Charm City Cineaste

Gaps in My Filmic Memory 2011

2012-01-08T13:55:00.001-08:00

NOTE: Despite safeguards against it, I apparently forgot to write up a few films I viewed this past year. If you remember any more movies I saw and didn't remember to write down, please let me know.

The Tree of Life is a baffling omission since I enjoyed it so thoroughly. Terrence Malick makes films rarely, but, when he does, I find them spectacular. A family is the focus of this cosmic pondering of the meaning of life which is not afraid to go all the way back to the beginning (of life itself) to get to where it is going. Some theaters put up signs indicating that there would be no refunds for the new Brad Pitt vehicle. In any case, it sure wasn't a direct hit on the "Joe Popcorn" crowd. (June 2011)

The Wild Child was a late Truffaut revival that I was happy to see, the (based on a true) story of a "wild boy" who is brought in and nurtured by a doctor who in interested in his condition. My newly-sharpened "horse sense" says the child fell somewhere on the autism spectrum, but that's my take. It was bonus to have this song stuck in my head throughout. (Saturday, December 3rd. 2011)

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Senator
The Landmark Harbor East
Suburban Multiplex/ Video Americain / Creative Alliance
Netflix Instant/ Netflix DVD
(Please note: Whenever possible, all releases are linked to their pages on the Netflix website)
Total: 2 features (2 in theaters)

Films Viewed (December 2011)

2012-01-01T14:40:00.000-08:00

Seeing a preview of Young Adult was a nice alternative to the Mount Vernon Monument Lighting hoo-ha. A woman returns from the big city to try to re-kindle a romance with her high school sweetheart. So what if he is happily married and anew father? So what if she is an alcoholic train-wreck of a human being? Cruel and grim and very in tune with the status updates of my fellow class of 1994 high school graduates.

Chelsea Girls was a rare treat, an Andy Warhol film dual-projected at the Creative Alliance thanks to Matt Porterfield. Various Warhol superstars interact in improvised scenes like they are on some alternate reality speed-drenched soap opera. Not for the short of attention span, each scene plays out in one take, the audio alternating to give emphasis to one scene over another as the two projectors unspool.

I missed the recent screenings of Diner at the Charles, so I substituted with Netflix Instant, where it happened to be available at the time. Although I am certain I have seen the film before, it felt new. Local Baltimore guys pull together and fall apart as adult life emerges in 1959 Baltimore. As excellent cast kept loose and improvisatory. It is amazing to see how different early 1980s Baltimore (posing as 1959 Baltimore) looks in comparison to 2011 Baltimore.

Tin Men, another in a series of Barry Levinson's "Baltimore films" screened via the Maryland Film Festival, was somehow totally new to me. Two aluminum siding salesment engage in a game of oneupsmanship that eventaully involves the affections of a wife. Great to see. A local like myself takes umbrage at Danny DeVito's attempt at the Baltimore accent, but it is a minor point.

After much anticipation. Fassbinder's World on a Wire finally played Baltimore. A man is embroiled in a computer scandal involving virtual realities. Made in 1973, the film anticipates many concerns of contemporary Science Fiction film and literature. A three and a half hour subtitled German film... that right there should tell you whether or not you are on board.

Grondhog Day concluded the second series of Gunky's Basement on a high note. A film that has the unfailing ability to put me in a better mood. Bill Murray gets trapped in the same day, learns lessons. What's not to like?

Elite Squad was on the list for a while, having never played Baltimore. A man who is a member of an elite Brazilian mercenary squad approaches retirement and burn-out as the chaos of the favela play out around him. The film has been criticized for being too right-wing and definitely takes the collegiate leftists to task repeatedly. Remains an adrenalized thrill ride nonetheless.

My Week with Marilyn was a delightful dishy cream-puff of a movie, an account of one man's interactions with Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams) and Sir Lawrence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) over the course of the troubled production of the film The Prince and the Showgirl. Brought to life by excellent performances throughout.

Z was a film I have been meaning to see for some time. A politically assassination plays out in a corrupt Latin American country. Manages to feel both torn from the headlines of its time (the late 1960s) and wickedly satirical. Much credit must be given to director Costa-Gavras for pulling this off.

The Adventures of Tintin 3D began an epic run through the holiday season's films. Tintin buys at model ship at a flea market and adventures ensue. Fun, frenetic and in three dimensions.

I caught Le Havre right before it closed at the Charles. A kindly reformed reprobate takes in an immigrant boy on the run. Retaining some of director Aki Kaurismäki 's previous filmic bite while remaining upbeat. A deadpan fairytale.

I read Of Mice and Men for the first time in the hopes of helping my students with Sophomore English, a year I have never taught. This is a well-known and well-executed adaptation of the work. It was good to finally sit down and watch it.

Mission: Impossible began a game of catch-up with the (current) #1 movie at the box office. A great twisty thrill-ride from the years I was away from the screen. The De Palma-crafted action sequences were top-notch and sometimes ridiculous.

Tuesday, After Christmas was a Romanian film about a man caught between his wife and his lover over the holiday season. Long takes and superb naturalistic performances kept this one afloat. I look forward to continuing to explore contemporary Romanian cinema.

I kept the disc of The Sleeping Beauty so long it wound up on Netlfix Instant. A dream-like loose re-telling of the Sleeping Beauty story from directoer Catherine Breillat. Way weirder than Bluebeard while still remaining engaging.

Shame was a "date night" movie that proved to be a nice bracing alternative to the usual holiday cheer. A sex addict spirals as his sister arrives to complicate his life further. A stunningly crafted film that makes me want to see the director Steve McQueen's first film. This Steve McQueen, not that one.

Mission: Impossible II was, for me, the most "eh" of the four films. Director John Woo can pull off a good action sequence without a doubt, but the rest of the film was too mired in nü-metal American era trappings. Worst use of Ving Rhames in a Mission: Impossible movie.

I much preferred Mission: Impossible III with all its J.J. Abrams coordinated spectacle. Phillip Seymour Hoffman turned in a great "bad guy" performance and the MacGuffin was finally recogized as a MacGuffin. Best use of Ving Rhames in a Mission: Impossible movie.

I am a sucker for films like Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Victorian-era setting, buddy cop bromance movie dynamics, that hint of British sophistication... good times.

Seeing Fincher's take on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) wasn't too redundant. I am of the original Swedish films only in my understanding of the phenomenon. Once we got past that "gother than goth" title sequence it was off the races, this time around the relationship between Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander more emphasized. One of these days I need to read this thing. The copy I bought while waiting for an appointment with the back surgeon is still staring back at me from my bookshelf.

Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol completed my run through the series. Director Brad Bird brought a new sensibility to the series and made the transition from animation to live action admirably. I think I was suffering from a bit of "action sequence fatigue", but overall the film was a good time.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was a raucous 1950s musical comedy starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell. A beyond iconic performance by Monroe, although I think I preferred Russell's performance overall Another dipping of the toe into the genre-spanning work of revered director Howard Hawks, who one day I am going to sit down and really look at career-wise.

War Horse capped off the cinematic year. When I told people I was going to see it, they made a face I am now calling the "War Horse face." A two and a half hour epic done in the old David Lean/ John Ford style. Boy meets horse, boy loses horse... will boy regain horse? I sometimes surprise myself with my ability to be engaged by such sentimental material.

