Thursday, November 20, 2014

Schrader, Writer of Taxi Driver, Tells Us About Tech

The famed writer of Taxi Driver - and director of numerous films, including the slightly whatever The Canyons (with Lindsay Lohan) has written a great article about the biggest technological achievements in cinema, among them the close-up and the use of the 700mm lens. This is the second of three parts, all published by Film Comment.



Read: The Close-Up | Film Comment




Friday, November 7, 2014

Screenshot - Walking Dead


Friday, June 6, 2014

The Sharpest Knife - A Short Yours Truly and Friends Worked On

I've done some film work in the past, and wouldn't dare get CV-matic with you now, but this is a recent project I'm proud of.  My friend Lizzie directed, my friend Andrew shot and my friend Darren recorded sound (I was the AD) for this short called The Sharpest Knife. It's an adapted sonnet of Shakespeare, and it was made for the New York Shakespeare Exchange's Sonnet Project.

This particular Sonnet is 95, a timely reminder that we not veil our lesser side, lest we give the impression our immoral actions are acceptable (no offense, pop culture).




























Thursday, May 29, 2014

The new New York Film Fest Poster

Here's the 52nd NYFF poster. Pretty neat, huh?

In a few days, I'll post my predictions for what films will play, and I'm almost inclined to make a wager that I'll be able to correctly guess 90% of the selections before they're announced. 


Saturday, May 17, 2014

Screenshots - She's All That (aka a movie with a young, toolish Paul Walker)

We will maybe miss him very much.

But She's All That isn't known for Walker.  It has actors in it too. Among them are a pretty convincing Freddie Prinze, Jr., Rachel Leigh Cook, lizardy Matthew Lillard, Anna Paquin (check out her amazing performance in the recent Margaret), Kieran Culkin and the annoying, always goth Clea Duvall.  There's also an appearance by Lil' Kim, so all bases are covered.






Friday, May 16, 2014

Saw John Turturro pass by Angelika Cinema today

It was funny, because he made a point to look straight at the poster of his new film Fading Gigolo (which is currently playing at Angelika). It was as if he needed to remind himself of something. 



Saturday, April 5, 2014

Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut: A Roundtable Discussion with Roger Ebert and Colleagues



This recently dug up segment from Siskel & Ebert features Ebert and four fellow Chicago film critics having a discussion on Kubrick's last film, Eyes Wide Shut (1999).

They talk about the film - they all liked it and wanted to see it again before writing their respective pieces on it - but they also mention his other works and many of the visual trademarks that Kubrick fans tend to love about his films.

WATCH

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Have You Seen These "Toynbee Tiles" Around Manhattan?

In my ten years here in New York, I have come across these tiles only a couple times. Once was around Times Square.  This time it was in the Bowery somewhere, and for some reason it felt much more eery a sighting.

But they are not just in New York City.  In fact, two dozen US cities have Toynbee Tiles. They are also in numerous South American capitals.

These tiles have some yet-to-be-established significance, much of which is speculated about in Jon Foy's intense documentary, Resurrect Dead (Netflix).  I saw the doc a couple years ago and was fascinated by it.

Although their origin and meaning is still unclear, there is a cinematic implication indeed to the Toynbee Tiles and their message:

TOYNBEE IDEA
IN MOViE `2001
RESURRECT DEAD
ON PLANET JUPITER

wikipedia


Toynbee Tile @ 2nd Ave and 3rd St., I think