Merry (early) Christmas, movie house frequenters! I bring you tidings for Muriels season:
Simon Abrams, Chuck Bowen, and Glenn Heath all contributed to Slant’s best movies list of 2011. Check it out here.
And if that’s not enough Simon for you, he also recapped Fantastic Fest and wrote shorties on Sleeping Sickness, Dogfight, and Unfaithfully Yours.
Danny Baldwin reviewed the new-to-DVD Kung Fu Panda 2, The Hangover Part II, and The Debt, starring Muriel winner Helen Mirren and the ubiquitous Jessica Chastain.
And speaking of the lovely Ms. Chastain, here’s Andrew Bemis on Tree of Life.
Sean Burns discovered that it’s not easy Being Elmo. Except that it sounds like it kind of is, but never mind. He also had some harsh words for the new Sherlock Holmes adventure.
Chris Devlin shared two of his musical favorites from 2011.
Jim Emerson posted his thoughts on the awards-season jungle and the trolls who frequent best-of lists. And as if to prove his point, he shared the MSN critics’ composite list, to which he contributed.
James Frazier didn’t care for The Sitter.
Glenn Heath had qualified praise for Shame but was rather more enthusiastic about Hugo.
Craig Kennedy’s Living in Cinema is is your one-stop destination for awards season coverage, casting news, trailers, and interviews. See for yourself here.
Uncle Crizzle talked smack about Lindsay Lohan’s Playboy misadventures and shed some light on the work of Kevin Hart’s rapper alter ego, Chocolate Droppa.
Lucas McNelly enjoyed a sweet new iPhone app and ventured to Arkansas.
Marya Murphy disappeared from the blogosphere. Waaaaa!
Bryan Whitefield also shared his favorite music of 2011, along with news of a tasty-sounding new food truck and a recent photo he took.
Alison Willmore added some flavor to the AV Club’s eclectic list of the best films of 2011 and reviewed Cook County for them as well.
Finally, rather than posting a video today, I would instead like to provide a service for all you Muriel voters who are Netflix members. As Muriels season heats up, it can sometimes be hard to get your grubby paws on all the movies you’d like to see from the past year. Therefore, it might interest you that a decent number of this year’s Muriel-eligible titles are available to stream on Netflix. Sure, the quality might not be as good as a DVD, but it’s better than nothing, especially considering that some of these are not yet on DVD. Besides, it’s only going to get better, right? Anyway, the list:
13 Assassins (Miike)
The Arbor (Barnard)
Cold Weather (Katz)
Heartbeats (Dolan)
I Saw the Devil (Kim)
Leap Year (Rowe)
The Myth of the American Sleepover (Mitchell)
The Names of Love (Leclerc)
Potiche (Ozon)
The Princess of Montpensier (Tavernier)
Le Quattro Volte (Frammartino)
Rapt (Belvaux)
The Robber (Heisenberg)
Rubber (Dupieux)
To Die Like a Man (Rodrigues)
The Trip (Winterbottom)
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Joe)
Viva Riva (Munga)
The Way Back (Weir)
Hope this helps!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Seven days without an update makes me weak: December 4th-10th
I really can't let this stuff sit this long. Oy.
- Simon Abrams reviewed the latest episode of Covert Affairs and another episode of Cowboy Bebop. He then broke down the PSA-bait 1990 version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, found much to like about Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, sorted through the madness of Zulawski's Possession, got down with the paranoid cinema of Clouzot, ragged on Short Circuit and slammed the holy hell out of Another Earth. Seriously, I don't know how he does it. YOU HEAR THAT SIMON I JUST CALLED YOU SARAH JESSICA PARKER HA HA HA
- The most important thing I gleaned from Chuck Bowen's negative writeup of the awful-sounding Seducing Charlie Barker? Holy crap, Daphne Zugina is still working.
- Sean Burns found Shame to be directly in his wheelhouse, then got to interview its director Steve McQueen. The he asked for another assignment, and for his sins, they gave him one.
- Dennis Cozzalio interviewed Edgar Wright about stuff he's never seen. Which is why he's a better man than I: Pretty sure my first and only question would consist of "AAAAAAH I LOVE YOUR MOVIES AAAAAH."
- Chris Devlin spun some garage punk that sums up his attitude on life much of the time. (I concur, by the way. Especially around this time of year.)
- Jim Emerson thought David Cronenberg had some interesting stuff to say. And wouldn't you know it - he's damn right. (Can A Dangerous Method please hurry up and open around here?)
- Kenji Fujishima posted his latest consumption log and, in doing so, made me realize that I forgot to wish him a happy birthday. Fuck. Happy belated birthday, dude.
- Glenn Heath notes some surprising similarities between Let the Right One In and Dogtooth... and got a hat-tip from Roger Ebert for doing so. Good job bud! (He also wasn't terribly keen on Shame.)
- Daniel Johnson wrote up The Descendants and noted that not only is Emilio Estevez still being allowed to direct, but his latest is actually worth a look, if only for his old man.
- In the past seven days, Craig Kennedy has posted 38 times. 38! I don't think I've posted 38 things all year. Some highlights: interviews with Tom McCarthy, Mark Strong, Peter Straughan and Tomas Alfredson (the last three contributed by Jackson Truax); the biggest titles in this year's Sundance lineup; the faux-Hard Copy viral advert for Fincher's Dragon Tattoo; and a poster trailer combo for A Separation which if you haven't seen yet holy shit, do so pronto!
- Adam Lemke continued on with his year-end catch-up. (Was anyone actually excited by the prospect of 30 Minutes or Less?)
- Craig D. Lindsey showed off a review that went unpublished because the film in question was too shitty, got on Robin Thicke's case (scroll down to December 10th) and mounted a depressing defense for a depressing band. He also continued in his quest to rescue his back catalog from the wilds of the Internet; complete details of this week's archival posts can be found at his site.
- Matt Lotti's most recent batch of reviews appear to have been eaten by his site's coding. Come back, reviews! Come back!
- Sam C. Mac liked Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy so much that he wrote a review of it. By his own admission, it's his first full-length review in a year's time. The lesson here? Gary Oldman is magic.
- Lucas McNelly dressed up as a panda and made out on a pool table with a tiger. No, really. He also attended a rave for a French mime. No, really. And he watched a dude beat the hell out of another dude with a cricket bat. No, really. A Year Without Rent has taken a turn for the weird in my opinion, bud.
- Phil Nugent caught us all up on what he's been doing at The AV Club. Goodness, but does he keep busy.
- Philip Tatler was positive on Alex Cox's Highway Patrolman. Though, from his description, it doesn't sound like anyone takes turns dancing with Maria, so I'd probably just be disappointed.
- Alison Willmore slagged the galaxy of slightly orange people known as New Year's Eve, because of course it's that bad. She was more forgiving of The Sitter, sorta dug Knuckle and fully dug Young Adult.
Today's video: Too spent to think of something clever here. So here's what I'm about to go see.
- Simon Abrams reviewed the latest episode of Covert Affairs and another episode of Cowboy Bebop. He then broke down the PSA-bait 1990 version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, found much to like about Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, sorted through the madness of Zulawski's Possession, got down with the paranoid cinema of Clouzot, ragged on Short Circuit and slammed the holy hell out of Another Earth. Seriously, I don't know how he does it. YOU HEAR THAT SIMON I JUST CALLED YOU SARAH JESSICA PARKER HA HA HA
- The most important thing I gleaned from Chuck Bowen's negative writeup of the awful-sounding Seducing Charlie Barker? Holy crap, Daphne Zugina is still working.
- Sean Burns found Shame to be directly in his wheelhouse, then got to interview its director Steve McQueen. The he asked for another assignment, and for his sins, they gave him one.
- Dennis Cozzalio interviewed Edgar Wright about stuff he's never seen. Which is why he's a better man than I: Pretty sure my first and only question would consist of "AAAAAAH I LOVE YOUR MOVIES AAAAAH."
- Chris Devlin spun some garage punk that sums up his attitude on life much of the time. (I concur, by the way. Especially around this time of year.)
- Jim Emerson thought David Cronenberg had some interesting stuff to say. And wouldn't you know it - he's damn right. (Can A Dangerous Method please hurry up and open around here?)
- Kenji Fujishima posted his latest consumption log and, in doing so, made me realize that I forgot to wish him a happy birthday. Fuck. Happy belated birthday, dude.
- Glenn Heath notes some surprising similarities between Let the Right One In and Dogtooth... and got a hat-tip from Roger Ebert for doing so. Good job bud! (He also wasn't terribly keen on Shame.)
- Daniel Johnson wrote up The Descendants and noted that not only is Emilio Estevez still being allowed to direct, but his latest is actually worth a look, if only for his old man.