Films Viewed (November 2011)

2011-12-12T17:06:00.000-08:00

Went the Day Well? was that rare propaganda film the transcends its intent enough to become a valid film experience. A British town faces a stealthy Nazi invasion. Essentially, the message is "Report Suspicious Activity," but I still had a good time.

Beats, Rhymes, and Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest was a fond look back at the golden Age of hip hop coupled with the stresses and realities of being a part of this innovative and influential group. We watch as they implode yet again. One of those things I missed in theaters (it's Baltimore-area run was only a week or so in a County Cineplex) and waited impatiently for on DVD.

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) was a prime slice of vintage popcorn thrillride set in a decaying and bankrupt New York. A subway train is highjacked, a ransom is demanded, the clock ticks. Satisfying on many levels. Grimy, gritty and wise-ass till the last freeze frame.

The Seduction of Mimi was screening in Toronto when I was there a few years ago. I filed the title in my filmic memory bank and finally managed the time to rent and watch. Earnest worker Mimi is a man of honor in this savage lampoon of hypocritical Italian morays. Lina Wertmuller has won me over, and I look forward to seeing more of her films.

Martha Mary May Marlene has divided viewers, some finding it unaffected and not very satisfying. I found it to be a taught psychological thriller worth my time, an evocation of a nightmare anchored by Elizabeth Olsen's performance. A woman returns from a mysterious disappearance into a commune/cult with much damage to attempt to unravel.

Hugo 3D was such a direct hit on me that I feel like an unreliable praise-giver. A young boy lives in the walls of a train station while unraveling mysteries that have to do with his father and the birth of cinema. Charming, beautifully shot... a movie I want to live in.

Lilya 4-Ever tells the brutal story of a Eastern European girl's descent into prostitution. Bleak, bitter, no holds barred film-making that never felt like Exploitation. A little too plodding, (the situation the woman lives in is so godawful that the reasons she would choose this life become clear quickly) but altogether effective once you settle in.

Immortals 3D was other eye-popping Tarsem Singh film, this time viewed in a Dundalk movie theater with mediocre (dark) digital projection and a terribly blown out sound system. A movie-going experience as close to watching a film on bootleg DVD in a theater as I have yet to encounter. The plot was a miss-mash of sword and sandal epic and Greek mythology. Mickey Rourke goes predictable over the top as a the villan. I say "eh".

Melancholia is why I go to the movies, to see and experience something new. Kirsten Dunst's character's wedding party, already a disaster, concludes at the beginning of a much bigger global one. Lars Von Trier captured the mood of my Fall inadvertently in film. Armageddon: now more than ever.

The Leopard was a sumptuous feast of a film, still going strong two hours into the run-time. An Italian man of means and privilege who has lived by the old codes tries to adjust to the new ways. He remains stuck between eras as the modern state of Italy is born around him. Burt Lancaster is used effectively and well. One of those "on the list" films that the Charles theater revival series finally presented an excellent opportunity to see.

Dune capped off the month. As it is a film I have seen many times and know a great deal about, I thought of it this way this time around: the first half is an excellent example of David Lynch on a big budget, all stops pulled. The second half is like a very long preview for the film that could have been appearing on the screen for the next several hours had Lynch had final cut. Always a great film to dive into; many thanks to the Gunky's Basement crew for doing it again.

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Senator
The Landmark Harbor East
Suburban Multiplex/ Video Americain
Netflix Instant/ Netflix DVD
(Please note: Whenever possible, all releases are linked to their pages on the Netflix website)
Total: 11 features (8 in theaters)

Films Viewed (October 2011)

2011-11-07T14:18:00.000-08:00

Shoot the Piano Player remains the prime Truffaut that I don't quite get, more a playful mishmash of genre styles than his other movies from that era. A formerly famous musician in exile gets caught up in various gangland misadventures and a tangled romance. I think I just prefer when Godard did this sort of thing, which would probably really bug Truffaut considering their complicated relationship and rivalry.

Le Rayon Vert, brought to me courtesy of the Charles theater revival series, is a mid-period Rohmer, a director I have only encountered via his "Six Moral Tales" series. A difficult woman flops in and out of various encounters and situations over the course of a ruined summer vacation. I love any film that dares question the surety of summer fun in the sun, and I found the films modes of alienation to be very engaging. Just call me Mr. Sunshine!

I was really happy to see In A Better World despite having never heard of the Oscar-winning Danish film. Masculine roles are explored via the story of two troubled boys and their distant, complicated fathers. Perhaps made more resonant thanks to the nuanced perspective of a female director and my professional experience as a teacher of dudes.

Videodrome was a classic key Cronenberg I had yet to encounter, a film ahead of its time and a look towards our frightening future of image consumption. A surreal dream of a film that rides the line between horror and Neo-noir skillfully until finally giving in to gore. Another quality Gunky's Basement screening.

It is amazing I have not seen The Grapes of Wrath before now. A digitally restored VHS copy has been floating around my personal possessions for years, purchased when I began teaching and found a crate of the novel among my potential texts for my first teaching assignment. Like a lot of things that year, I never quite got to it. A great film to see now.

Take Shelter is already clearly one of my films of the year. A family man struggles with apocalyptic visions in workaday Ohio. The masterful choices make the film powerful and effective, leaving the viewer guessing until the very end. Michael Shannon has never been more perfectly cast.

Dracula (1931) was a nod to the season and a diverting choice off the Netflix Instant queue. Tod Browning's version of this classic tale appears aware of how campy it is, and the whole thing is just so creaky, ridiculous, and over-the-top that a modern viewer can't help but hear the MST3K gang riffing on it in their heads. I prefer Whale's Frankenstein from the same year for having a bit more meat on its bones in terms of subtext and atmosphere. I don't think I've ever seen the film in its entirety until now, but the text has been referenced so many times it felt entirely familiar, especially the first twenty minutes.

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Senator
The Landmark Harbor East
Suburban Multiplex
Netflix Instant/ Netflix DVD
(Please note: Whenever possible, all releases are linked to their pages on the Netflix website)
Total: 7 features (5 in theaters)

Charm City Cineaste Four Year Anniversay: 2007-2011

2011-11-07T13:22:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to mark the beginning of a fourth year of this blog.

CCC has become a strange sort of feedback mechanism for me. Through it, I am able to quickly share my thoughts about films I've seen and have a handy reference to aid my filmic memory. Did I see Rachel Getting Married? Yes, I did. In January of 2009.

I remain happy with the current format as a writing exercise. I know sometimes I don't feel like writng these capsule reviews, but I give it my darnedest. We live in a culture of instant communication and the format is a nod to that. At the same time, the lag on my posts means a film is often out of theaters by the time you read my thoughts. But maybe I am just the tipping point to putting it on the queue for later viewing.

Speaking of the queue, how about that Netflix, huh? What seemed like the happy future of film viewing has become quite the mess, current indicators being that Netflix is going to stay the course for now. I remain a Netflix subscriber, but I know millions have left the service, and there were some involved conversations in my household over our subscriber status, especially during the Quikster fiasco.

