Written and directed by Gaspar Noe, Lux Aeterna is an experimental 51-minute film in which two actresses taking part in a film about witches where things get too real. The film is an unconventional film about a film that is being made about witches where everything goes wrong Starring Charlotte Gainsbourg, Beatrice Dalle, Abbey Lee Kershaw, and Karl Glusman. Lux Aeterna is a chaotic and eerie film by Gaspar Noe.
The film is about actress Beatrice Dalle trying to make a film about witches starring Charlotte Gainsbourg as she is trying to deal with the chaos in the production while she converses with Gainsbourg about witches. It is a film with a simple premise but there is not much plot as it plays into a production going into total chaos with an ending that is just insane in terms of its visuals. Noe’s script would feature text and quotes from filmmakers Carl Theodor Dreyer, Luis Bunuel, and Rainer Werner Fassbinder as it plays into the idea of film as art and their approach to telling the stories about witchcraft. Noe’s script also plays into Dalle and Gainsbourg’s friendship as it opens with them having a conversation while there are those who want to make sure that Dalle gets ousted from the film as it does play into elements of misogyny from her producer and a cinematographer. Even those acting with Gainsbourg are troubled by the production with Abbey Lee Kershaw feeling exploited by men who want to see her nude while another actor in Karl Glusman tries to get actors to onboard for his own project.
Noe’s direction is stylish where it opens with footage of Dreyer’s 1943 film Day of Wrath as it plays into the idea of witchcraft with text from Dreyer about what film should be as a form of art. It then cuts to a scene where it is shot in split-screen where Dalle and Gainsbourg are having a conversation as it is shot inside a studio set with hand-held cameras following the former as she walks through the sets that included a hand-held camcorder where a young man follows her every move. Notably as it plays into a producer trying to do whatever he can to see her fuck up as it is her own film. While Noe does use some wide shots including for the film’s climax, much of Noe’s direction emphasizes on close-up and medium shots with the hand-held cameras often moving around as tracking shots. Noe also plays to this element of chaos where everything does feel intrusive such as scenes of models including Kershaw getting dressed while they are in the nude as there’s a couple of men outside of the window getting a peep which upsets Kershaw.
The film’s climax relates to a scene that Dalle is trying to create which involves three witches being burned at the stake with Gainsbourg and Kershaw playing the witches. Noe would create this sense of tension that would emerge, and it is where the film’s final 10 minutes would be this moment that is terrifying. Before the film even begins, Noe would post a warning for people with epilepsy relating to what they will see as these final ten minutes are something that people with epilepsy should not watch. What happens is total chaos through flickering colors and images that is intense in its overall presentation. Even as its aftermath has this element of dark humor as it relates to a quote from one of the directors that Noe cites for this film. Overall, Noe crafts a disturbing yet entrancing film about two actresses trying to make a film about witchcraft and witch burnings.
Cinematographer Benoit Debie does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its array of lighting and flickering lights as it adds to the film’s visual look including some natural interior setting for the scenes at a fireplace where Dalle and Gainsbourg are conversing. Editor Jerome Pesnel does excellent work with the editing as it has some straightforward cuts to play into the suspense along with some jump-cuts for a few bits. Set decorator Samantha Benne does amazing work with the look of the sets in all its artificiality to create the mood of a film set. Sound editor Ken Yasumoto does superb work with the sound in playing up the atmosphere of the set where voices can be heard from afar as well as some of the overlapping dialogue. Music supervisors Steve Bouyer and Pascal Mayer do terrific work in creating film soundtrack that features a lot of music played on locations including classical and electronic music.
The film’s wonderful ensemble cast include some notable small roles and appearances from Maxime Ruiz as the cinematographer who hates Dalle, Yannick Bono as the producer who is hoping to sabotage Dalle, Mica Arganarz as a stand-in for Gainsbourg, Felix Maritaud as an actor on set, Karl Glusman as himself trying to pitch a project for anyone interested, Clara 3000 as another actress on set, and Abbey Lee Kershaw as herself as someone starring in the film while also dealing with men leering at her when she’s nude. The performances of Beatrice Dalle and Charlotte Gainsbourg as fictional versions of themselves are incredible with Dalle as an actress trying to make her first film as a director as she becomes overwhelmed with people trying to sabotage her as well as get her own ideas for her first directorial film. Gainsbourg is the more reserved of the two as someone trying to get ready for the role while also dealing with the chaos on set as well as her family life outside the set.
Lux Aeterna is a remarkable film by Gaspar Noe that features amazing leading performances from Beatrice Dalle and Charlotte Gainsbourg. Along with its simple presentation, gorgeous photography, and sense of chaos as it relates to filmmaking and the idea of witchcraft. It is a film that is not for everyone other than anyone interested in the idea of what goes during a film shoot. Anyone who is epileptic however should not see this for the sake of their own health. In the end, Lux Aeterna is a marvelous film by Gaspar Noe.
Directed by Justine Triet and written by Triet and Arthur Harari, Sibyl is the story of a psychiatrist who is trying to get back into writing where she finds inspiration in her new patient in an up-and-coming actress where she finds herself drawn by this woman. The film is an exploration of a woman trying to observe a younger woman in her activities so she can create a story only for her study to become an obsession. Starring Virginie Efira, Adele Exarchopoulos, Gaspard Ulliel, Sandra Huller, Laure Calamy, Niels Schneider, Paul Hamy, and Arthur Harari. Sibyl is a compelling and riveting film from Justine Triet.
The film follows the titular psychiatrist (Virginie Efira) who has decided to end her practice to author a book while one of the few patients she has is an actress embroiled in an affair with her co-star where Sibyl becomes enamored with her to the point that the woman becomes an inspiration to her novel. It is a film that explores the life of a woman who is trying to restart her writing career as she ended her psychiatry practice while retaining a few patients including this up-and-coming actress who has found herself in an affair with her co-star just as she’s about to go to Italy to make a film that she’s starring in. The film’s screenplay by Justine Triet and Arthur Harari has an offbeat narrative as it relates to Sibyl who is trying to write a book yet she often looks back at elements of her own past including a tumultuous relationship with her former flame Gabriel (Niels Schneider) whom she hadn’t seen in years while she cares for their daughter Selma (Jeanne Arra-Bellanger) with her husband Etienne (Paul Hamy) whom she shares another daughter with him in Livia (Liv Harari).
The script plays into Sibyl’s own struggles in writing while thinking about her past as her meeting with the actress Margot Vasilis (Adele Exarchopoulos) would give her ideas with her book though her mentor/shrink Dr. Katz (Arthur Harari) feels that it is a bad idea as well as being unethical in her profession. Sibyl would get calls from Margot who starts to unravel emotionally and mentally where Sibyl reluctantly travels to the island of Stromboli to be onset to help Margot who is having an affair with co-star in Igor Maleski (Gaspard Ulliel) although he is married to the film’s director Mikaela “Mika” Sanders (Sandra Huller). Sibyl’s presence would only add more chaos to the production where Mika would unravel at one point where Sibyl ponders if she has gone too far in the lives of people while also dealing with those who are in her life such as her husband, children, and sister Edith (Laure Calamy).