- In the past seven days, Craig Kennedy has posted 38 times. 38! I don't think I've posted 38 things all year. Some highlights: interviews with Tom McCarthy, Mark Strong, Peter Straughan and Tomas Alfredson (the last three contributed by Jackson Truax); the biggest titles in this year's Sundance lineup; the faux-Hard Copy viral advert for Fincher's Dragon Tattoo; and a poster trailer combo for A Separation which if you haven't seen yet holy shit, do so pronto!
- Adam Lemke continued on with his year-end catch-up. (Was anyone actually excited by the prospect of 30 Minutes or Less?)
- Craig D. Lindsey showed off a review that went unpublished because the film in question was too shitty, got on Robin Thicke's case (scroll down to December 10th) and mounted a depressing defense for a depressing band. He also continued in his quest to rescue his back catalog from the wilds of the Internet; complete details of this week's archival posts can be found at his site.
- Matt Lotti's most recent batch of reviews appear to have been eaten by his site's coding. Come back, reviews! Come back!
- Sam C. Mac liked Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy so much that he wrote a review of it. By his own admission, it's his first full-length review in a year's time. The lesson here? Gary Oldman is magic.
- Lucas McNelly dressed up as a panda and made out on a pool table with a tiger. No, really. He also attended a rave for a French mime. No, really. And he watched a dude beat the hell out of another dude with a cricket bat. No, really. A Year Without Rent has taken a turn for the weird in my opinion, bud.
- Phil Nugent caught us all up on what he's been doing at The AV Club. Goodness, but does he keep busy.
- Philip Tatler was positive on Alex Cox's Highway Patrolman. Though, from his description, it doesn't sound like anyone takes turns dancing with Maria, so I'd probably just be disappointed.
- Alison Willmore slagged the galaxy of slightly orange people known as New Year's Eve, because of course it's that bad. She was more forgiving of The Sitter, sorta dug Knuckle and fully dug Young Adult.
Today's video: Too spent to think of something clever here. So here's what I'm about to go see.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Muriel re-emerges: 19 Nov through 3 Dec, 2011
Back from our turkey comas to bring you more Muriel goodies for the season! Here’s what you’ve missed:
Since we last checked in with Simon Abrams, he’s been even busier than usual. Rather than bombard you with everything he’s done, some lightlights: his list of the best and worst of Kevin Smith, a recap of Toronto 2011, a look back at the heyday of the ZAZ team, and his and Steve Carlson’s latest Bad Idea Podcast. All that and more can be found at Simon’s blog, your one-stop shop for all things Simon!
Danny Baldwin praised Happy Feet Two. To which I say- really, bud? Really?
Sean Burns took down The Other F Word.
Paul Clark- yes, really!- had very few kind words for Breaking Dawn and Happy Feet Two.
Dennis Cozzalio heard Edgar Wright’s True Confessions, shed some light on New Beverly’s fight for 35mm, and gave thanks.
Chris Devlin posted the new single by Office of Future Plans.
Jim Emerson re-posted one of his golden oldies, an examination of morality in the films of Martin Scorsese.
James Frazier wasn’t much taken with Larry Crowne but was slightly more forgiving of J. Edgar.
A double dose of consumption from Kenji Fujishima!
Glenn Heath reviewed Happy Feet Two, Rampart, and The Descendants, plus examined the ins and outs of male friendship on film and took a second stab at Melancholia.
Daniel Johnson saluted the year’s creepiest movie, was stunned by Martha Marcy May Marlene and Michael Shannon’s performance in Take Shelter, discussed the MacGuffin in Margin Call, and enjoyed- to varying degrees- three new family-friendly titles.
Craig Kennedy’s been busy too! Hop on over to his blog to see all he’s been up to these past few weeks. Take your time- we’ll wait.
Michael Lieberman shared the wisdom of Straub-Huillet and two images from the apocalypse according to Von Trier.
Uncle Crizzle posted a review that got rejected by an alt-weekly through no fault of his own, shared John Waters’ top 10 of the year, took on The Muppets and Arthur Christmas, and gave five reasons to attend the NC Museum of Natural Sciences’ Genghis Khan exhibit.
Lucas McNelly related his latest A Year Without Rent adventure, this one in Marfa, Texas.
Phil Nugent delved into his thoughts on Pauline Kael, looked at the current state of the Republican Party, and thought Eastwood’s Hoover movie, well, sucked.
Bryan Whitefield posted some new photos at his Tumblr.
Alison Willmore’s kept busy at Movieline and the AV Club.
Finally, I’d like to apologize for missing out on last week’s update, but I was busy with the preparations for my grandmother’s funeral. Grandma, who passed away at age 92, was a movie lover throughout her life, and while her tastes were pretty standard, she did have some unexpected favorites mixed in with the others. Six years ago, I remember her raving at Thanksgiving about Elizabethtown. So in her memory, one of the most memorable moments from Elizabethtown, beginning at the 1:00 mark. This one’s for you, Grandma:
Since we last checked in with Simon Abrams, he’s been even busier than usual. Rather than bombard you with everything he’s done, some lightlights: his list of the best and worst of Kevin Smith, a recap of Toronto 2011, a look back at the heyday of the ZAZ team, and his and Steve Carlson’s latest Bad Idea Podcast. All that and more can be found at Simon’s blog, your one-stop shop for all things Simon!
Danny Baldwin praised Happy Feet Two. To which I say- really, bud? Really?
Sean Burns took down The Other F Word.
Paul Clark- yes, really!- had very few kind words for Breaking Dawn and Happy Feet Two.
Dennis Cozzalio heard Edgar Wright’s True Confessions, shed some light on New Beverly’s fight for 35mm, and gave thanks.
Chris Devlin posted the new single by Office of Future Plans.
Jim Emerson re-posted one of his golden oldies, an examination of morality in the films of Martin Scorsese.
James Frazier wasn’t much taken with Larry Crowne but was slightly more forgiving of J. Edgar.
A double dose of consumption from Kenji Fujishima!
Glenn Heath reviewed Happy Feet Two, Rampart, and The Descendants, plus examined the ins and outs of male friendship on film and took a second stab at Melancholia.
Daniel Johnson saluted the year’s creepiest movie, was stunned by Martha Marcy May Marlene and Michael Shannon’s performance in Take Shelter, discussed the MacGuffin in Margin Call, and enjoyed- to varying degrees- three new family-friendly titles.
Craig Kennedy’s been busy too! Hop on over to his blog to see all he’s been up to these past few weeks. Take your time- we’ll wait.
Michael Lieberman shared the wisdom of Straub-Huillet and two images from the apocalypse according to Von Trier.
Uncle Crizzle posted a review that got rejected by an alt-weekly through no fault of his own, shared John Waters’ top 10 of the year, took on The Muppets and Arthur Christmas, and gave five reasons to attend the NC Museum of Natural Sciences’ Genghis Khan exhibit.
Lucas McNelly related his latest A Year Without Rent adventure, this one in Marfa, Texas.
Phil Nugent delved into his thoughts on Pauline Kael, looked at the current state of the Republican Party, and thought Eastwood’s Hoover movie, well, sucked.
Bryan Whitefield posted some new photos at his Tumblr.
Alison Willmore’s kept busy at Movieline and the AV Club.
Finally, I’d like to apologize for missing out on last week’s update, but I was busy with the preparations for my grandmother’s funeral. Grandma, who passed away at age 92, was a movie lover throughout her life, and while her tastes were pretty standard, she did have some unexpected favorites mixed in with the others. Six years ago, I remember her raving at Thanksgiving about Elizabethtown. So in her memory, one of the most memorable moments from Elizabethtown, beginning at the 1:00 mark. This one’s for you, Grandma:
Saturday, November 19, 2011
There's a Little Muriel in All of Us: Nov 12-18, 2011
The ever-prolific Simon Abrams wrote up a bunch of John Sayles movies, Poetry, two by Francesco Rosi, 3D Sex and Zen, a mess of late-summer releases, Suddenly, Life During Wartime, Attack the Block, The Muppets Take Manhattan, and a roundup of the week’s new DVDs. He also podcasted the history of Captain America on film with fellow Muriels voter Steve Carlson, just for the hell of it. Would you like to know more?
Danny Baldwin reviewed Into the Abyss and Bellflower.
Sean Burns sort of enjoyed The Descendants and sort of wanted to rip his face off during Jack and Jill.
Jim Emerson examined Pauline Kael and the intersection between cinematic technique and criticism.
Kenji Fujishima offered up a Vertigo homage from his own life and consumed.
Glenn Heath closed out his coverage of AFI Fest and took a look back at Man of the West and What Happened Was…
Craig Kennedy reviewed The Descendants, interviewed Bridesmaids director Paul Feig, shared the Oscar doc shortlist, forecasted this weekend, posted some clips from the new Woody Allen documentary, and a whole lot more.