I still believe that streaming remains the future of film watching, but I am no longer sure what form that future will take. So many things we feel comfortable with (the video store, the movie theater, the television/cable channel) just don't seem to presage what is coming. In the meantime, Video Amercain is offering membership deals for anyone who dumps their Netflix account in a movement they are cheekily hashtagging as #occupyvideoamericain. It seems there is still some fight left in this beloved Baltimore institution, and I hope my travels will take me there more often in the coming months.

So, here we begin another year of me seeing movies and briefly writing about them. My focus on film exhibition in Baltimore is gone, but my current life/work situation dictates that unless the film is delivered to my doorstep or available instantly, a short walk to the Charles theater on a Saturday morning or Friday night is about all I have time for these days.

Thank you for reading and I hope I can continue to be of service.

Films Viewed (September 2011)

2011-10-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

Attack the Block was a rollicking good time, a perfect film to close out the summer. A rag-tag band of British public housing toughs contend with an alien invasion. Well executed and an eerie echo of what happened in England this summer.

Cluny Brown was a return to more classic Charles theater revival fare. The films remains unavailable on DVD and was Ernst Lubitsch's last completed film. In pre-World War II London, a plumber's niece falls for a Czech refugee. Smart, sophisticated, and tonally askew. Jennifer Jones gives a memorable performance, her odd energy quite modern for a film released in 1946.

Rango was an odd duck plucked from the Netflix queue. An example of the kind of film I used to see in the movie theater when I went to the movie theater more often. Johnny Depp voices a chameleon who goes on an epic journey through the desert. As the wiki page says, a "computer-animated Western comedy-drama film." A visually stunning, smartly crafted crowdpleaser.

I was warned away from Cedar Rapids during its local bow, but I still found value in it. I think you have to have spent a lot of time around Midwest corny earnestness to really enjoy this film. A small town insurance agent loses his naivete in the big bad city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa during an insurance convention. A strong ensemble keeps the film afloat. No masterpiece, but I did not find great fault with it.

Elevator to the Gallows was another classic finally checked off the list thanks to the Charles theater revival series. Moody and prone to almost improvisatory excursions, I found the film to be live up to its reputation. A contract killer gets stuck in an elevator following a job, but there is much more to the story. The Miles Davis score is also notable.

Good ol' Starship Troopers capped off the month thanks to the Gunky's Basement crew.. The debate continues over the film, but I continue to find it a dark satire on the dangers of Fascism (a good article on this is here).

Films Viewed (August 2011)

2011-09-02T17:56:00.000-07:00

Cowboys & Aliens employed an ampersand in its title. I saw it with my father. We both agreed it was "all right."

"Proud Flesh" was a short film made by two experimental filmmakers and musicians (Chiara Giovando and Jenny Graf Sheppard) which featured several of my friends as actors. A Western of sorts. I was happy to have an opportunity to see it so many years after its completion, as it has not been commercially released and was only screened locally a few times. A trailer can be seen here.

Beginners was a bit too precious for its own good at times, but had a compelling, (based on a true) story at its core. A man discovers his father is gay after the death of his mother, continues to have problems emotionally. It was a pleasure as always to watch Melanie Laurent and Christopher Plummer on the screen. I enjoyed director Mike Mills' art films, and have watched his progression into more mainstream fare with interest. Netflix confuses him with the bass player for REM, but that is not him.

Jaws remains a good time at the movies. Having seen it so many times as to have borderline memorized it, one is allowed to notice smaller details, especially when a 35mm restored print is on the big screen. The film also marked a welcome return to the Charles theater revival series, which will continue into the fall (for details, go here).

Tabloid was a lesser Erol Morris documentary, but still told a bizarre and compelling story comptently. A beautiful but unstable woman falls instantly in love with a young Mormon man. Things get decidedly complicated (and tabloid-worthy) from there.

Crazy, Stupid, Love. has title-punctuation problems but was otherwise a sharper variety of romantic comedy from an indie directing team. Of all the rom-coms this summer, I chose this one. Great cast and pleasingly complicated. The ending was improbable, but I must forgive it that flaw.

During a trip to Chicago, I saw The Future. Here, it is clear that is a movie. Miranda July manages to stay true to the vision and voice of her debut film, but takes things in a much darker and despairing direction. A couple in their mid-thirties realizes that they are in their mid-thirties. Let us just say, in some ways, the film was a direct hit on the creeping dread of someone born in 1976. Should be playing at the Charles theater in the coming weeks.

The Man Who Fell to Earth was another Roeg to check off the list, and was not the space fantasy I expected. Far from Ziggy Stardust: The Movie, what transpired on screen was much more realistic and cynical. A perfect snapshot of mid-seventies rock star excess and post-Watergate cynicism/paranoia.

As Hurricane Irene approached, I spent a weekend watching various Netfilx items of interest. First up, Jim Jarmusch's break-out film Stranger than Paradise, which reminded me of the attitude and interests of the art and music underground denizens I encountered in the 1980's, when I was just getting started out trying to be cool. Two NYC toughs go on the make with a newly-arrived Hungarian woman. Gritty yet mannered, cool to the touch and deadpan, the film marks the beginning of the Jarmusch style, which I have greatly admired for some time.

Pale Flower popped on and off the Netflix Instant as the storm raged outside. A tough-as-nails Japanese Noir from a director I have yet to explore. A hardened killer recently released from prison meets a highborn lady looking for excitement in the gambling dens of early 1960s Tokyo, and the two begin a run through the urban jungle. Guess how it turns out? Not too well.

Bananas is an early Woody Allen film. Things are schticky and Mad magazine anarchic as Woody's protagonist gets mixed up in the politics of a Latin American country. Fun, diverting, and about to expire on the Netflix Instant queue, so why not?

Trash was also about to expire in more ways than one. A junkie hustler wanders through the New York City of the 1970s and becomes involved in various capers and misadventures. Andy Warhol "produced", Paul Morrissey directed. So trashy and insane and non-acted it became somewhat compelling. Here is an article about other underground films that have been streaming on Netflix Instant.

Something Wild was a successful 1980s re-invention of the romantic comedy road movie from director Jonathan Demme. Three actors (Jeff Daniels, Melanie Griffith, Ray Liotta) are so on-point and in their moment it is astounding to watch. A professional man is "kidnapped" by a wild woman who asks him to pretend to be her husband. A joyride that soon spins out of control. Blink and you will miss a cameo by Baltimore's own John Waters.

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Senator
The Landmark Harbor East
The Music Box Theater(Chicago)
Suburban Multiplex
Netflix Instant/ Netflix DVD
(Please note: Whenever possible, all releases are linked to their pages on the Netflix website)
Total: 12 features, 1 short film (7 in theaters)

Films Viewed (July 2011)

2011-08-07T15:26:00.000-07:00

Transformers: Dark of the Moon was an awful film.

Frownland was a paranoid, claustrophobic low budget nightmare of the highest order. It truly achieved something very sweaty, creepy, and mean. A loser continues losing both his mind and his ability to survive as he stumbles further and further down the rungs of New York City.

I became interested in Videocracy due to the recent Rupert Murdock mess. What has happened in Italy is truly frightening, a country ruled by a television/media cult of personality. The film itself was flawed and got going slowly, but improved over the course of its run-time.