Triet’s direction is stylish for not just its unconventional narrative but also in the fact that it is set in Paris with one key sequence set in the Italian volcano island of Stromboli and its nearby locations. Triet opens the film where Sibyl talks to a colleague about ending her practice at a sushi restaurant as it sets the stage for the messiness that is to occur in the film. While there are some wide shots that Triet uses to play into the locations, much of the Triet’s direction emphasizes on close-ups and medium shots as it plays into the way characters interact with one another including some of the flashbacks in Sibyl’s life. Notably in scenes where she is with Gabriel as they are life-long friends though their romantic and sexual relationship would eventually become troubled with Edith expressing concern since Sibyl does not say much about the death of their mother. Triet also creates these unique compositions that also has this sense of repetition in the way the actors are framed as it play into Sibyl’s own sense of isolation. Even as Triet highlight a woman becoming obsessed with her new patient as the only other patient she has is a child in Daniel (Adrien Bellemare) whom she plays board games with to get him to talk.
Triet would also play into the chaos that goes in the making of a film once Sibyl arrives to Italy where she is there to help Margot who has become depressed and despondent. Even to the point where she would only listen to Sibyl who would be on a set to direct Margot that only adds the turmoil in the production. The film’s third act does not just play into Sibyl going too far into her involvement during a film shoot where Mika unravels but also an aftermath that highlights Sibyl coming to terms with her presence in an already combustible situation. Notably as she returns to France where the past would return as her obsession in creating a book about Margot would also cost her own sanity and morality. Triet does maintain this tone that is messy in its offbeat narrative, yet it works to play into a woman who realized she had gone too far in her obsession. Overall, Triet crafts a gripping and rapturous film about a woman finding a muse for her novel only to be caught up in that woman’s life and her own tumultuous past.
Cinematographer Simon Beaufils does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its low-key approach to lighting for many of the film’s nighttime interior scenes as well as some natural lighting for the daytime interior/exterior scenes. Editor Laurent Senechal does excellent work with the editing in the usage of straight rhythmic cuts to play into the drama and suspense as well as a few jump cuts to play into some of the film’s minimal humor. Production designer Toma Baqueni does amazing work with the look of Sibyl’s apartment that she lives with her family as well as her office where she meets with remaining patients she has and the villa she would stay in Italy. Costume designer Virginie Montel does fantastic work with the costumes with the women often wearing stylish clothing as well as some casual clothing while Igor would also wear some stylish and expensive clothing.
Makeup artist Sandra Campisi does terrific work with the makeup as it is minimal work into the look of the characters in the way they would appear in a film. Special effects supervisor Guy Monbillard and visual effects supervisor Hugues Namur do nice work with the film’s minimal effects for a few scenes at Stromboli as well as scenes of the film within a film. Sound editor Ingrid Simon does superb work with the sound in the way a location sounds up-close and from afar as well as the way music sounds during a film shoot. Music supervisor Thibault Deboaisne creates a fun music soundtrack that mixes all kinds of music in contributions from Nina Simone, the Raconteurs, Benoit Daniel, The Les Humphrie Singers, Roy Orbison, and some classical pieces by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Vivaldi.
The casting by Cynthia Arra and Laure Ballarin is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Aurelien Bellanger as an editor for Sibyl’s book, Lorenzo Lefebvre as the assistant director Galotin, Jeanne Arra-Bellanger and Liv Harari as Sibyl’s daughters in Selma and Livia respectively, and Adrien Bellemare as a young patient of Sibyl in Daniel as a child who loves to play board games as a way to talk about his problems. Arthur Harari is superb as Sibyl’s psychiatrist/mentor Dr. Katz who believes that Sibyl is putting herself in danger in involving herself with Margot’s life. Paul Hamy is terrific as Sibyl’s husband Etienne as a house-husband who stays home to watch over the children while coping with her distant behavior. Laure Calamy is fantastic as Sibyl’s sister Edith who also helps Etienne in taking care of Sibyl’s kids as she is someone still coping with the death of their mother as well as her own issues towards Sibyl including her past relationship with Gabriel.
Niels Schneider is excellent as Sibyl’s former flame Gabriel as he is seen in flashbacks as someone who was passionately in love with her only to feel slighted over her choice of career over their happiness where he would not see her again for years. Sandra Huller is brilliant as Mika as a film director trying to make a film with her husband Igor and Margot as she deals with the chaos in shooting as well as Margot’s behavior as she would become unhinged by Sibyl’s presence leading to a breakdown during a shoot. Gaspard Ulliel is amazing as Igor as a film star whom Margot is sleeping with even though he is married to the film’s director they are working on as he is charming but also is willing to get his way where he would put Sibyl into a moral quandary.
Adele Exarchopoulos is incredible as Margot Vasilis as a young actress about to get her break as she finds herself in an affair with Igor that would result in a lot of complicated issues where Exarchopoulos displays a sense of despair and angst of a woman who needs help with her own issues. Finally, there’s Virginie Efira in a phenomenal performance as the titular character as a psychiatrist who decided to end her practice, save for a few clients, to return to writing where she finds inspiration through Margot although finds herself becoming more involved with Margot’s tumultuous life where she is also forced to deal with the chaos in her own past. Efira and Exarchopoulos are the major highlights of the film in terms of the way they deal with themselves as well as their need for each other with the latter being this force of nature in the film’s second half while the former maintains this strong front only to eventually unravel where the two together bring out the best in each other.
Sibyl is a sensational film by Justine Triet as it features great performances from both Virginie Efira and Adele Exarchopoulos. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, a wondrous music soundtrack, and its study of obsession and morality. It is a film that is not afraid to be flawed in its presentation of its characters as well as displaying what a woman will do to get inspiration for her novel only to realize own unethical decisions that would force her to deal with her own past. In the end, Sibyl is a phenomenal film by Justine Triet.
Well, things have gotten a little crazy here recently in Atlanta as a hurricane flew over the city as I remember waking up at around seven in the morning this past Thursday to open the gate as my niece and nephew weren’t going to therapy that day as they had just returned from a brief vacation at the Hilton Head with their parents. It was raining hard, and the wind was intense as I opened the gate as it was pouring and then the power went out for a few hours. The kids arrived an hour later once the power got back on, but it was intense I have experienced the tornadoes nearby and bad thunderstorms but nothing like this. It is never a dull moment when it comes to things like this though this month was overwhelming as the aftermath of COVID the month before and longtime family friends visiting and staying over the house for a few weeks did make me feel low. It got crazy at times although they were helpful to my mother and updating some things that she needed at home including a brand-new dishwasher, a new iPhone, and a few things in the house that needed to be fixed.