Michael Lieberman continued to report from the Occupy Wall Street front lines.
Uncle Crizzle interviewed experimental filmmaker Tom Whiteside and posted a bunch of other must-see stuff on his Tumblr.
Matt Lotti posted a slew of new reviews, complete with a new starlet photo to grace his front page. Find out who here!
Lucas McNelly submitted dispatches on the first two days of This Is Ours.
Phil Nugent contributed like a champ at the AV Club.
Scott Von Doviak recapped The Amazing Race.
Bryan Whitefield posted some thoughts on Moneyball and the art of the obsolete.
Alison Willmore reviewed Breaking Dawn, Another Happy Day, Tomboy, Rid of Me, and In Heaven, Underground.
Finally, here’s a fascinating video Bryan Whitefield shared called The Influencers:
Additionally, Jim Emerson shared a cool new video for Bad Lip Reading’s “Russian Unicorn”, a write-up of which he did here (http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/2011/11/we_could_shoot_a_russian_unico.html):
And courtesy of Craig Kennedy, a highlight reel of the career of Saul Bass by Art of the Title editor Ian Albinson:
Oh, what the hell… Chris Devlin posted a trailer for From the Back of the Room, a doc about women in punk that could potentially be pretty awesome. Check it out:
Danny Baldwin reviewed Into the Abyss and Bellflower.
Sean Burns sort of enjoyed The Descendants and sort of wanted to rip his face off during Jack and Jill.
Jim Emerson examined Pauline Kael and the intersection between cinematic technique and criticism.
Kenji Fujishima offered up a Vertigo homage from his own life and consumed.
Glenn Heath closed out his coverage of AFI Fest and took a look back at Man of the West and What Happened Was…
Craig Kennedy reviewed The Descendants, interviewed Bridesmaids director Paul Feig, shared the Oscar doc shortlist, forecasted this weekend, posted some clips from the new Woody Allen documentary, and a whole lot more.
Michael Lieberman continued to report from the Occupy Wall Street front lines.
Uncle Crizzle interviewed experimental filmmaker Tom Whiteside and posted a bunch of other must-see stuff on his Tumblr.
Matt Lotti posted a slew of new reviews, complete with a new starlet photo to grace his front page. Find out who here!
Lucas McNelly submitted dispatches on the first two days of This Is Ours.
Phil Nugent contributed like a champ at the AV Club.
Scott Von Doviak recapped The Amazing Race.
Bryan Whitefield posted some thoughts on Moneyball and the art of the obsolete.
Alison Willmore reviewed Breaking Dawn, Another Happy Day, Tomboy, Rid of Me, and In Heaven, Underground.
Finally, here’s a fascinating video Bryan Whitefield shared called The Influencers:
INFLUENCERS FULL VERSION from R+I creative on Vimeo.
Additionally, Jim Emerson shared a cool new video for Bad Lip Reading’s “Russian Unicorn”, a write-up of which he did here (http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/2011/11/we_could_shoot_a_russian_unico.html):
And courtesy of Craig Kennedy, a highlight reel of the career of Saul Bass by Art of the Title editor Ian Albinson:
The Title Design of Saul Bass from Ian Albinson on Vimeo.
Oh, what the hell… Chris Devlin posted a trailer for From the Back of the Room, a doc about women in punk that could potentially be pretty awesome. Check it out:
Friday, November 11, 2011
All the Muriels That's Fit to Print: Nov 9-11, 2011
Simon Abrams took on Topsy-Turvy, Tekken, A Time for Killing, Forbidden Zone, The Blade, and a new frontrunner for the worst of 2011. Additionally, he offered up a George Peppard twofer, two July releases beginning with “h”, and a trio of films by Stuart Gordon. Hey bud, where’s Stuck?
Danny Baldwin posted some thoughts on the final Harry Potter adventure.
Sean Burns went nuts for Melancholia, but didn’t have many kind words for J. Edgar.
Steve Carlson showed off part of his DVD collection. Wait, that’s the Antichrist movie you own???
Dennis Cozzalio wandered down Nightmare Alley. No relation to Jason, I’m guessing?
Chris Devlin tried to get us into Sex Church.
Kenji Fujishima spotlighted some shorts about Japan and shared a lovely afternoon with us- on video, that is.
Glenn Heath reported about five titles from AFI Fest.
Craig Kennedy interviewed Werner Herzog. Oh, and he did some other stuff that was pretty good but didn’t involve, y’know, interviewing Werner Herzog.
Uncle Crizzle stuck it to the Ratner and chatted up a local gal gone Rockette.
Phil Nugent chimed in on the Joe Paterno clustertiff and the defeat of Russell Pearce.
Alison Willmore podcasted about “anti-romances”, and reviewed Immortals, London Boulevard, 11-11-11, and Elite Squad: The Enemy Within. Oh, and she saw Jack and Jill and lived to tell the tale!!
Finally, if Philip Tatler can post Muriels FYCs here, so can I. I caught up with Take Shelter today, and it’s every bit the movie Jeff Nichols’ last film Shotgun Stories was and then some. Michael Shannon obviously excels at playing crazy, but he digs even deeper than usual here, playing a character who just wants to do right even if he isn’t on the same wavelength as the rest of the world. Also, Jessica Chastain’s gotta win something this year, right? Like, either breakthrough or body of work? Anyway, the trailer:
Oh, and I also found out the truth about Eddie Murphy stepping down from the Oscar gig. Supposedly he wants us to believe he resigned in solidarity with his pal Ratner, but the truth is that once Brian Grazer stepped into the producer role, he informed Eddie that he would not longer be performing this on the show:
So now you know.
Danny Baldwin posted some thoughts on the final Harry Potter adventure.
Sean Burns went nuts for Melancholia, but didn’t have many kind words for J. Edgar.
Steve Carlson showed off part of his DVD collection. Wait, that’s the Antichrist movie you own???
Dennis Cozzalio wandered down Nightmare Alley. No relation to Jason, I’m guessing?
Chris Devlin tried to get us into Sex Church.
Kenji Fujishima spotlighted some shorts about Japan and shared a lovely afternoon with us- on video, that is.
Glenn Heath reported about five titles from AFI Fest.
Craig Kennedy interviewed Werner Herzog. Oh, and he did some other stuff that was pretty good but didn’t involve, y’know, interviewing Werner Herzog.
Uncle Crizzle stuck it to the Ratner and chatted up a local gal gone Rockette.
Phil Nugent chimed in on the Joe Paterno clustertiff and the defeat of Russell Pearce.
Alison Willmore podcasted about “anti-romances”, and reviewed Immortals, London Boulevard, 11-11-11, and Elite Squad: The Enemy Within. Oh, and she saw Jack and Jill and lived to tell the tale!!
Finally, if Philip Tatler can post Muriels FYCs here, so can I. I caught up with Take Shelter today, and it’s every bit the movie Jeff Nichols’ last film Shotgun Stories was and then some. Michael Shannon obviously excels at playing crazy, but he digs even deeper than usual here, playing a character who just wants to do right even if he isn’t on the same wavelength as the rest of the world. Also, Jessica Chastain’s gotta win something this year, right? Like, either breakthrough or body of work? Anyway, the trailer:
Oh, and I also found out the truth about Eddie Murphy stepping down from the Oscar gig. Supposedly he wants us to believe he resigned in solidarity with his pal Ratner, but the truth is that once Brian Grazer stepped into the producer role, he informed Eddie that he would not longer be performing this on the show:
So now you know.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
This Is This: November 6th-8th, 2011
Late again! Oy. Never enough time. Let's get this knocked out.
- Simon Abrams posted capsules on a Mike Hammer film, an amazing-sounding ninja flick and a cat man.
- Danny Baldwin caught some films at the AFI Fest.
- Chuck Bowen reviewed The Love We Make and the awesome new disc of the awesome Island of Lost Souls.
- Kenji Fujishima tipped his cap to the New York City Marathon runners and updated us on his artistic consumption.
- Glenn Heath fell hard for This Is Not a Film and big-upped Bronson.
- Daniel Johnson wasn't keen on Tower Heist.
- It's all gone Haywire for AFI Fest-goer Craig Kennedy - follow the progress from announcement to review to post-screening Q&A. Also: A trailer for Corman's World and quotes from The Graduate and a pair of Scorsese works.
- Adam Lemke went nuts for an early Mike Leigh film.
- Michael Lieberman offered a pointed quote from Pier Paolo Pasolini.
- Craig Lindsey is right about Christina Hendricks.
- Lucas McNelly needs your help! (Also, there's an update on his latest stop.)