Page One: Inside the New York Times, although not revelatory, was a diverting hour and half probing the seeming end times of the newspaper business. I particularly enjoyed/despaired over the coverage of the looting of the Tribune Company by Sam Zell and his cronies, which was the last nail in the coffin of my subscription to the Baltimore Sun.

Uncles Boonmee who can Recall his Past Lives popped up suddenly on Netflix Intstant, being available for streaming before it was released on DVD. Another intriguing meander through the filmed worlds of Apichatpong Weerasethakul. This was a film I was conflicted out of seeing at this year's Maryland Film Festival.

Captain America: The First Avenger won me over for being made "correctly" to someone whose sensibilities were formed as a child in the 1980s. Managed to covey a simple story well. Like with Pokemon, you gotta see'em all when it comes to the Marvel movies.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two was the end of a saga I began following with mild interest with the release of the first film. I'm such a dilettante that I skipped one of the films and only made it to the first Quidditch match in the first book. Others were clearly much more invested in the phenomenon. I just like watchin' a a good wizard movie, I guess.

Terri had a brief a six-day run at the Charles. A film that captured the sad awkward misery of middle school/ early high school perfectly. A young misfit passively rebels as his living situation deteriorates. Notable performance by John C. Reilly as a well-intentioned lunkhead of an assistant principal.

Rabbit Hole was a dark journey of grief and loss made somehow "safe for filmic consumption. All about moments of emotional acting. A couple approaches middle age and ponders the tragic accidental death of their young son. The Netflix envelope sat there by the television for a long while before my girlfriend and I were ready to plunge in.

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Senator
The Landmark Harbor East
Netflix Instant/ Netflix DVD
(Please note: Whenever possible, all releases are linked to their pages on the Netflix website)
Total: 9 features (5 in theaters)

Films Viewed (June 2011)

2011-07-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

The Hangover, Part Two was the kind of film you watch and are saddened by due to its non-existent cast chemistry and high budget pointless seediness. Then you leave the theater and think "that was okay." I am pretty sure there was some sort of hypnotic suggestion in the last five minutes that made me think that. Of course, I bought the ticket, so I can't complain. another foray into "movies my students are going to see this summer" cinema.

X-Men: First Class was X-Men, Mad Men style! Diverting and unafraid to re-write comic book mythos to make for a better story, this prequel got in and did its job of selling popcorn well.

Who is Harry Nilsson (and why is Everybody Talkin' about him?) was a solid documentary about an artist to which I am underexposed. A bit too defensive of his obvious substance abuse issues, but otherwise engaging,

Biutiful was a huge downer, the first time I have seen Barcelona, Spain painted in such a harsh and ugly light. A man on the margins realizes he is dying, trying to finish up his life correctly. Innaritu needs to make a new sort of movie soon.

Super 8 was another slick summer popcorn-selling machine, this time humming along as a straight-up tribute to all things summer and Spielberg. Young people make a movie in 1979 as mysterious events unfold around them.Fleshed out correctly for maximum nostalgic impact with some solid performances.

Midnight in Paris is the highest grossing Woody Allen film of all time. A man falls in love with the Paris if the 1920s, gets a chance to go back in time to visit it. Found myself having many fond "English major" flashbacks as Owen Wilson's character converses with Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and the rest of the expatriate gang.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg has been on the list for a while, and I am glad to check out Cahterine Denuve being young and falling in love, especially in Jacques Demy's jarringly realistic 1960's French musical. From that part of the early summer when I harbored the illusion of spare time and restful evenings.

Submarine was rushed into theaters before people could think too much and would just go see it. On paper, it sounded good. A British "coming of age" film written and directed by a rising British comic writer and actor. In execution, things remained tonally off and minor key, the emphasis placed in the wrong places. Maybe next time around?

The Spirit of the Beehive was a last minute "Oh... rent two get one free?" choice at Video Americain. Very difficult to encapsulate. Stunningly beautiful and hypnotic. A young girl living at the dawn of Franco's reign in Spain is powerfully moved by an encounter with James Whale's Frankenstein. Very much a film from an imaginative child's perspective, if you can remember what is was like to be eight years old.

Warrendale was a Canadian verite documentary set in a school for emotionally disturbed children. Very powerful and very close to the bone. I watched it the morning my films were due back at the video store. Maybe not the best start to my day, but powerful regardless.

Overlord was an odd duck, sitting there about to expire on the Netflix Instant queue, so I went for it. An intermixing of archival footage and new material, both focusing on the movements of a British soldier in the second world war. Came off stuck between a conventional war film and art-house fare.

Quiet City was a happy surprise, showing up off of the Netflix queue due to some shuffling around. A boy and girl meet entirely randomly and accidentally and spend a weekend together. Held in place by the brave and open performance of the leads actors Erin Fisher and Chris Lankenau, Quiet City works wonders with very little. You can watch the entire film on Google Video right now.

Green Lantern 3D was the beginning of my stumbling through the summer movie season, the promise I made myself in May getting harder and harder to keep. Ryan Reynolds becomes a galactic guardian. This is a "B" movie dressed up in "A" special effects, which makes it less fun. I was raised on the fun of the Million Dollar Movie, and this movie cost three hundred million and managed to have half as much fun as the carpet barn monster

The Virgin Suicides was fun to revisit, remaining an auspicious directorial debut for Sophia Coppola. Grown men reminisce over a fabled and doomed group of sisters that lived next door, just out of reach. I think when I first saw it I didn't get the teenage awkwardness was intentional. I guess a decade of being around it has made me fluent in it.

Bad Teacher was a good premise executed too broadly, standing in a pale shadow to Bridesmaids in terms of summer comedy fare, but still passably funny. A very talented supporting cast definitely kept Cameron Diaz afloat. An aspiring gold-digger gets sidelined into another year of teaching and becomes caught up in a "race to the top" in terms of standardized test scores, all in the hopes of using her cash bonus to purchase breast implants.

Loulou has been floating around my VHS piles for some time. A woman gives up her bourgeoisie existence to pursue a life on the run with charming thug Loulou. The role was a breakout for Gerard Depardieu. I enjoy the works of director Maurice Pialat but they remain hard to find in the US. His films were so far ahead of their time I feel like we are only now catching up with them.

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Senator
The Landmark Harbor East
Suburban Multilpex/ Video Americain
Netflix Instant/ Netflix DVD
(Please note: Whenever possible, all releases are linked to their pages on the Netflix website)
Total: 16 features (7 in theaters)

Films Viewed (May 2011)

2011-06-12T16:09:00.000-07:00

Super was a dark journey through the underside of the superhero psyche. Scuzzy and brutish, even for me. Somehow, I was won over by the end, but I hope I never spend too much time dwelling in the murky depths of sadness, vitriolic anger, and isolation this film plumbs.

The collection of Maryland Film Festival Opening Night Shorts was a nice beginning to a busy weekend of film. For more info on the four shorts, go here.

We Were Here was a wrenching documentary about life in San Francisco through the AIDS crisis. Well done work with super heavy material.

My Joy was another grim slog (you may be noticing a trend in my film-watching). A truck driver in the Ukraine travels through what America will be like shortly. Then, after an encounter with a prostitute, the story takes a decided turn, drifting into unknown territories and other, seemingly unconnected narratives. I thank the festival for bring such challenging and edgy work to the big screen in Baltimore.