Part of these feelings of ennui and sadness is part of why I do not go out very much than I used to as it is also a lack of enthusiasm. It is part of why I have not put out a lot of things on this blog though I still have been working on my Auteurs piece on Michael Mann as the first part of the essay is finished with the second part currently in the works. At least I have that going as it has given me something to do other than play video games for a bit. Still, I try to do anything I can to be active than once again fall into another state of depression. I am not happy that I still have not done any serious work on my book project though I do not want to force it. Even as I chose to not watch Lost in Translation again which I often do every September 21st as I am unhappy with the Blu-Ray I purchased last year and really upset that the 4K Blu-Ray that was supposed to come out last year is still not out.
In the month of September 2024, I saw a total of 27 films in 12 first-timers and 5 re-watches with two first-timers being a film directed by women as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge. One of the highlights of the month is my Blind Spot film in The Roaring Twenties. Here are the top 10 first-timers that I saw for September 2024:
A short by Rachel Walden that I saw on MUBI is about a man who takes his son to a fair in New Jersey where they steal a bunny rabbit and plan to take him home. Along the way, mischief would often occur as it is this somber film about a father and son in which the latter watches the actions of his father who engages in reckless behavior while they are trying to get home. Even as the boy is hoping to have this bunny rabbit they stole as a new pet. It is a film that is straightforward in its presentation other than it is shot on 16mm film which adds a unique quality to its presentation. It is worth seeking out.
Billy’s Balloon
One of four short films by Don Hertzfeldt that I saw can be described as a fucked-up sequel to The Red Balloon. It is really a boy and his balloon with the balloon acting in what he does to the boy. Yet, the balloon is not alone where other balloons decide to do something to these little shits. It all goes back to that one moment in The Red Balloon. Can you blame these balloons for getting angry?
Lily & Jim
The second of four shorts by Don Hertzfeldt that I saw is about the many anxieties of going on a blind date. If there is one thing that Hertzfeldt understands about people is that they are a mess. Meeting someone new and not sure what to say or what to do has a lot of truths into the dangers of blind dates. This is told with great humor and wit as it is one of the reasons why I am glad to be an introvert. It is scary out there.
Everything Will Be OK
The third Hertzfeldt short that I saw is a seventeen-minute short film that is about existentialism where a man thinks about his life and the many difficulties that occur. It is a film that plays into a lot of these anxieties and what happens after someone dies? Do they get reincarnated or be shot into outer space? It is a surreal film that is filled with wondrous imagery as well as a lot of ideas about existence. It is so far the best thing I have seen from Hertzfeldt so far.
Watching Grass Grow
The fourth and final short film by Hertzfeldt that I saw is the one film of that is not an animated film but rather a 12-minute avant-garde experimental short film in which he is creating one of his short films in 2005’s The Meaning of Life through time-lapse footage in three years. It is something that fans of Hertzfeldt should see as it highlights the creative process and how hard he works into drawing many frames for a short film with his hand. This is what artists do and Hertzfeldt is truly an artist who does suffer for his art, but it is often followed by great reward.
TMZ Presents: The Downfall of Diddy
Given the news that Sean Combs aka Puff Daddy aka P. Diddy aka Puffy aka Diddy aka Love is now in prison awaiting trial for years of sex and human trafficking, rape, abuse, and all sorts of devious shit. It is obvious that something about Poo Doody is going to come out and yet it is from of all places, TMZ. Shown on TUBI, this documentary talks about the rise and fall of Poo Doody and his many trials and tribulations as it never offers anything new other than tidbits from a few who had worked with him including former Bad Boy associate Mark Curry and former Danity Kane singer Aubrey O’Day as they at least get the chance to reveal what they had known. Unfortunately, the film also has a few who defend Poo Doody including Suge Knight of all people as that made it worse while there is also some race-baiting into how Poo Doody had been treated in comparison to the likes of Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein which is such bullshit. I know he is too old for someone like R. Kelly but with all that baby oil Poo Doody has. Maybe R. Kelly would finally have someone he can spoon with in his prison cell.
Hands of Stone
This film about the life of Roberto Duran could have been an interesting bio-pic although the 30 for 30 documentary series on Duran in No Mas remains the definitive story on Duran. It is a film that does not know what it wants to be as it wants to be a boxing film but also something dramatic with different storylines relating to Duran as well as his trainer Ray Arcel and American-Panamanian relations. Robert de Niro is excellent as Arcel as well as Ana de Armas as Duran’s wife Felicidad and Usher in a superb and charismatic performance as Sugar Ray Leonard as they are the people who keep the film from being a disaster. Edgar Ramirez’s performance as Roberto Duran is hampered by its script where he often acts a man-child as there are also some scenes that feel shoehorned for dramatic reason. It is a film that is by-the-numbers and does not do enough to make it interesting despite its ensemble cast.
Mr. McMahon
From Netflix is this six-part documentary on the life and career of WWE promoter Vince McMahon as it is an interesting film for anyone not familiar with pro wrestling or as Meekmahan calls it. Sports entertainment. There is no denying that if it were not for him, pro wrestling would not be in the mainstream, and I would not be watching pro wrestling if it were not for him. Yet, the man is a fucking scumbag as much of the film was made in 2021 just days before the sexual harassment lawsuits came in as Meekmahan talks about elements of his life though there are not fully discussed. It is a film that does allow many to say their piece as it does feature some legendary wrestlers but there is also one of Meekmahan’s bitches in Bruce Pritchard who will defend the man to the death as he is a fucking cocksucker. It is worth watching for anyone interested in WWE although wrestling fans will feel like there is more that barely scratches the surface.
Agatha All Along (season 1, episodes 1-3)
I admit, I am burned out on Marvel as I went into this show with not a lot of expectations and so far, 3 episodes in. It is pretty good so far as I am always won over by Kathryn Hahn who is great as Agatha Harkness while Joe Locke’s performance as the Teen is intriguing though it is possible that the character is Billy Maximoff aka Wiccan. There is a lot of adventure and some homage to television as the first episode is a homage of sorts to Mare of Eastwood while Big Little Lies and The White Lotus inspire the third episode. The ensemble that includes Patti Lupone, Ali Ahn, Sasheer Zamata, and Aubrey Plaza are excellent as far as there is a lot of intrigue into what is happening. I am just hoping it does not fall off and end up being a big disappointment like Secret Invasion was as I have no interest in revisiting that show.