- Phil Nugent weighed in on Herman Cain's shenanigans.
Today's video: Courtesy of Craig Kennedy (of course!), a small taste of the feast of deleted scenes on the new Blue Velvet Blu-Ray disc (a.k.a. the release that might get me to buy a Blu-Ray player).
- Simon Abrams posted capsules on a Mike Hammer film, an amazing-sounding ninja flick and a cat man.
- Danny Baldwin caught some films at the AFI Fest.
- Chuck Bowen reviewed The Love We Make and the awesome new disc of the awesome Island of Lost Souls.
- Kenji Fujishima tipped his cap to the New York City Marathon runners and updated us on his artistic consumption.
- Glenn Heath fell hard for This Is Not a Film and big-upped Bronson.
- Daniel Johnson wasn't keen on Tower Heist.
- It's all gone Haywire for AFI Fest-goer Craig Kennedy - follow the progress from announcement to review to post-screening Q&A. Also: A trailer for Corman's World and quotes from The Graduate and a pair of Scorsese works.
- Adam Lemke went nuts for an early Mike Leigh film.
- Michael Lieberman offered a pointed quote from Pier Paolo Pasolini.
- Craig Lindsey is right about Christina Hendricks.
- Lucas McNelly needs your help! (Also, there's an update on his latest stop.)
- Phil Nugent weighed in on Herman Cain's shenanigans.
Today's video: Courtesy of Craig Kennedy (of course!), a small taste of the feast of deleted scenes on the new Blue Velvet Blu-Ray disc (a.k.a. the release that might get me to buy a Blu-Ray player).
Saturday, November 5, 2011
This week in Muriel: 29 Oct through 5 Nov, 2011
Simon Abrams was up to his old tricks again, spotlighting his favorites from the NY Asian Film Festival, three old-school women-in-prison movies, the summer’s biggest anthropomorphic car movies, Herzog’s cave paintings movie, a slug-it-out noir favorite, that Conan O’Brien documentary, and a couple of horror flicks just in time for Halloween. And somehow along the way he found time for a 24-hour movie marathon, which are always awesome.
Andrew Bemis rounded out his list of scarifying greats with ol’ Knife-Hands, an otherworldly baddie who could be any one of us, the poster boy for acupuncture, the archetypal chainsaw-wielding psycho, The Shape, and finally a perfect organism.
Sean Burns shrugged off Tower Heist, recommended Hell and Back Again, and had strong words for Like Crazy.
Demon Dennis Cozzalio submitted to the Dr. Phibes treatment, offered up some thoughts on Pauline Kael, and looked back at Eyes Without a Face.
Chris Devlin’s horror challenge ramped up with viewings of Carnival of Souls and Jeepers Creepers. He also shared a selection from the latest album by Swedish black metal faves Croft.
Jim Emerson examined our cultural fascination with zombies.
James Frazier wasn’t thrilled by Footloose 2011.
Kenji Fujishima reviewed two Doc NYC selections, posted a video from his trip to the Bay Area, and consumed.
Glenn Heath began his dispatches from AFI Fest with a pan of Eastwood’s J. Edgar, interviewed Harold without Kumar, wrapped up the SD Asian Film Festival, and reviewed Martha Marcy May Marlene, In Time, Dragonslayer, and Event Horizon.
This week in Craig Kennedy: a preview of AFI Fest, an interview with Green director Sophia Takal, a review of The Other F Word, some good news about Terrence Malick and the acclaimed doc Where Soldiers Come From, the kickoff to a monthlong tribute to the work of Martin Scorsese, birthday quotes for Art Garfunkel and Charles Bronson, the last of the Halloween quotes, the trailer for We Need to Talk About Kevin, and of course the Weekend Forecast.
Adam Lemke finished off his Halloween Horror Challenge and awarded the Magic Pumpkin to…
Michael Lieberman offered up some forthcoming proof. Of what, you ask? Better ask Mike.
Uncle Crizzle talked up Iron Man’s upcoming assault on the Triangle and gave props to Anthony David. Also, hey look Christina Hendricks!
Lucas McNelly gave his blessing to some fellow Year-Without-Rent-ers, and logs two more days on The Stagg Do.
Phil Nugent co-wrote a list of the top 50 cult movies of all time, ran down some of the highlights and lowlights of the fall TV lineup, posted some brief-ish movie reviews, examined the recent piling-on of Elizabeth Warren, and contributed over at the AV Club.
Mark Pfeiffer had some burning questions of relevance to the TIFF rookie. So burning, in fact, that he still wants to know the answers almost two months after he attended.
Scott Von Doviak reviewed Zombie Apocalypse.
Bryan Whitefield recapped his fall listening and didn’t much care for Cold Weather. Um, bud? Did you see the same movie I did?
Alison Willmore reviewed 5 Star Day and The Other F Word.
Finally, I know Halloween has already come and gone, but it’s never too late to settle in for a good scare. So here’s your old pal Count Floyd to introduce a classic of the genre, the one and only Whispers of the Wolf:
Andrew Bemis rounded out his list of scarifying greats with ol’ Knife-Hands, an otherworldly baddie who could be any one of us, the poster boy for acupuncture, the archetypal chainsaw-wielding psycho, The Shape, and finally a perfect organism.
Sean Burns shrugged off Tower Heist, recommended Hell and Back Again, and had strong words for Like Crazy.
Demon Dennis Cozzalio submitted to the Dr. Phibes treatment, offered up some thoughts on Pauline Kael, and looked back at Eyes Without a Face.
Chris Devlin’s horror challenge ramped up with viewings of Carnival of Souls and Jeepers Creepers. He also shared a selection from the latest album by Swedish black metal faves Croft.
Jim Emerson examined our cultural fascination with zombies.
James Frazier wasn’t thrilled by Footloose 2011.
Kenji Fujishima reviewed two Doc NYC selections, posted a video from his trip to the Bay Area, and consumed.
Glenn Heath began his dispatches from AFI Fest with a pan of Eastwood’s J. Edgar, interviewed Harold without Kumar, wrapped up the SD Asian Film Festival, and reviewed Martha Marcy May Marlene, In Time, Dragonslayer, and Event Horizon.
This week in Craig Kennedy: a preview of AFI Fest, an interview with Green director Sophia Takal, a review of The Other F Word, some good news about Terrence Malick and the acclaimed doc Where Soldiers Come From, the kickoff to a monthlong tribute to the work of Martin Scorsese, birthday quotes for Art Garfunkel and Charles Bronson, the last of the Halloween quotes, the trailer for We Need to Talk About Kevin, and of course the Weekend Forecast.
Adam Lemke finished off his Halloween Horror Challenge and awarded the Magic Pumpkin to…
Michael Lieberman offered up some forthcoming proof. Of what, you ask? Better ask Mike.
Uncle Crizzle talked up Iron Man’s upcoming assault on the Triangle and gave props to Anthony David. Also, hey look Christina Hendricks!
Lucas McNelly gave his blessing to some fellow Year-Without-Rent-ers, and logs two more days on The Stagg Do.
Phil Nugent co-wrote a list of the top 50 cult movies of all time, ran down some of the highlights and lowlights of the fall TV lineup, posted some brief-ish movie reviews, examined the recent piling-on of Elizabeth Warren, and contributed over at the AV Club.
Mark Pfeiffer had some burning questions of relevance to the TIFF rookie. So burning, in fact, that he still wants to know the answers almost two months after he attended.
Scott Von Doviak reviewed Zombie Apocalypse.
Bryan Whitefield recapped his fall listening and didn’t much care for Cold Weather. Um, bud? Did you see the same movie I did?
Alison Willmore reviewed 5 Star Day and The Other F Word.
Finally, I know Halloween has already come and gone, but it’s never too late to settle in for a good scare. So here’s your old pal Count Floyd to introduce a classic of the genre, the one and only Whispers of the Wolf:
Saturday, October 29, 2011
A double dose of updates: Oct 22-28, 2011
Wa-hey! Looks like we missed out on our update early this week! So to make up for it, we’re giving you a double dose of links today, because that’s the kind of awesome guys we are. Enjoy!
Muriels team-up! Over at Slant, voters Simon Abrams, Chuck Bowen, and Glenn Heath contributed to a list of the best horror films of the last decade.
Simon Abrams reviewed the new DVD of The Robber and the new Bollywood production Ra.One.
Andrew Bemis got the heebie-jeebies with Black Christmas’ Billy, the portrait-posing serial killer Henry, the object of every clown-hater’s nightmares, The Exorcist’s devil, a killer that does nothing but eat and sleep and make little baby sharks, the world’s worst case of cabin fever, and the nefarious Buffalo Bill. He also found time to take the Dr. Phibes quiz. Good on ya, Andrew!