I must recuse myself from reviewing Green as it was one of the films I hosted at the Festival. For more information on the film, go here.

Small Pond was the first feature from Josh Slates, a filmmaker with Baltimore ties. It chronicles the titular misadventures of a misanthrope living in a small college town, working at the pizza place and going nowhere fast.

The Oregonian was a film which derived much of its aesthetic from the later work of David Lynch. A woman attempts to piece together what is happening during a surreal journey following a car crash. A film like this is supposed to stick with you, to haunt your dreams. In my case, it did not.

I must recuse myself from reviewing the double feature of Convento and Hilvarenbeek as I hosted the screening. For more on both. go here.

Thor kicked off the summer blockbuster season correctly, the right mix of palace intrigue among the gods and "fish out of water" situations for those same gods on earth. Nothing mindblowing, but still a good time. This is surprising considering how "echh" the first stills make the film look. Pulling off a rainbow bridge on film is not the easiest task.

I had a lot of faith in Bridesmaids, going to see it by myself on opening weekend as part of a vow I have made to see all of the many 2011 summer films of note. Now that the film has caught on and found its audience, I am happy for its success. Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph and the rest of the cast put in stellar ensemble work in a very funny (and very raunchy) comedy.

The Illusionist was minor but very visually beautiful. An aging illusionist comes to small town, takes on a young female stowaway, and navigates the paternal/platonic relationship between them as best he can. Bittersweet and poignant.

Manos: The Hands of Fate (Mst3k version) is the perfect blend of a beyond-bad movie and the gang in top heckling form. This particular episode of the show is alchemical for me, creating something somehow greater that it's combined parts. During a month where I really needed it, I laughed so hard it hurt.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides was checked off the summer movie list without great fanfare. I enjoy pirates. There were pirates in the film. And also there were mermaids.

The Ten was a Netflix Instant "oh sure why not," an uneven collection of sketches in film form from David Wain and company based around the Ten Commandments. Not as bad as I heard it would be. Didn't catch it during its one week run at the Muvico (pre-Cinemark). Then, four years later...

Accattone was a gritty early Pasolini, the story of a charismatic but woefully inept pimp trying to survive in postwar Rome. Came up favorably in an article on Italian neorealism so I went for it before it disappeared from the Instant queue.

Cave of Forgotten Dreams 3D invariably takes some explaining, as I had to travel to Georgetown in Washington DC to see it. Werner Herzog is given unprecedented access to film a cave cut off from the world for aeons to capture the oldest known pictorial creations of humankind. Excellent, magical. Looks like it opens in the Baltimore area this month, so my long and expensive day-trip may have been a folly. Oh well, I've gone further for less.

"Jazzoo" was a 16 millimeter short film projected on the side of a wall in West Baltimore in honor of a friend's birthday. A trip to the zoo scored to jazz (get it? Jazz? Zoo? Jazzoo). A nice backyard time as the sun went down on a scorcher of an afternoon.

Cocaine Cowboys is an excellent marriage of an unbelievable story and well done documentary filmmaking. The men behind the "cocaine pipeline" in Southern Florida in the 1970s and 1980s (and the ensuing skyrocketing murder rate) tell their darkly enthralling tale. Hard to mess this one up.

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Senator
The Landmark Harbor East
2011 Maryland Film Festival
Suburban Multilpex/ Georgetown AMC 14
Netflix Instant/ Netflix DVD
(Please note: Whenever possible, all releases are linked to their pages on the Netflix website)
Total: 15 features, 7 short films (16 in theaters)

Films Viewed (April 2011)

2011-05-10T17:08:00.000-07:00

Animal Kingdom has been on "the list" for a while as I missed it during it's "one week wonder" run at the Charles despite the sizeable critical buzz surrounding this Australian import. In a genre as worked over and picked over as the "crime family" film, to see something new and interesting being conveyed is a marvel to behold. A young man comes of age and must decide whether or not to join the family business. Many strong performances and a plot that keeps you guessing until the very end. Bravo.

Meek's Cutoff was the first of a series of films seen on a weekend trip New York. The screening preceding ours at the Film Forum included a Q and A with Michelle Williams herself, but my traveling companion and myself were not so lucky. Another winner from director Kelly Reichardt in which some pioneers become lost on the Oregon Trail (and, no, this has nothing to do with the beloved PC game). Revisionist Western? Feminist critique? Too slow and "nothing happens"? I am more with the former and less with the latter, but I dig on Antonioni. so...

Blank City at the IFC Center was an excellent document/documentary of the No Wave and Cinema of Transgression scene of the bombed-out and broke NYC of the late 1970s and the early 1980s. Typically, the music of No Wave overshadows these filmmakers. In this case, the elements were balanced out nicely without losing the interconnections.

Bill Cunningham NYC was just a treat, a warmly humanist film documenting the work of the New York Times "street photographer." An untold story I am glad I didn't miss on my second trip to the IFC Center. Yes, I went to New York City and "all I did was see movies." Are you surprised?

Jayne Eyre took a while to get into for me, as I have taught the novel and seen a few of the many adaptations which preceded this one. Once properly adjusted, it was clear that things were beautifully shot, effective narrative strategies were employed, and performances were convincing. A worthy addition to the "subgenre" of Jane Eyre adaptations.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? was as good as it has ever been. A cartoon rabbit implores the help of detective in this technically groundbreaking pre-CGI Noir riff. Of course the sub-plot was about a real estate scheme! An excellent conclusion to the first installment Gunky's Basement revival series..

Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs was the last Futurama movie I got through without drifting off. The third and forth films did not hold my attention enough for me to count them on this list. Funny for 21 minute episodes, not so much for 90 minute movies. Kudos to David Cross and his voice characterization of Yivo, an alien with relationship issues. It saved the film for me.

"Successful Alcoholics" is a short film included in the thirteenth issue of Wholphin in which two people enjoy life as drunks. So do we until the hammer comes down and it is clear that reality is about to encroach.

The Town was a solid caper film which will live forever in the shadow of Gone Baby Gone. The film kept one's interest and made some surprising moves. Still, it ended a little bit convoluted and implausible, but the crowd must be pleased. Ben Affleck seems like he has returned from the wilderness, and if he keeps doing work like this, I will remain on board.

Four Lions is a British comedy about four terrorists. There, I said it. Effective and pioneering satire from comedy writer and first-time director Christopher Morris, whose work I have followed with some interest. Certainly controversial, a bit half-baked, the film still manages to turn terrorism into slapstick, no mean feat.

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Senator
The Landmark Harbor East
New York City Screenings
Video Americain/ Suburban Multilpex
Netflix Instant/ Netflix DVD
(Please note: All releases are linked to their pages on the Netflix website)
Total: 9 features, 1 short film (5 in theaters)

Flims Viewed (March 2011)

2011-04-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

Beetlejuice remains a cultural touchstone of my formative years. The film, about newlydeads "living" in a pictureesque New England town invaded by both the spirit world and the rich and jaded from the big city, still holds up. It was interesting to watch the film as an adult. The character of Beetlejuice is a lot more lecherous than I remember, for example, and I never really thought of the film in terms of it being a narrative about the co-opting of (literally) underground artists and gentrification. Thanks to the Gunky's Basement crew for putting another great screening together.

