trying it! (What’s the fun in that?) Answers will be posted next week with the newest quiz. The person in the picture above. What might cover the floor of your home and be a pain to vacuum. The police will issue an amber ________ when a child has been kidnapped. You might go into a haunted house or watch a horror movie to get a good _______. C++, Java, and BASIC are all examples of programming languages or _________. A statue o

Videotheque in South Pasadena, CA was my film school post-college. Even though I live far away now, I still make it out almost every Sunday to check out movies that I have no luck finding online, for money or otherwise. In this ongoing series, I will give my brief impressions about my rentals from the past week. Chilly Scenes of Winter (1975) dir. Joan Micklin Silver, starring John Heard, Mary Beth Hurt Even among the many romantic comedies and dramas that populated the 70’s, this one stands out for its distinct voice and realistic pacing and developments. Though the writing is sharp and the movie is well-crafted, Chilly Scenes of Winter feels natural and organic, thanks largely in part to t

I’ve always been a sucker for pub trivia, and I almost like creating trivia quizzes more than competing in them. The answers to the first nine questions are all connected by a theme, and the tenth is the theme. Feel free to share this quiz, and no Googling when you’re trying it! (What’s the fun in that?) Answers will be posted next week with the newest quiz. This is the name of the standard military issue handgun from 1872-1892. It’s also appeared in many Western movies and was called the gun that won the West. This three letter word means to joke around or make fun of someone. This is what you call the back portion of your lower leg. This is the diminutive form of the name “Joseph.” This is

Videotheque in South Pasadena, CA was my film school post-college. Even though I live far away now, I still make it out almost every Sunday to check out movies that I have no luck finding online, for money or otherwise. In this ongoing series, I will give my brief impressions about my rentals from the past week. The Arbor (2010) dir. Clio Barnard, starring Manjinder Virk, Christine Bottomley, Natalie Gavin A biopic like no other about playwright Andrea Dunbar, who was just 15 when she wrote her first play The Arbor. It is essentially a mixture of interviews that are lip-synced by actors and scenes reenacted from her plays. The effect is a fascinating insight into Dunbar’s psyche and the impa

I’ve always been a sucker for pub trivia, and I almost like creating trivia quizzes more than competing in them. The answers to the first nine questions are all connected by a theme, and the tenth is the theme. Feel free to share this quiz, and no Googling when you’re trying it! (What’s the fun in that?) Answers will be posted next week with the newest quiz. The physical product of combustion. The parts that make up a chain are called what? The drive through fast food chain where you have to eat in your car. Cumulonimbus, Cirrus and Stratus are types of what? This beast from 1930’s cinema met his violent end in New York City. What a ghost might say to you. The fruit most commonly associated

Videotheque in South Pasadena, CA was my film school post-college. Even though I live far away now, I still make it out almost every Sunday to check out movies that I have no luck finding online, for money or otherwise. In this ongoing series, I will give my brief impressions about my rentals from the past week. In the Year of 13 Moons (1978) dir. Rainer Werner Fassbinder, starring Volker Spengler Fassbinder took the melodrama to an elevated place into potentially absurd territory. 13 Moons, which was made in response to his lover’s suicide, follows Elvira (formerly Erwin) played by Volker Spengler, as he deals with the consequences of a sex change she performed to please her lover. Even tho

I’ve always been a sucker for pub trivia, and I almost like creating trivia quizzes more than competing in them. The answers to the first nine questions are all connected by a theme, and the tenth is the theme. Feel free to share this quiz, and no Googling when you’re trying it! (What’s the fun in that?) Answers will be posted next week with the newest quiz. This Danish writer is famous for writing some of the most famous fairy tales including “The Little Mermaid,” “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” She played the title character in the TV series Veronica Mars, and she was also the voice of Gossip Girl. Oslo is the capital of this country. She originated the role of Elphaba