Scott Black gave us a rundown of his 31 Days of Halloween selections.
Chuck Bowen reviewed the new Pauline Kael collection.
Sean Burns interviewed the director and star of Martha Marcy May Marlene and reviewed the movie. He also recapped week 2 of the Philly Film Festival.
Dennis Cozzalio complained about Jeffrey Wells. Join the club, brother.
Chris Devlin kept on truckin’ with his October Horror Challenge.
Jim Emerson paid tribute to The Magnificent Ambersons and looked back at the legacy of Pauline Kael.
James Frazier parlayed some face time with the Republican candidates into a straw poll of their favorite movies. The biggest surprise of the bunch has got to be Rick Perry.
Kenji Fujishima came down with a massive case of consumption (artistic, that is), and posted a mess of pictures from his recent trip to the Bay Area.
Glenn Heath reviewed the new Almodovar, Ginger Snaps, and Quatermass and the Pit. He also spotlighted some highlights of the SD Asian Film Festival.
Craig Kennedy! Where to begin? Links to Matt Zoller Seitz’s video tribute to Tree of Life! Quotes from Halloween favorites like Jaws, The Silence of the Lambs, Alien, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Birds, Carrie, and the Looney Tunes classics Hair-Raising Hare and Hyde and Hare! A weekend forecast! The lineup of Almodovar-selected classics at the AFI Fest! Trailers for Into the Abyss, Pina, Hugo, and The Lorax! And a new poster for We Need to Talk About Kevin! Whew!
Adam Lemke made some progress on his Horror Challenge.
Uncle Crizzle reviewed Puss in Boots and Margin Call, spotlighted the new 3-D projector at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, and more.
Phil Nugent shared his thoughts on Louis Menand, Them Tenacious Birthers, and the long-standing fallout from the Robert Bork hearings.
Philip Tatler got all worked up over The Island of Lost Souls.
Bryan Whitefield shed some light on The Stuyvesants, the classic album Architecture and Morality, and a striking new ad.
Alison Wilmore reviewed Margin Call, 13, Bellflower, The Double, Like Crazy, and Silver Bullets.
Finally… I’ve never been one to talk about my son much in public forums, for reasons too boring to go into here. However, I don’t begrudge others their right to do so, especially when their kids are engaging and cool. In that spirit, here’s Dennis’ daughter Nonnie with her rendition of Poe’s The Black Cat:
And to double your fun, here’s the wound-up Razor, the dog who lives with Kenji Fujishima:
Michael Lieberman posted a video that sums up for him the state of America today. Hint: it’s not pretty:
And oh, what the hell. Here’s last year’s Best Supporting Actor winner John Hawkes crooning a tune from his latest movie:
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand I'm spent.
Muriels team-up! Over at Slant, voters Simon Abrams, Chuck Bowen, and Glenn Heath contributed to a list of the best horror films of the last decade.
Simon Abrams reviewed the new DVD of The Robber and the new Bollywood production Ra.One.
Andrew Bemis got the heebie-jeebies with Black Christmas’ Billy, the portrait-posing serial killer Henry, the object of every clown-hater’s nightmares, The Exorcist’s devil, a killer that does nothing but eat and sleep and make little baby sharks, the world’s worst case of cabin fever, and the nefarious Buffalo Bill. He also found time to take the Dr. Phibes quiz. Good on ya, Andrew!
Scott Black gave us a rundown of his 31 Days of Halloween selections.
Chuck Bowen reviewed the new Pauline Kael collection.
Sean Burns interviewed the director and star of Martha Marcy May Marlene and reviewed the movie. He also recapped week 2 of the Philly Film Festival.
Dennis Cozzalio complained about Jeffrey Wells. Join the club, brother.
Chris Devlin kept on truckin’ with his October Horror Challenge.
Jim Emerson paid tribute to The Magnificent Ambersons and looked back at the legacy of Pauline Kael.
James Frazier parlayed some face time with the Republican candidates into a straw poll of their favorite movies. The biggest surprise of the bunch has got to be Rick Perry.
Kenji Fujishima came down with a massive case of consumption (artistic, that is), and posted a mess of pictures from his recent trip to the Bay Area.
Glenn Heath reviewed the new Almodovar, Ginger Snaps, and Quatermass and the Pit. He also spotlighted some highlights of the SD Asian Film Festival.
Craig Kennedy! Where to begin? Links to Matt Zoller Seitz’s video tribute to Tree of Life! Quotes from Halloween favorites like Jaws, The Silence of the Lambs, Alien, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Birds, Carrie, and the Looney Tunes classics Hair-Raising Hare and Hyde and Hare! A weekend forecast! The lineup of Almodovar-selected classics at the AFI Fest! Trailers for Into the Abyss, Pina, Hugo, and The Lorax! And a new poster for We Need to Talk About Kevin! Whew!
Adam Lemke made some progress on his Horror Challenge.
Uncle Crizzle reviewed Puss in Boots and Margin Call, spotlighted the new 3-D projector at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, and more.
Phil Nugent shared his thoughts on Louis Menand, Them Tenacious Birthers, and the long-standing fallout from the Robert Bork hearings.
Philip Tatler got all worked up over The Island of Lost Souls.
Bryan Whitefield shed some light on The Stuyvesants, the classic album Architecture and Morality, and a striking new ad.
Alison Wilmore reviewed Margin Call, 13, Bellflower, The Double, Like Crazy, and Silver Bullets.
Finally… I’ve never been one to talk about my son much in public forums, for reasons too boring to go into here. However, I don’t begrudge others their right to do so, especially when their kids are engaging and cool. In that spirit, here’s Dennis’ daughter Nonnie with her rendition of Poe’s The Black Cat:
And to double your fun, here’s the wound-up Razor, the dog who lives with Kenji Fujishima:
Michael Lieberman posted a video that sums up for him the state of America today. Hint: it’s not pretty:
And oh, what the hell. Here’s last year’s Best Supporting Actor winner John Hawkes crooning a tune from his latest movie:
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand I'm spent.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Muriel's Musings: Oct 19-21, 2011
This week’s big story from Muriel-land is that Dennis Cozzalio turned his blog over to one Dr. Phibes, who unleashed his latest horror upon the world- a brand new, bone chilling quiz! It’s enough to make one scream, especially if one is as busy as I am. But this time I’ll try to find time for it, if only to celebrate the centenary of the late Mr. Price.
In other news:
Andrew Bemis trembled at his memories of an African-American urban legend, Muriel’s favorite mop-topped psycho, and the split-personality case from Session 9.
Scott Black got his horror on with Return of the Living Dead.
Sean Burns recapped Week 1 of the Philly Film Fest and harbored little love for Take Shelter.
Go ahead, take a look at Jim Emerson’s latest post. I dare ya.
James Frazier gave pretty good odds to 50/50.
Kenji Fujishima Occupied Wall Street. Strictly for research purposes, of course.
Glenn Heath checked out Weekend and Take Shelter.
Craig Kennedy announced the AFI Festival Main slate and World Cinema lineup and the Gotham Awards nominations (http://livingincinema.com/2011/10/20/gotham-nominations-unleash-the-awards-hounds/), plus previewed this weekend’s goodies, took a look at Paranormal Activity With a Vengeance and Oranges and Sunshine, quoted Don Siegel’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Cronenberg’s The Fly, posted trailers for Black Gold and The Woman in Black, and somehow found time to eat and/or sleep. Amazing!
Uncle Crizzle reviewed the new Johnny English movie and linked to a bunch of soul-centric pieces he’s written. Oh, and if you dig curvy ladies- and really, why wouldn’t you?- the Criz delivered on that front too.
Phil Nugent had a busy week for the AV Club.
Bryan Whitefield relayed some reflections on Method Man and bought some new luggage.
And Alison Willmore reviewed Klitschko and Margin Call.
Finally, the trailer for another Doctor movie starring Vincent Price. This one’s decidedly lighter than Dr. Phibes, but who knows? Perhaps Dennis will give this doctor a shot a quiz sometime in the future:
In other news:
Andrew Bemis trembled at his memories of an African-American urban legend, Muriel’s favorite mop-topped psycho, and the split-personality case from Session 9.
Scott Black got his horror on with Return of the Living Dead.
Sean Burns recapped Week 1 of the Philly Film Fest and harbored little love for Take Shelter.
Go ahead, take a look at Jim Emerson’s latest post. I dare ya.
James Frazier gave pretty good odds to 50/50.
Kenji Fujishima Occupied Wall Street. Strictly for research purposes, of course.
Glenn Heath checked out Weekend and Take Shelter.