Putty Hill has been mentioned here before, and I stand by my original observations. Truly wonderful and challenging new American underground filmmaking. As of this weekend, the film is still playing at the Charles theater.

The Adjustment Bureau was an odd, half-realized kettle of fish. A man discovers that the world is controlled by a celestial bureaucracy. He falls in love with a woman and goes against this organization. Too mild, too safe, and a waste of some great potential in terms of premise and acting talent. Too bad.

Hot Rod was recommended to me by one of my students, a freshman in high school. I found it amusing and wound up laughing out loud twice. A young man tries to prove his worth to his stepfather by jumping on a motorcycle over a great distance. Andy Samburg is talented and I am excited for when he can pull off in a feature what he does so well in his digital shorts.

Gentleman Broncos, savaged by critics, is, in my opinion, a fine Jared Hess film. It was oddly scatological and too quirky at times, sure, but I think I "got it." It boils down, perhaps, to this question: Have you ever been a nerdy little dude bullied and snookered by older nerds when spending your afternoon in the comics shop? If so, this film's premise will make perfect sense to you.

Drive Angry 3D was absolutely ridiculous, a mash-up of all the "good parts" of a certain specimen of ultraviolet foulmouthed action film. Nicholas Cage plays a character back from hell (yes that's right... actual, literal hell) seeking vengeance on the man who murdered his daughter. This is the kind of "grindhouse" film I wish Quentin Tarantino could manage to make. The film also has the dubious distinction of having the lowest-grossing opening of a 3D film ever widley released in theaters in the United States. Thanks to "the guys" for tagging along!

Tamara Drewe was great. A modern riff on Hardy's Far from the Madding Crowd, the film, based on a newspaper strip turned graphic novel, follows the romantic misadventures of the title character after her return to the English countryside of her origin. A refreshing film from a female author's perspective expertly brought to the screen by Stephen Frears, a director whose work I enjoy. Another "one week wonder" I missed at the Charles.

Enter the Void was a hard slog of an arthouse movie, a film meant to transport that would up mostly being just vexing to this viewer. By the end, I felt like I had had a tolerable time, but director Gaspar Noe appeared trapped in his own drug trip. Admittedly, a fun film to watch with a friend who works in film production. The phrase "bad boy provocateur" was exchanged quite a bit in our protracted conversation as the film digitally spooled out before us.

Futurama: Bender's Big Score counts, technically, as a film, right? I enjoy television programs, but I choose not to talk of them here. If you enjoy television programs, you may want to check out this great new blog I just found out about, Rabbit Ears. I am big fan of the author!

Get Low lived up to my fears, a movie just not for me, really. Bill Murray was great (of course). A hermit faces up to his troubled past as he prepares to die. Inspired by a true story, uplifting and touching, so you know I didn't like it that much. Sorry, gang.

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Senator
The Landmark Harbor East
Video Americain/ Suburban Multilpex
Netflix Instant/ Netflix DVD
(Please note: All releases are linked to their pages on the Netflix website)
Total: 10 features (4 in theaters)

Flims Viewed (February 2011)

2011-03-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

Bone, an exploitation film from the early 1970s, was an interesting grab from the Cult section of Video Americain. A situational drama in which a black man holds a wealthy white couple for ransom in Beverly Hills. Could have been formulaic. but was instead redeemed by a literate/literary script and excellent perfomances by the cast, most notably Jeannie Berlin and Yaphet Kotto.

I now understand why Zombieland was such a powerful phenomenon among my students when it hit theaters. Just a great post-apocalyptic thrill ride, conscious of itself and genre in good ways. Bill Murray's cameo steals the show, but Jessie Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin are no slouches either. A weekend night well spent.

It was great to see Nightjohn in and of itself, but to spend time listening to filmmaker Charles Burnett speak on his decades of experience making independent film was a unique opportunity and a memorable experience. Add this African-American filmmaker's movies to your Netflix queue and prepared to get schooled. Start with Killer of Sheep.

Another Year was another Mike Leigh film. Quite a lot of ink was devoted to it in Film Comment without a single mention of how much it is reminiscent stylistically of some of the films of Yasujiro Ozu. A steady, happy aging couple bears witness to the trials and tribulations of their damaged friends and crumbling extended family. Much more accessible than the aforementioned Japanese director's work, at least to me.

Smiles of a Summer Night never fails to impress with its sexual frankness, mirthful bawdiness and rather jaundiced views of relationships. Seen on a trip to Philadelphia at a screening series being curated at International House. A nice print, well projected. Always bet on Bergman.

Troll 2 may be, in fact, the "best worst movie." It is a truly terrible film, but something about it is so odd and surreal that it fascinates. A boy goes to the town of Nilbog with his family. The "people" of the town (who are actually trolls) are attempting to turn them into troll food. Baffling undercurrent of anti-vegetarianism throughout. A fever dream, truly craptastic. A documentary about the film is currently making the rounds.

Rome, Open City felt like homework for grad school I kept avoiding. I decided to rent it from Video Americain after Netflix Instant pulled it down. A great Italian neorealist masterpiece with an interesting production history. Many excellent moments and one iconic scene.

Micmacs was the usual bag of grewgaws and whirlygigs from director Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Never really came together for me. The lukewarm reviews on this one were, to me, fairly spot on. When JPJ hits, he hits big. When he misses, he winds up over the barn.

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Senator
The Landmark Harbor East
Video Americain/ Johns Hopkins/ International House
Netflix Instant/ Netflix DVD
(Please note: All releases are linked to their pages on the Netflix website)
Total: 8 features (3 in theaters)

Films Viewed (January 2011)

2011-02-11T17:38:00.000-08:00

Unforgiven was as good as I have heard it is. I remember seeing posters for it at Golden Ring Mall cinemas during the summer of 1992 and saying "That movie looks badass!" It was and is. A classic (new) Western. Thanks, True Grit, for inspiring a newfound interest in this genre!

I Love You, Phillip Morris comes across an audacious satire yet is based on a true story. Jim Carrey made me forget he was Jim Carrey for a while while still allowing me to enjoy his Carrey-ness. An average Joe discovers he is gay, leaves his wife. becomes a con man, falls in love in prison and... I think you better just see it.

Home was one of those flicks that sits there on the Netflix Instant queue and then, one night, the time is finally right. A French family keeps an uneasy peace in a house next to coming superhighway. When the cars start whizzing by, things begin to unravel. An interesting exploration of the impact of the modern urban environment on those who deal with it. Baltimore in the summer suddenly seemed more bearable after seeing this film.

Blue Valentine is receiving well-deserved hype. The closest I have seen in film to portraying the tortured nature of working class love and relationships in post-industrial America. Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling both turn in masterful performances, bringing into sharp relief characters that we all know but who rarely receive a proper treatment on the big screen.

I was told that The Green Hornet was terrible, but the slams seemed personal and vindictive. I checked it out anyway, had a good time, and recommended it to others who also seemed to enjoy it. Flawed in the way that all Michel Gondry films are flawed, but still a good time. Christoph Waltz was superb once again as an arch-criminal trying to get with the times. Rent it and have fun. I had no issues with it in 2D.

"The Great Ectasy of the Sculptor Steiner" was a short film from Werner Herzog's prime time. The story of extreme "skifliers" gorgeously shot, both in triumph and wipe-out. Like some Bizarro World episode of Wild World of Sports.