That is all for September. Coming in October will be devoted to horror and suspense films as well as horror-comedy films given that Halloween season is upon us. I have films on Blu-Ray to watch as the next Blind Spot film will be Rebecca. The Auteurs essays on Michael Mann is coming with Ferrari being the one film I will watch next to complete the series as I will then get into David Lean next. I have no clue what films coming out theatrically I will watch as I have trouble keeping up with what is going to come out. Before I bid adieu, I must express my condolences on those who passed away this month as it includes some real larger-than-life figures that will be unmatched in people like Dame Maggie Smith, Dikembe Mutombo, James Earl Jones, and Kris Kristofferson as well as people like John Ashton, Cat Glover, Paul Cripple of Reagan Youth, jazz musician Benny Golson, Roger Palm who played drums for ABBA, Kathryn Crosby, Cleo Sylvestre, Nick Gravenites of the Electric Flag and Big Brother and the Holding Company, songwriter JD Souther, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Tito Jackson, Mary McFadden, Kenneth Cope, Chad McQueen aka Dutch, Frank Beverly, lyricist Will Jennings, Sergio Mendes, and just now, Pete Rose. This is thevoid99 signing off and Pete… this is for you…
Based on the short story The World Moves On by Mark Hellinger, The Roaring Twenties is the story of three army friends whose lives would intersect following the end of World War I as they would experience the events of the 1920s through their different lives as well as getting into the world of crime. Directed by Raoul Walsh and screenplay by Jerry Wald, Richard Macaulay, and Robert Rossen, the film is a look into the lives of three men who would all find a degree of success and failure during the days of Prohibition. Starring James Cagney, Priscilla Lane, Humphrey Bogart, Gladys George, Jeffrey Lynn, Frank McHugh, and Paul Kelly. The Roaring Twenties is a dazzling and riveting film by Raoul Walsh.
The film revolves around three men who fought in World War I as they would deal with its aftermath as well as being part of the world of bootlegging and crime through different means during the era of Prohibition. It is a film is an exploration into the three different journeys of three men who would find some success during the era of Prohibition only for one of them to fall spectacularly towards its end and aftermath. The film’s screenplay is straightforward though it features narration by John Deering who talks about the events that these characters would endure with its focus on the film’s protagonist in Eddie Bartlett (James Cagney). Bartlett was a soldier for the Army in World War I as he found himself in a foxhole with another soldier in George Hally (Humphrey Bogart) and later a younger soldier in Lloyd Hart (Jeffrey Lynn) as they would survive the war but Bartlett stayed behind in Europe for more than a year as he returned home without a job or any prospects except for being a cab driver thanks to the help of a friend in Danny Green (Frank McHugh).
During one of his cab trips, he is asked to deliver some liquor to a club owner in Panama Smith (Gladys George) where he gets into trouble despite Lloyd’s help to get him release yet Smith realizes Bartlett’s worth as they collaborate with each other in running their own bootlegging operation. With Lloyd serving as an attorney for Bartlett, Bartlett also reconnects with a young woman in Jean Sherman (Priscilla Lane) whom he had corresponded with during the war as he got her a job as a singer for Smith’s speakeasy club. Bartlett hopes to be with Jean although she is more interested in Lloyd as a conflict with another bootlegger in Nick Brown (Paul Kelly) has Bartlett and his crew stealing a shipment where he reunites with Hally who works with Bartlett to anger Brown. However, the conflict between Bartlett and Brown starts to boil over where Hally starts to take charge against Bartlett’s wishes leading to trouble with Lloyd wanting out of the business. The script is filled with some unique dialogue that plays into the period of the times as well as the drama and some of the dark moments in the film with some dark humor involved as well.
Raoul Walsh’s direction has elements of style yet much of his direction is grounded in a world that was decadent and violent as it plays into a time where everyone doing illegal things was the norm until the end of Prohibition. Shot on location on the studio lots at Warner Brothers in Hollywood, California, Walsh maintains this atmosphere of a world where war veterans find themselves disconnected with life at home as Bartlett is unable to get back his old job as a mechanic. Walsh’s direction does have some wide shots of the locations as well as the space of a room or a club while much of his direction is based on the usage of close-ups and medium shots in the way characters interact with one another. Even in the way Walsh catches a reaction such as Bartlett’s first meeting with Jean only to learn she is underage as well as the scenes in the nightclub years later when Jean meets Lloyd for the first time. The way Walsh create these simple shots display the sense of emotion and euphoria that happens as well as the way he presents some foreshadowing such as an early scene of Bartlett, Hally, and Lloyd hearing the news of the armistice as it reflects on the direction they would take in their lives.
Walsh also plays into this growing powerplay between Bartlett and Hally with the latter feeling like he has become a lackey for the former as he would do what he can to rise and take over. Even as Bartlett starts to cope with the decisions, he has made that would alienate both Jean and Lloyd, the film’s third act plays into the stock market crash of 1929 where Bartlett’s fortunes dwindle to the point that he makes a deal with Hally that would end up being bad for him. It also plays into this period of post-Prohibition where the aftermath of Bartlett’s fall forces him to see reality as well as realize what he must do to make things right. Especially towards those who really did care about him where Walsh creates an exhilarating sequence that plays into a man that is trying to find some redemption as well as break a pact that they made during the war. Overall, Walsh crafts a compelling and chilling film about the rise and fall of a bootlegger and the people he meet during his journey.
Cinematographer Ernie Haller does brilliant work with the film’s black and white cinematography as it plays into the dark atmosphere of nighttime exterior scenes to the more vibrant look of the daytime interior/exterior scenes as well as some of the club scenes. Editor Jack Killifer does excellent work with the editing as it has some style in its usage of transition wipes as well as some straight cuts to play into the suspense and action. Art director Max Parker does amazing work with the look of the sets such as the interiors of the clubs as well as a factory that stored some liquor during a heist. Wardrobe designer Milo Anderson does fantastic work with the look of the suits as well as the dresses and gowns the women wear.
The special effects work of Edwin du Par and Byron Haskin do terrific work with some of the film’s minimal photographic effects to play into some of the montages. The sound work of Everett Alton Brown is superb for its sound work in the way tommy guns sound as well as the atmosphere of a location and other sparse sounds. The film’s music by Ray Heindorf and Heinz Roemheld is wonderful for its orchestral score mixed in with elements of the jazz music of the time as well as songs that were part of that period that features musical direction by Leo F. Forbstein in selecting some of the traditional songs that were performed during those times.
The casting by Steve Triller is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Vera Lewis as Bartlett’s old landlord, Elliott Sullivan as a cellmate of Bartlett following his first arrest for liquor distribution, Joseph Crehan as Bartlett’s old boss, Abner Biberman as Hally’s right-hand man Lefty, Joseph Sawyer as a former army sergeant that Hally hates, and Elisabeth Risdon as Jean’s mother whom Bartlett and Danny meet early in the film. Paul Kelly is superb as a rival bootlegger in Nick Brown whom Hally was working for until he reunited with Bartlett as he is someone that does not like Bartlett’s methods prompting him to wage war on Bartlett. Gladys George is fantastic as Panama Smith as a club owner who teams up with Bartlett to create an empire of their own while she becomes concerned about his decisions as well as harboring her own feelings for him. Frank McHugh is terrific as Bartlett’s friend/roommate Danny Green who helps find Bartlett a job as well as help him distribute liquor though he becomes concerned for some of the things they are doing in the film’s second act.