Craig Kennedy announced the AFI Festival Main slate and World Cinema lineup and the Gotham Awards nominations (http://livingincinema.com/2011/10/20/gotham-nominations-unleash-the-awards-hounds/), plus previewed this weekend’s goodies, took a look at Paranormal Activity With a Vengeance and Oranges and Sunshine, quoted Don Siegel’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Cronenberg’s The Fly, posted trailers for Black Gold and The Woman in Black, and somehow found time to eat and/or sleep. Amazing!
Uncle Crizzle reviewed the new Johnny English movie and linked to a bunch of soul-centric pieces he’s written. Oh, and if you dig curvy ladies- and really, why wouldn’t you?- the Criz delivered on that front too.
Phil Nugent had a busy week for the AV Club.
Bryan Whitefield relayed some reflections on Method Man and bought some new luggage.
And Alison Willmore reviewed Klitschko and Margin Call.
Finally, the trailer for another Doctor movie starring Vincent Price. This one’s decidedly lighter than Dr. Phibes, but who knows? Perhaps Dennis will give this doctor a shot a quiz sometime in the future:
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
OCCUPY MURIEL! - Oct. 15-18th(ish)
Without further ado...
- Simon Abrams wrote his first piece for Salon, an articulation of why The Walking Dead is better than you think. So there.
- Danny Baldwin bucketed THE MILL AND THE CROSS and THE WAY.
- Andrew Bemis is afraid of a dude with mommy issues, the tooth fairy, and a guy with eyeballs in his hands.
- Scott W. Black didn't think CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED was as good as its predecessor.
- Sean Burns was told "You just lost your best ticket. Go to hell, you bag of shit." (no link; sorry)
- Paul Clark plotted his horror-ific itinerary for Columbus, OH's Incredible Two-Headed Marathon.
- Dennis Cozzalio was lucky enough to catch WENT THE DAY WELL in it's theatrical rerelease, received a very cool compliment from an esteemed colleague, and weighed in on a few THINGs.
- Chris Devlin continued his October Horror Challenge, inexplicably panning a film that features Peter Fonda and Warren Oates versus Satanists. You'd have to work pretty hard to make that bad. My curiosity = piqued.
- Kenji Fujishima consumed art.
- Ye gads, Craig Kennedy can post, can't he? Trailers for ALPS (by that DOGTOOTH guy) and THE DEVIL INSIDE; horror quotes from SCREAM, THE EXORCIST, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, and Bugs Bunny; early (mostly positive) European feedback on Tintin; and Craig's own revisiting of THE EXORCIST and THE SHINING can all be found over at Living In Cinema.
- Matt Lotti has been reduced to nothing more than a fetching picture of Jennifer Lawrence. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Lotti's family.
- Sam C. Mac cataloged his favorite music from 1999. There must have been a typo since neither Midnight Vultures nor Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Department are anywhere on the list.
- Lucas McNelly coped with his AD quitting.
- Philip Tatler IV attempted to enumerate the qualities of the best film of 2010. He also played a lot of Jeopardy on Facebook.
- Bryan Whitefield liked The Hour and posted another cool picture.
- And Alison Willmore took a look at THE SKIN I LIVE IN for Movieline.
And now this:
- Simon Abrams wrote his first piece for Salon, an articulation of why The Walking Dead is better than you think. So there.
- Danny Baldwin bucketed THE MILL AND THE CROSS and THE WAY.
- Andrew Bemis is afraid of a dude with mommy issues, the tooth fairy, and a guy with eyeballs in his hands.
- Scott W. Black didn't think CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED was as good as its predecessor.
- Sean Burns was told "You just lost your best ticket. Go to hell, you bag of shit." (no link; sorry)
- Paul Clark plotted his horror-ific itinerary for Columbus, OH's Incredible Two-Headed Marathon.
- Dennis Cozzalio was lucky enough to catch WENT THE DAY WELL in it's theatrical rerelease, received a very cool compliment from an esteemed colleague, and weighed in on a few THINGs.
- Chris Devlin continued his October Horror Challenge, inexplicably panning a film that features Peter Fonda and Warren Oates versus Satanists. You'd have to work pretty hard to make that bad. My curiosity = piqued.
- Kenji Fujishima consumed art.
- Ye gads, Craig Kennedy can post, can't he? Trailers for ALPS (by that DOGTOOTH guy) and THE DEVIL INSIDE; horror quotes from SCREAM, THE EXORCIST, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, and Bugs Bunny; early (mostly positive) European feedback on Tintin; and Craig's own revisiting of THE EXORCIST and THE SHINING can all be found over at Living In Cinema.
- Matt Lotti has been reduced to nothing more than a fetching picture of Jennifer Lawrence. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Lotti's family.
- Sam C. Mac cataloged his favorite music from 1999. There must have been a typo since neither Midnight Vultures nor Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Department are anywhere on the list.
- Lucas McNelly coped with his AD quitting.
- Philip Tatler IV attempted to enumerate the qualities of the best film of 2010. He also played a lot of Jeopardy on Facebook.
- Bryan Whitefield liked The Hour and posted another cool picture.
- And Alison Willmore took a look at THE SKIN I LIVE IN for Movieline.
And now this:
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Comings 'n' Goings - Oct 11-14
Well, it’s after midnight, and here I am doing my weekly post for the blog. Alas, I can’t take all the time the task deserves, because I’ve got to be up early to get in line for the annual horror marathon here in Columbus, known as the Incredible Two-Headed Marathon. More about it on my blog, in case you’re interested and/or envious.
Here’s what else has been going on in the Muriel-sphere these past few days:
Simon Abrams looked at The Makioka Sisters, Good Neighbors, and Delhi Belly.
Danny Baldwin can’t quite forgive Nic Cage his Trespass. If only he’d remembered his lucky crack pipe…
Andrew Bemis got up close and personal with a little bloodsucker, a big dude with a strange orb, and the world’s least popular acupuncturist.
Sean Burns left his Sunday shoes on for Footloose and capsulizedOld Custer Blackthorn for the Philly Weekly.
Steve Carlson gave us the rundown so far on his Horror Challenge.
Chris Devlin also tackled his own Horror Challenge, including such one-word titles as Funhouse, Dagon, Madhouse, Splinter, and Creep.
Jim Emerson got under Almodovar’s Skin.
James Frazier cut Midnight in Paris down to size.
Kenji Fujishima checked out some confused young girls at NYFF.
Daniel Johnson found plenty to enjoy in Tucker and Dale vs. Evil.
Craig Kennedy- holy crap, dude. I won’t even itemize these posts, since he’s been so busy. Just check ‘em out already.
Uncle Crizzle saluted the Black’n’Dekker cult classic Monster Squad.
Lucas McNelly didn’t just have one of those days- he had two.
Allison Willmore had something to say about Trespass, Happy Life, Big Year, and Fireflies in the Garden, a movie that stars Julia Roberts, Ryan Reynolds and Willem Dafoe but which seemingly no one had ever heard of until this week.
Finally, this trailer’s long been a guilty pleasure of mine, thanks in large part to James Mason’s narration. Dude was such a pro that he didn’t even have a problem with crediting Pat freakin’ Boone above himself when reading off the cast, to say nothing of being billed alongside a duck. Granted, Journey to the Center of the Earth isn’t much of a movie- hell, it’s not even the best Jules Verne adaptation Mason ever appeared in- but no doubt it paid Mason well enough to star in movies in which he played crazed morphine addicts, not to mention literature’s favorite pedophile. Check it out:
Oh, and for the morbidly curious, here’s our very own Uncle Crizzle in his cinematic acting debut!
Here’s what else has been going on in the Muriel-sphere these past few days:
Simon Abrams looked at The Makioka Sisters, Good Neighbors, and Delhi Belly.
Danny Baldwin can’t quite forgive Nic Cage his Trespass. If only he’d remembered his lucky crack pipe…
Andrew Bemis got up close and personal with a little bloodsucker, a big dude with a strange orb, and the world’s least popular acupuncturist.
Sean Burns left his Sunday shoes on for Footloose and capsulized
Steve Carlson gave us the rundown so far on his Horror Challenge.
Chris Devlin also tackled his own Horror Challenge, including such one-word titles as Funhouse, Dagon, Madhouse, Splinter, and Creep.
Jim Emerson got under Almodovar’s Skin.
James Frazier cut Midnight in Paris down to size.
Kenji Fujishima checked out some confused young girls at NYFF.
Daniel Johnson found plenty to enjoy in Tucker and Dale vs. Evil.
Craig Kennedy- holy crap, dude. I won’t even itemize these posts, since he’s been so busy. Just check ‘em out already.
Uncle Crizzle saluted the Black’n’Dekker cult classic Monster Squad.
Lucas McNelly didn’t just have one of those days- he had two.