The King's Speech is receiving rave reviews, and deservedly so. A stuttering king needs to speak in public, and a man who knows how tries to help him. The king fights him like hell, as a king would. Great performances in a film that can please both mother and son, Joe Popcorn and Joe Arthouse. Good for it, and good for The Senator!

"How Much Wood Would a Wood Chuck Chuck" was on the same disc as the Herzog doc above, and was a lesser affair for me. I enjoyed finding out about the odd art of cattle auctioneering, but lost interest during the endless run of cattle call after cattle call.

"La Soufriere" rounded out the disc of Herzog docs, and was enjoyable. Nothing beats the daredevil thrill of Herzog getting footage on an island about to be annihilated by an angry volcano. Nature in all it's violence and disease.

Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures was a thorough and quietly artful documentary about the life and (mostly) work of Stanley Kubrick. A nice review of his body of work and an excuse to re-visit the box set sometime soon.

Valhalla Rising was just freakin' awesome. A slave who is good at killing named One Eye (!) kills people and trucks with Vikings and Christians to various degrees of success. As if a Conan movie was co-directed by Bergman and Malik. Wow.

Alien: Director's Cut was screened as part of the Gunky's Basement series and was a scary thrillride gross-out once again. There are so many good things about this movie that I forgive it for giving me nightmares. Unfortunately,the film works every time in this way.

42nd Street Forever: Vol. 4 was another curated grindhouse trailer compilation. To my point of view, the trailers are often better than the films, I am now especially interested in Americathon, as I do love a good satire. Since the trailer was included, the film probably wasn't one, but oh well... I will give it a spin sometime.

Somewhere was just great, if you like that sort of film, and by that sort of film I mean the work of director Sophia Coppola. Another filmgoer's comment that "Jeez! Nothin' happened in that movie!" was a sign that something, in fact, did. Closed yesterday at the Charles. I would say to look for it on home video.

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Senator
The Landmark Harbor East
Video Americain
Netflix Instant/ Netflix DVD
(Please note: All releases are now linked to their pages on the Netflix website)
Total: 11 features, 3 short films (6 in theaters)

Films Viewed (December 2010)

2011-01-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

Repo Man was, as always, a scorching punk blast. It was great to see a nice print projected on the big screen with the audio cranked. Many thanks to the Maryland Film Festival and the Gunky's Basement crew for making this happen.

The Fighter could get lost in the year-end prestige-film Oscar-bait shuffle, but I say give it a chance. Not so much a sports film as a story about one particularly dysfunctional working-class Boston clan. I had a good time, but I grew up amongst such characters.

To re-watch Mickey's Christmas Carol, an enjoyable viewing memory from my childhood, was an experiment. Has my appreciation of Dickens' A Christmas Carol been ruined forever by Robert Zemeckis? The answer: No, not really. Also, I am not eight years old anymore.

I have turned watching the first episode of Fanny and Alexander: The Television Version into a Christmas-eve tradition. The turn-of-the-century Swedes celebrate Christmas sumptously, are also dsyfunctional and sad. I always enjoy checking in.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World still ruled upon a second viewing. I feel that one day this film will get its due, perhaps now that the DVD is available to the young people? Of course, I am also a huge fan of Pootie Tang, so maybe I will remain in the minority on this one.

True Grit was a rough and ready adaptation of a book I have not read that stands in the shadow of a film of the same name that I have not seen. A young woman seeks revenge, hires a sozzled Dude, meets a fancy-pants guy. People get killed. The Coen Brothers continue to rule, and long may they reign. Watching and enjoying this has sparked my interest in the viewing of more Westerns, I genre I take in only sparingly.

Black Swan scared the hell out of me, leading to night wracked with nightmares filled with the images and ideas presented in the film. A young woman makes it to the top of the ballet game, at great cost. My sleepless night following my viewing is the sign of an effective psychological horror film, as well as a reminder of why I don't watch too many of them.

Home Alone capped off the year. I dismissed the film at the time of its release, watching the beginning and ending sequences on the pay channels when the film was in heavy rotations after its run as a box office juggernaut. To be in a theater surrounded by others who were clearly more impacted by the film, listening to them recite the dialogue verbatim, added to my appreciation, not to mention the realization that Home Alone is a John Hughes movie.

Films Viewed (November 2010)

2010-12-09T13:00:00.000-08:00

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest was the "oh, okay" last installment of the Millennium Trilogy. The narratives were seen through to the end dutifully. Not as absorbing as the first two films, but still engaging. I saw a special-edition hardcover set at the chain bookstore yesterday that makes the books look more literary. Sure, fine. But you should really buy them here.

Hereafter was a Clint Eastwood directorial effort. Sad real-deal psychic retires, but they keep pulling him back in. I feel Eastwood's films are hit or miss and will watch his avowed masterpiece one of these days. He is an old man who makes movies in the old style. Sometimes there is a comfort in this.

Hot Bubblegum is a Hebrew-language sex farce from 1981 in the style of American Graffiti and Porky's. One night, Netflix Instant was throwing some crazy suggestions my way. Who am I to say no the gods of random?

Bill Murray Life Lessons 2009 was another filmic effort from local upstart Ann Everton, who once cut my hair on the stage of the Senator theater. Watch her take on Meatballs here. Read her interview on the City Paper here.

Logorama won the 2010 Oscar for Best Animated Short and can be seen right here. Worth your time.

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill has been the subject of inside jokes between my girlfriend and myself for some time. The ending truly had us soaring out of the living room. No, he doesn't eat the parrots.

Tropical Malady shows the promise of director Apichatpong Weerasethakul, but I prefer his later films. One that sends you running to the Internet for assistance. With help, I figured out what in the heck happened in the second part.

Dogtooth remains the talk of the Baltimore arthouse circuit. Perhaps better the second time around, as you can put things together more thoroughly. No matter how hard a helicopter parent will try, the outside world will eventually seep in to even the most hermetically sealed household.

The Secret in Their Eyes as just fine. The one the spoiled all the Oscar betting pools earlier this year. I am with those who feel it was essentially an episode of Law & Order, but a really good episode of Law & Order.

Possession has been the talk of the Baltimore arthouse rental circuit in recent times. A couple's relationship deteriorates due to adultery in 1980s Berlin, but hoo boy, there is more to it than that! Let us just say that Isabelle Adjani's character is having one monster of an affair. A psycho-sexual blend brought to boil. If enough people add it on Netflix, maybe someone somewhere will get the message that this needs a proper re-release.

House (1977) is me playing catch-up to the movie-going talk of the town this past spring, after a new print had a limited engagement run at the Senator. A group of young girls visit a ghost house in the country. Wonderful lunacy, highly stylized and very Japanese, ensues. Not scary, still gory.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One was the first film seen at the newly re-opened Senator theater. The theater has been stripped to the bone by the prior tenant, but it is good to have it opened. I have a feeling this little film that is mostly about some teenagers camping in the woods and being angsty and sad is going to go far!

Bright Leaves chronicles documentary filmmaker Ross McElwee's family's involvement with the tobacco trade in North Carolina, but is much more than that. I am very forgiving of his films with their many side-trips and rambles. Not a good as Sherman's March, but I found it very absorbing.

