Films That I have seen recently

Cassavettes can not make a bad film if he tried. "Faces" proves this point.

What makes his films so great is the fact they feel so real. Shot in a Cinema Verite style, the films begin to blur the line between fact and fiction as his actors improvise their lines. I am very nostalgic as well, and I appreciate the period in which he made these films.



This film is the Chinese Mean Streets.

This film is different than his later films, but it is still a great watch. It definetly has that Hong Kong Cinema feel and Cinemascape. In addition, his later films focus on Love between lovers. However this film, it is the love of a friendship that takes the central theme.



I cried laughing watching this film.

I reviewed the preview of this film as part of my blaxploitation month blog special. This film delievered everything I could have hoped for and more. Like Dolemite, I had to watch this film multiple times.



David Mamet's dialouge is like listening a Ghostface Killa's rhyme; he is going to catch you off guard with his word play.

This film was an introduction to Mamet's work, and i look forward to see more of his films. I loved the way the film positioned the relationship as a con and risky psychological game of death.

Forgotten History

How come the history channel does not have specials about the African Diaspora (Slavery)?

Force 1TD

I've been watching a lot of short films lately. One of the ones that stands out is Force 1TD.

Enjoy.

Mister Freedom (Directed by William Klein)

Today marks the 8th Anniversary of the terrorist attacks that took place on American soil in 2001. While browsing through the video store, I wanted to watch something that was relevant to this occasion and Mister Freedom caught my attention...

Simply stated, this film is beyond satire. For some, Mister Freedom is very real.

The human personification of America has been used in many films but none have come close to the depth of William Klein's Mister Freedom. It is apparent that Klein, an expatriate of the United States, dug deep when he wrote, directed, and designed this film.

With costumes made entirely of sports equipment and villains who are little more than balloons, this film struck me as a child's wild fantasy. Remember when you were a kid and you could turn a skateboard into a get away vehicle and a tennis ball into a grenade while playing cops & robbers with your friends in the neighborhood? Well Mister Freedom is just that, but with grown up political commentary. Perhaps this is all a child's game on the world stage...

Although decades have passed since the premiere of this film, I think it would be interesting to see a Mister Freedom film undertake our modern political issues.

My Brother in Blog.

My Brother in Rhyme is now my Brother in Blog.

As I have been slipping in recent Months, Tejay's blog is a great place to go as I get my act together... http://12elveam.blogspot.com/

Reading Tejay's blog, has got my blogging spirit back up. More posts to come!

Masterpiece

Jean-Jacques Beineix's Diva... Everything I love in a film.

Canoa (Directed by Felipe Cazals)

"This 1976 Mexican feature is based on a reportedly real incident which took place in 1968. When a group of hikers happen upon a village governed by a paranoid and fanatical priest, they are labeled as communists and desecrators and are lynched by the bespelled townspeople." - Allmovie.com

Canoa hit me harder than most films.

After a recent run in with a serial killer in the corn fields in Indiana, I personally know that shit can hit the fan... Quickly. I realized that I, and anybody, could be one of those hikers.

On a less personal level, I was impressed director Felipe Cazals' use of various modes of narration throughout the film. At times, the film is shot like a mockumentary and several participants from the incident give a "tour" of Canoa to viewers. Other times, the film progresses in a traditional vouyeristic approach and the characters do not acknowledge the camera at all. Cazal skillfully blended the change of narrative into a solid product that tells an emotional story from both sides.

I feel that a general American Audience will not appreciate this film. For some, It comes off as a chessy 70s exploitation flick. However, I believe if this film was remade to tell the story of an American Civil Rights atrocity it would grab the attention of American Audiences.