Allison Willmore had something to say about Trespass, Happy Life, Big Year, and Fireflies in the Garden, a movie that stars Julia Roberts, Ryan Reynolds and Willem Dafoe but which seemingly no one had ever heard of until this week.
Finally, this trailer’s long been a guilty pleasure of mine, thanks in large part to James Mason’s narration. Dude was such a pro that he didn’t even have a problem with crediting Pat freakin’ Boone above himself when reading off the cast, to say nothing of being billed alongside a duck. Granted, Journey to the Center of the Earth isn’t much of a movie- hell, it’s not even the best Jules Verne adaptation Mason ever appeared in- but no doubt it paid Mason well enough to star in movies in which he played crazed morphine addicts, not to mention literature’s favorite pedophile. Check it out:
Oh, and for the morbidly curious, here’s our very own Uncle Crizzle in his cinematic acting debut!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
The Haps: October 8th-10, 2011
Hey folks. As long as we're recommending potential Muriel-ballot ringers, allow me to throw out A Separation. It opens December 30th (just under the eligibility wire), and if you miss it, your ballot will be short the most beautifully constructed screenplay of the year. I'm just sayin'.
Anyhoo... what's in my inbox? *checks inbox* Good God, people!
- Simon Abrams liked himself some Park Chan-wook... and that's okay!
- Ali Arikan said, "Yes, Anatolia."
- Andrew Bemis met a couple of scary cats in Kevin Spacey and Robert Blake.
- Scott Black repped the horror genre hard with Dellamorte Dellamore, The Shout and Just Before Dawn. (In non-horror news, he also saw the latest film by some Jewish dude.)
- Chuck Bowen went hunting for different species of movie monsters and ended up bagging a Homo deadicus afrikaanus (AKA the lesser South African zombie) and a Homo slashus hockeymaskicus (AKA the immortal masked summer-camp slasher).
- Chris Devlin chugged along on the October Horror Challenge with the Nightmare on Elm Street remake and the original Prom Night. (Good idea skipping the worthless remake, bud.) Then he played a song inspired by They Live.
- Jim Emerson got frank about gettin' nekkid and tossed out an animated addendum to his recent breakdown of action scenes from Salt.
-James Frazier talked about why he liked Drive then talked about people who don't.
- Kenji Fujishima got his NYFF on.
- Glenn Heath was all about the youths: youths as poets, youths as dogs and youths as potential "zombie" chow.
- Craig Kennedy trailered the new Polanski and chose Peckinpah over Clooney this weekend. Plus, he handed out some words of wisdom.
- Michael Lieberman thought that if you don't know Dorsky, you don't know nuttin'.
- Lucas McNelly got rained on.
- Phil Nugent mused about Steve Jobs and capitalism as well as a couple alarmed bits of culture. Also, holy crap AV Club avalanche!.
- Philip Tatler rode away with The Phantom Carriage.
- Scott Von Doviak found The Walking Dead still has a strong pulse.
- Hey, what happened to those crazy kids from Once? Ask Alison Willmore.
Today's video: Jacques Tourneur has been knocking my shit out recently. Here's one real good reason why.
Anyhoo... what's in my inbox? *checks inbox* Good God, people!
- Simon Abrams liked himself some Park Chan-wook... and that's okay!
- Ali Arikan said, "Yes, Anatolia."
- Andrew Bemis met a couple of scary cats in Kevin Spacey and Robert Blake.
- Scott Black repped the horror genre hard with Dellamorte Dellamore, The Shout and Just Before Dawn. (In non-horror news, he also saw the latest film by some Jewish dude.)
- Chuck Bowen went hunting for different species of movie monsters and ended up bagging a Homo deadicus afrikaanus (AKA the lesser South African zombie) and a Homo slashus hockeymaskicus (AKA the immortal masked summer-camp slasher).
- Chris Devlin chugged along on the October Horror Challenge with the Nightmare on Elm Street remake and the original Prom Night. (Good idea skipping the worthless remake, bud.) Then he played a song inspired by They Live.
- Jim Emerson got frank about gettin' nekkid and tossed out an animated addendum to his recent breakdown of action scenes from Salt.
-James Frazier talked about why he liked Drive then talked about people who don't.
- Kenji Fujishima got his NYFF on.
- Glenn Heath was all about the youths: youths as poets, youths as dogs and youths as potential "zombie" chow.
- Craig Kennedy trailered the new Polanski and chose Peckinpah over Clooney this weekend. Plus, he handed out some words of wisdom.
- Michael Lieberman thought that if you don't know Dorsky, you don't know nuttin'.
- Lucas McNelly got rained on.
- Phil Nugent mused about Steve Jobs and capitalism as well as a couple alarmed bits of culture. Also, holy crap AV Club avalanche!.
- Philip Tatler rode away with The Phantom Carriage.
- Scott Von Doviak found The Walking Dead still has a strong pulse.
- Hey, what happened to those crazy kids from Once? Ask Alison Willmore.
Today's video: Jacques Tourneur has been knocking my shit out recently. Here's one real good reason why.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Where U At - 5-7 October, 2011
Hey folks, Paul here again. Glad to see Phil got the ball rolling with his last post by campaigning for THE ARBOR, which I can attest is quite worthy of his love. On a similar note, I recently caught up with the awesome COLD WEATHER, which has been described by some as a mumblecore detective mystery, which would be fairly accurate except that the term “mumblecore” seems so reductive anymore. Instead, I’ll call it a mystery in miniature, in the best way. For more details, I’ll direct you to my review of the film over at my blog.
In other Muriel-related happenings…
Simon Abrams took his chances with A Dangerous Method, and looked into the old-school virtues of Ealing comedies.
Danny Baldwin spent some time with Dirty Girl.
Andrew Bemis scared up some pre-Halloween love for Count Orlok, Rev. Harry Powell, and Near Dark’s Severin.
Scott Black got into the Halloween movie spirit as well, with reviews of Insidious, Cry Baby Lane, and more!
Sean Burns reviewed The Ides of March, the long-delayed Margaret, and Rocky With Robots. At least you dodged a bullet on Human Centipede 2, bud.
Chris Devlin continued his month of horror with genre favorites both old and new.
Jim Emerson’s cinematic adventures in Vancouver continued with The Mill and the Cross.
Kenji Fujishima double-featured Sleeping Sickness and Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, enrolled with The Student, vacationed in Le Havre, and found Two Years at Sea to be time well spent.
Glenn Heath reviewed The Ides of March and Real Steel for his gig at sandiego.com.
Craig Kennedy plugged the Afghanistan War doc Where Soldiers Come From, eulogized Steve Jobs and Charles “The Chin” Napier, and dropped a quartet of new trailers just for you. Jesus Craig, slow down already! You’ll make the rest of us look bad.
Adam Lemke updated his Horror Challenge tally. Also, James Glickenhaus? Haven’t heard that name in forever.
Uncle Crizzle pondered whether he might be getting critical burnout- I feel your pain, man- and reviewed Tucker and Dale vs. Evil and (you guessed it!) Real Steel and Ides of March.
Lucas McNelly shut down production on his latest filmmaking project. For now, anyway.
Phil Nugent examined the performance-art aspect of modern politics and gazed into the “Heart of Dickness”.
Bryan Whitefield offered up his own tribute to Steve Jobs.
Well-traveled Alison Willmore paid a visit to The Women on the 6th Floor, time-warped back to 1911, and went to Hell and Back Again.
Finally, Crizzle posted a pretty sweet video of a pre-NCIS LL Cool J performing and inviting some ladies up to the stage. Bad idea, James- don’t forget what the LL stands for. Anyway, it’s good for a laugh:
In other Muriel-related happenings…
Simon Abrams took his chances with A Dangerous Method, and looked into the old-school virtues of Ealing comedies.
Danny Baldwin spent some time with Dirty Girl.
Andrew Bemis scared up some pre-Halloween love for Count Orlok, Rev. Harry Powell, and Near Dark’s Severin.
Scott Black got into the Halloween movie spirit as well, with reviews of Insidious, Cry Baby Lane, and more!
Sean Burns reviewed The Ides of March, the long-delayed Margaret, and Rocky With Robots. At least you dodged a bullet on Human Centipede 2, bud.
Chris Devlin continued his month of horror with genre favorites both old and new.
Jim Emerson’s cinematic adventures in Vancouver continued with The Mill and the Cross.
Kenji Fujishima double-featured Sleeping Sickness and Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, enrolled with The Student, vacationed in Le Havre, and found Two Years at Sea to be time well spent.
Glenn Heath reviewed The Ides of March and Real Steel for his gig at sandiego.com.
Craig Kennedy plugged the Afghanistan War doc Where Soldiers Come From, eulogized Steve Jobs and Charles “The Chin” Napier, and dropped a quartet of new trailers just for you. Jesus Craig, slow down already! You’ll make the rest of us look bad.