Jeffrey Lynn is excellent as Lloyd Hart as a young army soldier that Bartlett and Hally meet in a foxhole as he is also a law student that eventually becomes Bartlett’s lawyer until things become out of control. Priscilla Lane is amazing as Jean Sherman as a young woman that Bartlett was corresponding with during the war as he would later meet her again while distributing liquor at a show where he hopes to win her over except that she finds herself falling for Hart while also caring for Bartlett. Humphrey Bogart is phenomenal as George Lally as a soldier that Bartlett meets as he is also a bootlegger that also has ambitions yet feels like he is being slighted when he can do so much more to the point that he would do things to usurp Bartlett. Finally, there’s James Cagney in a tremendous performance as Eddie Bartlett as a soldier who returns home from the war only to become unemployed as he finds money through delivering liquor and bootlegging where he becomes ambitious but also starts to question everything once things fall apart as it is a performance full of charm and wit as well as a vulnerability in how he deals with his losses and regrets.
The Roaring Twenties is a spectacular film by Raoul Walsh that features a great leading performance from James Cagney as well as an incredible supporting performance from Humphrey Bogart. Along with its ensemble cast, dazzling look, energetic tone, and story of ambition and chaos during the days of Prohibition. It is a film that manages to be much more than a gangster and crime film as it is a study of a period in which everything was wild until things got darker with those trying to pick up the pieces. In the end, The Roaring Twenties is a sensational film by Raoul Walsh.
Based on the article from Vanity Fair entitled The Man Who Knew Too Much by Marie Brenner, The Insider is the story relating to a segment from 60 Minutes about a whistleblower in the tobacco industry where CBS producers deal with the chaos relating to what could be exposed. Directed by Michael Mann and screenplay by Mann and Eric Roth, the film is a drama that plays into a news story and the fallout that would endure in this news story that the tobacco industry does not want people to know. Starring Al Pacino, Russell Crowe, Bruce McGill, Diane Venora, Michael Gambon, Lindsay Crouse, Debi Mazar, and Christopher Plummer as Mike Wallace. The Insider is a mesmerizing and haunting film by Michael Mann.
Set in the mid-1990s, the film revolves around a former tobacco company executive who is fired as he sends documents to a producer for the CBS show 60 Minutes which leads to bigger things about what this man knows despite the confidentiality agreement, he had signed to not speak out against this corporation he worked for. It is a film that explores a man who knows something about what the tobacco industry is doing as he is aware of what he is risking but also feels like the public needs to know as this producer believes this is a story that the world needs to hear. The film’s screenplay by Michael Mann and Eric Roth is straightforward in its narrative while it is really a study of two men trying to get the truth out to the public amidst the many obstacles, they would endure including death threats, smear campaigns, legal maneuvering, and corporate pressure. Even as both men are pushed to extremes and their backs against the wall as the idea of truth and integrity becomes less valued in favor of greed.
The first act opens with producer Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino) in a Middle East country trying to convince the head of Hezbollah in Sheikh Falladah (Cliff Curtis) for an interview with Mike Wallace which he succeeds as it establishes the kind of reasoning and level of comfort Bergman has on those who want to talk to the press. Upon getting a box of documents at his home, Bergman learns who sent the box in former Brown & Williamson executive Dr. Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe) as they meet in a hotel where Dr. Wigand only tells him some details about the documents and nothing else due to a confidentiality agreement he signed following his termination. Bergman realizes that Dr. Wigand knows more following threats from the people at Brown & Williamson forcing Dr. Wigand to reveal what he knows in an interview with Mike Wallace that doesn’t get aired as his family is forced to move from an upper-class home to something more modest as it would take a toll on his marriage to his wife Liane (Diane Venora) who doesn’t know what has been going on until the threats come in.
The second act plays into Bergman and Dr. Wigand dealing with Brown & Williamson’s attempt to block everything the latter is to say as they get help from Richard Scruggs (Colm Feore) who has been battling the tobacco industry as he would represent Dr. Wigand with his own team in the state of Mississippi. It would also be this moment where Dr. Wigand must settle for a new line of work in being a high school chemistry teacher while also teaching Japanese though he does feel like he would have influence through his testimony. However, the film’s third act plays into the world of corporate politics where CBS find themselves being bought as there are those who want to suppress the story leaving Bergman and Dr. Wigand in a bigger mess than they’re both in where the former does what he can to go public about what is happening as it would mark a major change in the way news is presented to the public.
Mann’s direction is intoxicating in its overall presentation where it is shot on various locations including New York City, Los Angeles, Lebanon, the Bahamas, Big Bear Valley in California, and Pascagoula, Mississippi to play into a moment in time when news brought a sense of awareness to the world. Mann’s direction is stylish as he shoots much of the film with hand-held cameras to get a sense of urgency into what is happening inside the offices, a news studio, and inside a house. While there are some wide shots in some of the locations including some gorgeous compositions where Mann places a character on a location whether it is on a beach or at a golf park. Much of Mann’s direction emphasizes medium shots and close-ups to create an intimacy as well as a sense of dramatic suspense for the characters in the situations they are in. Even in scenes during meetings where Mann would carefully create compositions where the actor is at the forefront and who is in the background.
Mann’s direction also has this element of realism such as the deposition scene as it takes place in the actual building where Dr. Wigand’s real deposition took place in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Mann does create this sense of tension where the Brown & Williamson legal team keep interrupting one of Dr. Wigand’s lawyers who mouths off at one of them over the gag order towards Dr. Wigand in his native Kentucky. The film’s third act takes a major tonal shift though the air of dramatic suspense is still in tact as it play into corporate politics and how they can suppress a story. Even to the point that a few of Bergman’s allies, including Wallace reluctantly give in except for Bergman as he believes that he must do what he can to get Dr. Wigand’s story out as he feels it is a threat to the free press. The film’s ending is about what needs to be done but it comes at a price where everyone loses something but something much bigger is lost as it relates to what the news is. Notably as it marked a major change where the truth becomes compromised by the ideals and interests of others who want to have things their way. Overall, Mann crafts an evocative and exhilarating film about a news producer trying to get a former tobacco corporate executive to tell the truth to the American public.