Adam Lemke updated his Horror Challenge tally. Also, James Glickenhaus? Haven’t heard that name in forever.
Uncle Crizzle pondered whether he might be getting critical burnout- I feel your pain, man- and reviewed Tucker and Dale vs. Evil and (you guessed it!) Real Steel and Ides of March.
Lucas McNelly shut down production on his latest filmmaking project. For now, anyway.
Phil Nugent examined the performance-art aspect of modern politics and gazed into the “Heart of Dickness”.
Bryan Whitefield offered up his own tribute to Steve Jobs.
Well-traveled Alison Willmore paid a visit to The Women on the 6th Floor, time-warped back to 1911, and went to Hell and Back Again.
Finally, Crizzle posted a pretty sweet video of a pre-NCIS LL Cool J performing and inviting some ladies up to the stage. Bad idea, James- don’t forget what the LL stands for. Anyway, it’s good for a laugh:
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Stuff We Done Did - October 4, 2011
Hey now! It's update time once again. Before you scroll down to make sure that I hyperlinked to your piece, I'd like to put in a HEAVY Muriel plug for THE ARBOR, Clio Barnard's meditation on the brief life and career of playwright Andrea Dunbar and the effect it had on her family, specifically her two daughters, Lorraine and Lisa. Barnard transcends the (already fascinating) subject matter, creating a sui generis documentary that is quite a cinematic/formal feat.
If I were voting today, it'd be number two on my top ten of the year and top the editing, directing, and ensemble categories. How, you may ask, could a documentary earn a spot in the ensemble acting race? To which I answer: watch the film, dummy. It's streaming on Netflix and I have a screener if you want to PM me. The trailer is pasted at the bottom of this post.
And now, here's yer run-down:
If I were voting today, it'd be number two on my top ten of the year and top the editing, directing, and ensemble categories. How, you may ask, could a documentary earn a spot in the ensemble acting race? To which I answer: watch the film, dummy. It's streaming on Netflix and I have a screener if you want to PM me. The trailer is pasted at the bottom of this post.
And now, here's yer run-down:
- SIMON ABRAMS looks at some horrible Spielberg rip-offs
- DANNY BALDWIN is a hoarder
- ANDREW BEMIS begins a spooktacular/ghoultastic/ghostational/etc. list of the scariest monsters in cinema, beginning with Peter Lorre, that chick from the killer VHS movie, and the midget in DON'T LOOK NOW
- SCOTT BLACK yammered about RAMMBOCK, ISLAND OF LOST SOULS, 30 DAYS TO DIE, and GRAVE ENCOUNTERS and made a Muriel cram list that I think we can all benefit from. He only gave ISLAND OF LOST SOULS a "B" which makes me angry at first but, ultimately, just sad for him.
- CHRIS DEVLIN begins a month of horror with I BURY THE LIVING
- JIM EMERSON has started his coverage of the Vancouver International Film Fest. with a review of Markus Schleinzer's MICHAEL.
- JAMES FRAZIER Excels at film watching!
- KENJI FUJISHIMA TIFFs and NYFFs whilst listening to Bowie's Low.
- DANIEL COOK JOHNSON says 50/50 "pulls it off with humorously heartfelt aplomb"
- CRAIG KENNEDY posts trailers for ANOTHER HAPPY DAY, THE LADY, and WAR HORSE. He reviews MARGARET, TAKE SHELTER, and WEEKEND. And then there's some Quentin Tarantion/Coen Brother art exhibit thing that's happening.
- ADAM LEMKE soldiers on through his own horror-ific month.
- MICHAEL LIEBERMAN's friends occupied Wall Street. And were arrested by The Man.
- PHIL NUGENT gets all political an' shit while making a hilarious Miami Vice reference.
- UNCLE CRIZZLE continues to astound. Corsets?! Blaze Magazine?! Professional doormen?! Donnie Hathaway?! Crizz covers it all in true Renaissance Man style.
- PHILIP TATLER IV saw a lady at Starbucks today that resembled Roman Polanski in THE TENANT. Seriously. It was deeply unsettling. I'm barely tethered to reality as it is these days.
- BRYAN WHITEFIELD eulogizes Nobel Prize winner Ralph Steinman and shares some great photos.
That's it then. Here's the aforementioned ARBOR trailer:
Friday, September 30, 2011
What we've done: 28-30 September 2011
Anybody got a pithy leadoff sentence for this post? Because I’m finding myself regrettably short on pith at present. But since I’m a good sport, I’ll alphabetize the posts by the voters’ first names. Wheeeee!
Alison Wilmore got a glimpse of the movie it’s taken half a dozen years to release, and reviewed a couple of indies for the AV Club for good measure.
Andrew Bemis recapped his summer vacation for us.
Chuck Bowen chilled with Hesher.
Craig Kennedy forecasted the upcoming weekend's cinematic offerings.
Craig Lindsey reviewed 50/50, finding it odd that Seth Rogen just keeps making movies in which his friends get cancer.
Danny Baldwin got doubly happy and spent an afternoon with Marguerite.
Dennis Cozzalio took a gander at Tucker and Dale vs. Evil.
Glenn Heath went to bat for Moneyball.
In dreams, Jim Emerson walks with Chinatown / In dreeeeeams, Jim Emerson taaaaalks… to Chinatown…
Kenji Fujishima went under the NYFF with Dreileben and The Loneliest Planet.
Lucas McNelly offered some advice for future Kickstarter campaigns and posed the question, “whatdoes is The Stagg Do”?
Phil Nugent found precious little Hope and met The Man Behind the Mosque.
Sean Burns also ventured into the backwoods with Tucker and Dale and gave good odds to 50/50. He also interviewed Seth Rogen and Will Reiser for the latter. Although wouldn't it be fun if more movie stars would be interviewed for movies with which they had nothing to do?
Simon Abrams wallowed in Carnage.
Steve Carlson shared his preliminary list for Adam Lemke’s horror challenge. And if you want to play along at home, there’s still time!
Finally… is it possible for a trailer to win an Oscar? Because that is how frickin’ bad the Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close trailer wants to push the Academy’s buttons. Let’s see… it stars Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock and it’s directed by Stephen Daldry (who’s never not been nominated for a movie he directed- chew on that a while) and it’s about a child reconnecting with his dad AND it’s set in the aftermath of 9/11. And even with all those Academy ringers they still feel the need to slather the trailer in magical U2 lotion, just in case anyone wasn’t already sure of their intentions. What are the odds that Daldry and Oscar-winning screenwriter Eric Roth threw a Holocaust survivor into the story for good measure? Anyway, see this but preferably not if you’ve just now eaten:
Alison Wilmore got a glimpse of the movie it’s taken half a dozen years to release, and reviewed a couple of indies for the AV Club for good measure.
Andrew Bemis recapped his summer vacation for us.
Chuck Bowen chilled with Hesher.
Craig Kennedy forecasted the upcoming weekend's cinematic offerings.
Craig Lindsey reviewed 50/50, finding it odd that Seth Rogen just keeps making movies in which his friends get cancer.
Danny Baldwin got doubly happy and spent an afternoon with Marguerite.
Dennis Cozzalio took a gander at Tucker and Dale vs. Evil.
Glenn Heath went to bat for Moneyball.
In dreams, Jim Emerson walks with Chinatown / In dreeeeeams, Jim Emerson taaaaalks… to Chinatown…
Kenji Fujishima went under the NYFF with Dreileben and The Loneliest Planet.
Lucas McNelly offered some advice for future Kickstarter campaigns and posed the question, “what
Phil Nugent found precious little Hope and met The Man Behind the Mosque.
Sean Burns also ventured into the backwoods with Tucker and Dale and gave good odds to 50/50. He also interviewed Seth Rogen and Will Reiser for the latter. Although wouldn't it be fun if more movie stars would be interviewed for movies with which they had nothing to do?
Simon Abrams wallowed in Carnage.
Steve Carlson shared his preliminary list for Adam Lemke’s horror challenge. And if you want to play along at home, there’s still time!
Finally… is it possible for a trailer to win an Oscar? Because that is how frickin’ bad the Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close trailer wants to push the Academy’s buttons. Let’s see… it stars Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock and it’s directed by Stephen Daldry (who’s never not been nominated for a movie he directed- chew on that a while) and it’s about a child reconnecting with his dad AND it’s set in the aftermath of 9/11. And even with all those Academy ringers they still feel the need to slather the trailer in magical U2 lotion, just in case anyone wasn’t already sure of their intentions. What are the odds that Daldry and Oscar-winning screenwriter Eric Roth threw a Holocaust survivor into the story for good measure? Anyway, see this but preferably not if you’ve just now eaten:
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