Cinematographer Dante Spinotti does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of low-key colors and lighting for some of the exterior scenes in the day and night including scenes in the rain as well as some stylish lighting for some of the interior scenes at CBS and at the different homes that Dr. Wigand would live in. Editors William Goldenberg, Paul Rubell, and David Rosenbloom do amazing work with the editing with its stylish usage of jump-cuts while also allowing shots to linger for a bit to play into the drama through some straightforward cutting as it is a highlight of the film. Production designer Brian Morris and art director Margie Stone McShirley do brilliant work with the look of the different homes that Dr. Wigand and his family live in as well as the interiors of the offices and studios for CBS in New York City and the other places that Bergman and his CBS crew go to. Costume designer Anna B. Sheppard does excellent work with the costumes as it is casual with the suits that Dr. Wigand wears as well as some of the clothing that Bergman wears.
Hair designer Vera Mitchell and makeup effects supervisor Keith VanderLaan do fantastic work with the look of Dr. Wigand in the grey hair that he has as well as the hairstyle of Mrs. Wigand. Visual effects supervisor Chris Watts does terrific work with some of the film’s visual effects in the usage of video as well as some set dressing for some scenes. Sound editors Gregg Baxter and Gregory King do superb work with the sound in the way cars sound up close and from afar in a suburb or in a city as well as the sparse textures in some of the sound mixes. The film’s music by Lisa Gerrard and Pieter Bourke is incredible for its world music-based score filled with vocals and dissonant instruments that play into the atmosphere of some of the drama as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s soundtrack features some additional score pieces by Graeme Ravell as well as pieces by Gustavo Santaolalla, Jan Garbarek, Massive Attack, Einstürzende Neubauten, Curt Sobel, Avro Part, the Casbah Orchestra, and David Darling.
The casting by Bonnie Timmerman is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Evan Podell as Bergman’s son, Breckin Meyer as Bergman’s stepson, Wings Hauser as a Brown & Williamson attorney at the deposition, Willie C. Carpenter as a newspaper editor friend of Bergman, Paul Perri and Wanda De Jesus as a couple of FBI agents posing as geologists meeting Bergman for a source of the whereabouts of an infamous American terrorist, Rip Torn as a CBS executive leader in John Scanlan, Roger Bart as a hotel manager who tries to relay a message to Dr. Wigand in a scene in the third act, real-life attorneys Jack Palladino and Mike Moore as themselves who help out Dr. Wigand, Gary Sandy as an attorney for Brown & Williamson CEO Thomas Sandefur, Cliff Curtis as Hezbollah leader Sheikh Falladah, Renee Olstead as Dr. Wigand’s eldest daughter Deborah who suffers from acute asthma, Hailee Kate Eisenberg as Dr. Wigand’s youngest daughter Barbara, Stephen Tobolowsky as CBS News president Eric Kluster, Gina Gershon as CBS attorney Helen Caperelli, Bruce McGill as the attorney Ron Motley who is anti-tobacco crusader, Lynn Thigpen as a high school principal who hires Dr. Wigand, Pete Hamill as a reporter for the New York Times, Nestor Serrano as an FBI agent who tries to help Bergman over a few things, Linda Hart as an ex-wife of Dr. Wigand used for a smear campaign, and Michael Gambon in a superb small performance as the Brown & Williamson CEO Thomas Sandefur who makes some serious threats towards Dr. Wigand.
Lindsay Crouse is fantastic in a small role as Bergman’s wife Sharon Tiller who is also a journalist that understands the chaos that Bergman is going through while is also someone who ensures that he does not lose himself. Debi Mazar is excellent as Debbie De Luca as a CBS News employee who helps Bergman in gathering sources and such while also having connections of her own regarding legal matters. Colm Feore is brilliant as Richard Scruggs as an attorney battling tobacco as he learns about Dr. Wigand’s situation as he realizes he help Dr. Wigand over his issues while also having him take part in this big battle against tobacco. Philip Baker Hall is amazing as 60 Minutes creator Don Hewitt who is aware of the importance of Dr. Wigand’s story while also finding himself dealing with corporate pressure as it relates to those wanting to buy CBS. Diane Venora is incredible as Liane Wigand as Dr. Wigand’s wife whose life changes because of the death threats and change of lifestyle while being shielded into what her husband is going through to the point that she becomes unsure if him being a whistleblower is a good idea.
Christopher Plummer is great as Mike Wallace as the famed journalist/reporter for 60 Minutes who would interview Dr. Wigand as he is aware of how the story is while later dealing with pressures from corporate in suppressing the story where he becomes unsure to give in or have the interview aired. Russell Crowe is phenomenal as Dr. Jeffrey Wigand as a former Brown & Williamson science executive who gets fired while he knows things that he feels could be harmful to the public about cigarettes where Crowe brings this sense of restraint and weariness of a man being pushed to the edge. Even where he sacrifices a lot where Crowe brings in one of his career-defining performances of a man just trying to do the right thing. Finally, there’s Al Pacino in a tremendous performance as Lowell Bergman as a producer for 60 Minutes who learns about this story and wants it out for the world to hear while also trying to help Dr. Wigand and his family over their death threats. It is a somber performance from Pacino, who does bring in some charm and wit while is also someone who believes in something only to see what is happening to the news media as it head towards the 21st Century with a weariness that is a lot to bear.
The Insider is an outstanding film by Michael Mann that features two top-notch leading performances from Al Pacino and Russell Crowe. Along with its great supporting cast, intoxicating visuals, stylish editing, study of truth and what those are willing to suppress it, and a mesmerizing score by Lisa Gerrard and Pieter Bourke. It is a film that explores two men trying to get something big known to the public while dealing with forces that does not want the people to know the truth about the dangers of tobacco. In the end, The Insider is a magnificent film by Michael Mann.
Based on the characters created by Michael McDowell and Larry Wilson, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the sequel to the 1988 film Beetlejuice in which a family returns to a small town following the death of their patriarch where a woman reunites with a demonic figure after her daughter is taken to the Afterlife leading to another misadventure. Directed by Tim Burton and screenplay by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar from a screen story by Gough, Millar, and Seth Grahame-Smith, the film explores a family whose previous encounter with the Afterlife has them dealing with loss and other strange things with Michael Keaton reprising his role as the titular character/Betelgeuse with Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara also returning to reprise their respective roles in Lydia and Delia Deetz. Also starring Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Arthur Conti, Santiago Cabrera, and Willem Dafoe. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a whimsical and witty film by Tim Burton.
More than 30 years after events in which a young woman meets a demonic figure named Betelgeuse, the film revolves around that woman, her stepmother, and daughter who return to the small town following the death of her father where strange events occurred in the Afterlife involving Betelgeuse and his ex-wife seeking revenge on him. It is a film that does not just explore loss but also a woman dealing with the traumatic events when she was a teenager as she is forced to confront her past as well as her own relationship with her daughter. The film’s screenplay by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar is straightforward in its narrative as it plays into a woman who remains haunted by Betelgeuse where she has spent her adult life hosting a TV show relating to ghosts whom she can see. Yet, the show has also been the reason Lydia Deetz has become estranged from her teenage daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) who does not believe her mother’s claims, nor does she believe in ghosts as she wonders why her mother could see ghosts but not her late father.
The death of Lydia’s father Charles Deetz forces Lydia, Astrid, and Lydia’s stepmother Delia to return to Winter River fin the funeral as well as cleaning out their old house where Astrid discovered a flyer at the attic that has Betelgeuse’s name. Astrid would meet a fellow teenager in Jeremy (Arthur Conti) as they share a love of Dostoyevsky while Lydia’s boyfriend/producer Rory publicly proposed to her during the wake adding to the growing tension between Lydia and Astrid while Delia also is not fond of Rory as she’s concerned with cleaning out the house and express her grief through art. The script does play into Lydia and Delia’s relationship with each other as the former feels lost as she turns to the latter despite the issues they have had in the past. Still, the presence of Betelgeuse still looms as he has problems of his own in the fact that his ex-wife Delores (Monica Bellucci) has returned following a strange accident involving a janitor. Delores and Betelgeuse met during the plague as the former was part of a soul-sucking cult that tried to kill the latter only for Betelgeuse to kill her in retaliation. While Lydia is reluctant to ask for Betelgeuse’s help when Astrid is sent to the Afterlife, Betelgeuse does help her though it does come with some risks as he is an opportunist who will always want something. Still, he does want to show Lydia that he does care despite his motives.
Tim Burton’s direction is stylish and full of whimsy in terms of re-establishing a few visual clues and some Easter eggs relating to the original 1988 film but also paying tribute to that film as its opening sequence mirrors the same one from that film. Shot on location in Vermont and Massachusetts with some interior shots created in London, Burton does play into these two different worlds that is the living and the dead where Lydia’s show is filled with these quirks that is expected in shows about the paranormal. Yet, Burton also infuses the film with different kinds of style ranging from European horror in a sequence where Betelgeuse tells his employees about how he met his ex-wife to stop-motion animation in discussing how Charles Deetz had died. Still, Burton knows when to break from the humor and horror to create scenes that are straightforward in his compositions where he uses close-ups and medium shots in the way characters interact with one another. There are some wide shots that Burton uses though he prefers to maintain some simplicity when it comes to the compositions and elaborate set pieces.
Burton also plays into this idea of death where there are some humorous moments as it relates to Delia’s over-the-top approach to grief as she expresses it through art as well as well as some of the antics that Betelgeuse does in the building he works at. Burton also maintains some suspense once Astrid is sent to the Afterlife as there are stakes not just for the Deetz but also for Betelgeuse himself as he is also being chased by the ghost detective Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe) who was once a B-movie actor. The film’s climax is a throwback of sorts to the climax of the original film, but Burton brings in a more elaborate setting that involves musical dance numbers and other silly things that is expected from Burton. Overall, Burton crafts a dazzling and offbeat film about a woman reaching out to her former tormentor to help her retrieve her daughter in the Afterlife.
Cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with the usage of natural lighting for the daytime exteriors in some scenes as well as the usage of colorful lighting for the interior scenes in the Afterlife. Editor Jay Prichidny does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward in its approach to rhythmic cuts to play into the humor and suspense. Production designer Mark Scruton, along with supervising art directors Nick Gottschalk and Andrew Palmer plus set decorators Lori Mazuer and David Morison, does amazing work with the look of the Afterlife offices and hallways as well as the interiors of the old Deetz/Maitland home that also featured additional work from the first film’s production designer Bo Welch who serves as the film’s visual consultant. Costume designer Colleen Atwood does fantastic work with the costumes from the black clothing that Lydia wears as well as some of the clothes that Betelgeuse wears and the stylish clothing that Astrid and Delia wear.
Hair/makeup designer Christine Blundell does incredible work with the look of the characters from the look of the dead in the Afterlife as well as Delia’s red hair. Visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton and special effects supervisor Stefano Pepin, along with creature effects designer Neal Scanlan, do phenomenal work with the visual effects in the mixture of practical and CGI effects to create a unique world . Sound designer Jimmy Boyle does superb work with the sound in some of the sound effects created as well as the atmosphere of a room during the wake scene as well as the raucous atmosphere of the scenes in the Afterlife.
The film’s music by Danny Elfman is wonderful for its bombastic orchestral score filled with grand string and brass arrangements that play into the sense of suspense and humor while music supervisors James Balmont and Matthew Lawrenson create a fun soundtrack that features two different versions of the song MacArthur Park sung by Richard Harris and a disco version by Donna Summer. The rest of the music soundtrack also features music from the Bee Gees, Mazzy Star, Scott Weiland, Pino Donaggio, Sigur Ros, and Richard Marx as it is a highlight of the film.
The casting by Sophie Holland is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Georgiana Beedle as Jackson’s secretary who always brings him a cup of coffee, Filipe Cates as a mysterious figure Astrid would meet in Vlad, casting director Sophie Holland as a hot dog lady with a stick who runs the office when the dead arrive, Sami Silane as an artist in Le Tigre who is upset at Delia for cancelling her show, and Amy Nuttall as the real estate agent Jane Butterfield who took over the business from her mother as she reveals some crucial information to Lydia that would be a key plot-point to the film. Other notable small roles include Santiago Cabrera as Astrid’s late father Richard who had died in South America, Burn Gorman as Father Damien who performed the funeral for Charles Deetz as well as other events in the town, and Nick Kellington as Betelgeuse’s right-hand shrinker-zombie friend Bob who helps run things for Betelgeuse.
Arthur Conti is superb as Jeremy as a young man Astrid meets after crashing her bicycle into his fence where he offers a chance to help Astrid see her father though he has motives of his own. Willem Dafoe is excellent as Wolf Jackson as a former B-movie actor who leads a paranormal detective force as he tries to deal with Delores and the antics of Betelgeuse where Dafoe gets the chance to ham it up as someone who really loves playing the role of a detective. Monica Bellucci is fantastic as Delores as Betelgeuse’s ex-wife who is part of a soul-sucking cult that tried to kill Betelgeuse during the black plague only to be killed by him in retaliation as she is eager to get revenge on him. Justin Theroux is brilliant as Lydia’s producer/boyfriend Rory as a guy who is the embodiment of uncool as he tries everything to win over Astrid while also forcing Lydia into a wedding for publicity reasons where Theroux is fun to watch in the way he reacts to certain things as well as just being so dumb. Jenna Ortega is incredible as Astrid as Lydia’s teenage daughter who wants nothing to do with her mother as she doesn’t believe in ghosts while feeling resentful towards her mother for not seeing their late father as well as other issues where Ortega brings a lot of wit and angst to her character while also proving to funny as she has great rapport with her co-stars.
Catherine O’Hara is phenomenal as Delia Deetz as Lydia’s stepmother who becomes consumed with grief over the death of her husband as she expresses it through art in the most hilarious of ways. Notably as she does some things that are odd, yet O’Hara often keeps things lively while also proving to be understanding over Lydia’s relationship with Astrid. Winona Ryder is great as Lydia Deetz as a paranormal TV show host who is still dealing with trauma as well as loss where Ryder keeps a lot of her performance straightforward while retaining a few quirks in her choice of clothing. Even though she is determined to not deal with Betelgeuse but realizes that she needs him to help retrieve her daughter in the Afterlife. Finally, there’s Michael Keaton in a tremendous performance as Betelgeuse as the demon who still pines for Lydia while dealing with the return of his ex-wife as he is eager to be rid of Delores while also hoping to reunite with Lydia in the hopes of marrying her. Keaton adds a lot of energy and charisma to his performance as well as the complexity of someone who likes to create chaos while also wanting to show Lydia that he really does care in his own offbeat way.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a marvelous film by Tim Burton that features great performances from Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, and Jenna Ortega. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, amazing set pieces, dazzling visuals, a fun music soundtrack, and a story about loss and family. It is a film that does not try to be its predecessor while also acknowledging it in a loving way while also wanting to be entertaining and not taking itself too seriously. In the end, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a remarkable film by Tim Burton.
Tim Burton Films: (Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure) – Beetlejuice - Batman - (Edward Scissorhands) – Batman Returns - Ed Wood - (Mars Attacks!) – (Sleepy Hollow) – (Planet of the Apes (2001 film)) – (Big Fish) – (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) – (Corpse Bride) – (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) – (Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)) – (Dark Shadows) – (Frankenweenie) – (Big Eyes) – (Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children) – (Dumbo (2019 film))
Summer is nearing its end, and it has been a chaotic one although not as crazy as it had been in recent years. Still, it has been problematic as this month began with me contracting COVID for the first time. What happened was that my sister went to Tennessee for work and stayed at a friend’s house only to come with COVID as her kids would get it. My mother and I spent time watching them as they could not go to their therapy sessions near Powder Springs where we would all eat at Chik-Fil-A every Tuesday. Then over that weekend, we got COVID and ended up not doing much that week. We did not go out except to get fast food or something. This is nothing new for my mother as she has had it a few times though nothing serious, but it lasted more than a week for me, and it sucked. I was coughing a lot to the point where I could not breathe at times. I had to sleep with extra pillows on my bed for support as that was a bit uncomfortable. Still, I managed to rest and such as I hope to never get that again.
Aside from all the shit that is happening around the world while the Olympics was a good escape with the non-sports stuff involving Snoop Dogg was entertaining. Even in the moments he was sharing with Martha Stewart as it made things a joy to watch while there some were events that were fun to watch. Still, not much had happened as I just spent a lot of time watching stuff on YouTube and played some old video games on my laptop including Quake which I had not played in more than 20 years as I loved that game.
In the month of August 2024, I saw a total of 19 films in 9 first-timers and 10 re-watches with one first-timer being a film directed/co-directed by a woman as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge. Not one of my better months and that is my fault for getting sick though it is better than not seeing anything at all. A big highlight for this month has been my Blind Spot choice in Leave Her to Heaven. Here is my top 5 first-timers that I saw for August 2024:
This documentary from Netflix by Alison Klayman about the rise and fall of Abercrombie & Fitch is a fascinating yet lacks some substance regarding the life of its CEO Mike Jeffries who left the company in 2014 due to many controversies as well as the fact that he’s a racist, homophobic piece of shit who is gay. The film does talk to former models and employees about their experiences, yet the film also tries to get its viewers to buy their stupid clothes. I never liked Abercrombie & Fitch in the late 90s when I was in high school as it worn by the popular white kids who thought they were the shit. They looked like assholes while the group I spent time together with were wearing metal t-shirts at the time. It is an all-right film, but it could have done more into the horrible business practices as well as be more of a takedown of the brand instead of trying to sell its shitty-ass clothes.
Piper
This short from Pixar that my niece and nephew had seen a few times on Disney+ is something I had not seen before. What I saw was something beautiful as it is about a small sandpiper trying to get food from waves while meeting a young baby crab. It was not just the simplicity of the story that drew me but also in how almost realistic it looked. The animation is top notch in terms of the way it looks yet still has this richness in the animation as filmmaker Alan Barillaro creates something that is touching and wondrous.
Dammi
An 18-minute short that I saw on MUBI by Yann Demange starring Riz Ahmed, Souhelia Yacoub, and a special appearance by Isabelle Adjani that revolves around a British-Arab man travelling to Paris to see his father. It is a film filled with dazzling imagery as it is about a man trying to find himself and who he is while also coming to terms with the chaos of his own family life including his estranged relationship with his father. Even as he meets a French-Algerian woman that he falls for as it a personal film by Demange who needs a comeback following the disappointing reaction of his last feature film in White Boy Rick.
Wisdom Teeth
This five-minute short film that Don Hertzfeldt made in 2010 that is this really fucked up short revolving around a man asking his friend to pull out a stitch from his wisdom tooth following a dentist appointment. Well, he does what his friend asks him to do and some really fucked up shit happens along the way including lots of blood. It is short but fucking incredible.
Creating a Universe: The Making of Rebel Moon
From Netflix is this 28-minute making-of documentary about the making of Zack Snyder’s two-part space epic. It is a documentary short that shows Snyder not only putting a lot of thought into what he wanted to make but the story he wanted to tell as well. It is also in making the film a collaborative project with the help of his crew including his production designer, editor, visual effects team, costume designer, makeup designers, prosthetics, and stunt team. Even as some of the actors reveal the depth of what he wanted to do as well as set it in some physical areas and find a balance of using practical and CGI visual effects to create something realistic and imaginative. It is something fans of Snyder’s work should see.
Well, that is all for August. Coming next month will be a review of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as well as the two films of Michael Mann that I need to watch for my Auteurs series for him as I hope it will be finished this coming month. Then, I will do work on David Lean as I have Summertime prepared. Other than films that I have access to as well as my next Blind Spot film in The Roaring Twenties. That is all that is coming for September. Before I bid adieu, I want to express my condolences to those who have passed this month. Among them is Sid Eudy aka Sid Vicious aka Sycho Sid aka the Ruler of the World, Afa Anoa’i, Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, Gena Rowlands, Alain Delon, Villano V, Catherine Ribiero, Atsuko Tanaka, Phil Donahue, Johnny “Dandy” Rodriguez, Charles Blackwell, writer Scott Thorson, Wally Amos of Famous Amos, writer Sergio Donati, Greg Kihn, actor Angel Salazar aka Chi Chi (get the yeyo), Rachael Lillis, writer Charles R. Cross, wrestler Kevin Sullivan (I respect you booker man), Mitzi McCall, Jack Russell of Great White, Fatman Scoop, Charles Cyphers, and film/TV producer Daniel Selznick. We will miss you all. This is thevoid99 signing off…