Hideaway (Le Refuge) was a "one week wonder" at the Charles. A woman addicted to drugs discovers she is pregnant with her lover's child after she and her lover overdose, resulting in the death of said lover. And that is just the first ten minutes or so! Suprising throghout, there was a plot twist that had the audience reacting like they caught something I didn't. Clearly, I need to see more Ozon.

Heart of Glass is a prime Werner Herzog film that I have been meaning to give my viewing attention to for some time. The secret of making ruby glass is lost in a Bavarian village, a shepherd has visions of the future, and things slowly go horribly awry, descending into madness. Herzog hypnotized the majority of the cast before each take. You know, because he's like that.

American Grindhouse was a thorough and informative overview of the different types of films that played the grindhouse circuit in the American heyday of such movie houses. Of the "DVD supplement" school, but not terribly so. I would love a doc on the actually movie theaters and what it was like to go to them, perhaps focusing on the more infamous ones.

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Senator
The Landmark Harbor East
Suburban Mulltiplex/ Video Americain/ DVD/ Online
Netflix Instant/ Netflix DVD
(Please note: All releases are now linked to their pages on the Netflix website)
Total: 14 features, 1 short film, 1 anthology collection of short films (5 in theaters)

Films Viewed (October 2010)

2010-11-09T17:04:00.000-08:00

The Social Network was hands-down great if you are a fan of David Fincher and are as interested as I am in the new socially networked world that has emerged in recent times. Still in theaters due to great reviews and solid box office. I say see it.

The Heartbreak Kid (1972) was an odd one. I have been meaning to see more of the films of Elaine May since reading an appreciation of her early work in Film Comment a few years ago, and Netflix provided the opportunity. Why this was re-made (apparently terribly) by Ben Stiller and company is a mystery since the original barely functions plot wise. Hard to go wrong with a young Cybil Shepard, though.

My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? is what happens when Herzog and Lynch get together AKA Awesome + Weird. If you are a fan of either, this is highly recommended.

Plastic Bag, a short by Ramin Bahrani voiced by Wener Herzog, was an extra feature on the above DVD. Haunting, minimal, and effective.

The Jerk was a surgery-recovery choice while trolling through the Comcast On Demand at my mom's house. Early Steve Martin has its moments, but he is not in full filmic blossom quite yet.

Extract, another On Demand choice, was like Mike Judge lite. Diverting but never quite got anywhere interesting.

Jaws III: works every time. I wish I could see it in the original 3D. Perhaps James Cameron could get behind this restoration as well as his other more personal conversion projects?

I Need That Record! was an uneven love letter to the now-disappearing independent record store, my home away from home wherever a reputable one can be found still surviving. The good outweighed the bad in this, but the writing is on the wall.

The Art of the Steal was a double hit in my apartment that it was about both the art world establishment and the world of the non-profit. Delineates the art heist of the century and shows one idea of the art museum (small, for the common man, for arts education, not for critics) losing out in favor of the predominant mode (bus tours, big show, gift shops).

Trash Humpers was quite a rough ride, courtesy of Harmony Korine. A lo-fi American nightmare. I think one day all films will look and play out like this one. This is because I am a cynical person. Banned from Netflix!

John Carpenter's The Thing was a gory paranoid hoot, especially on the big screen. I can see why many old-school FX Fangoria types pledge their allegiance to this one. Screened as part of the new series Gunky's Basement (more info on future screenings here).

Blind Woman's Curse was a WTF Japanese Yazuka/Horror hybrid. Absolutely bizarre at points. An oddity in both genres. Not a bad way to spend a Friday night.

The Killer Inside Me was an eyebrow-raising look inside the mind of a psychopath. Not for the faint of heart. Memorable performances throughout from Casey Affleck, Jessica Alba, and Kate Hudson. A rom-com it was not!

Import/Export was another great film from Ulrich Seidl, a director I was introducted to by John Waters via his Maryland Flm Festival screening pick of a prior film of Seidl's in 2004. In it, a woman leaves the Ukraine to find work in Vienna. A man leaves Vienna to find work in the Ukraine. Bleak and terrible things happen, thanks to the new global economy. Hooray Capitalism!

The City of Lost Children can now be checked off the list. A big beautiful film that somehow feels empty and hollow. The way-station between Delicatessen and Amelie that makes you feel creeped-out/uncomfortable more than a few times.

Water Lilies was a French film about two young women coming of age who. Yes, there is synchronized swimming, but it was shot strikingly. Yes, there is LGBT sexual confusion and tension. Yes, you can watch it on Netflix Instant. Played DC, but never made it to Baltimore.

I Am Love did make it to the Charles, and I regret not catching it on the big screen, as it was clearly meant to be seen. Sumptuous visuals detail the downfall of a wealthy woman (Tilda Swinton) who manages to wear a different super-chic dress in every new setting in the film. She gives it away, all for love. Operatic and borderline ridiculous, I still had a good experience with it.

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Senator
The Landmark Harbor East
Suburban Multiplex
Netflix/ DVD/ On Demand
(PLEASE NOTE: all DVD-available releases are now linked to their page on the Netflix website)
Total: 16 films, 1 short film (2 in theaters)

Charm City Cineaste Three Year Anniversary: 2007-2010

2010-10-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

Well, three years have passed since I started this blog. Many things have changed.

I began during a time of great upheaval and uncertainty in the film exhibition landscape in Baltimore city. There was a lot of nervous energy in the air back then. That time has passed.

As the dust settles, there are clear winners and clear losers. As one Baltimore theater-owner sunk lower and lower into the depths, I eventually decided to turn away from reporting the details, which had become tawdry and wince-inducing. I admit I am clearly biased. I was upset that Baltimore was losing a place to see films, even temporarily, and I was losing any sense of decorum over the situation. I think turning away from it here was my acknowledgment of that bias, but I know I more than got my digs in.

In terms of film exhibition now, the Charles theater's ownership is now also in charge of the Senator theater via a deal with Baltimore City. The Rotunda soldiers on, having recently added a new third screen. The Landmark Harbor East is a place to pay an insane amount of money to see a first-run film. The demand placed upon the mid-sized theater to handle blockbuster films like Inception has lead to sold out screenings and other dilemmas, your dollars burning away as the clock ticks on your overpriced parking-metered spot. In the case of the Landmark, I feel you might as well go the 'burbs. The others remain solid options.

But I must acknowledge that while this landscape has changed, I have changed as well. I don''t make changes easily or well, and have stuck with going to the movies regularly long after most have shifted habits, if the habit was there at all. What could possibly beat seeing a film on the big screen, engaged in the communal experience, munching on popcorn, out on a Friday night?

Well, the answer is Netflix. I fought it for a long time, but this is the new model. For the price of seeing a non-matinee film at the Landmark, I got King Kong in the trunk.

Sure, I have the additional help of an up-to-date HD big screen television and an Internet connection to said television. Now, I have a Netflix Instant library bigger than I can even comprehend at my disposal. Wonderful and challenging films like Bluebeard and Import/Export, which never played on any Baltimore screen, are suddenly and instantly available to me.

It hurts to say all of this. I don't want to betray film house culture, film stock, popcorn machines, popcorn slingers. Sometimes I think this is just a new option that I will integrate into the others, but I know better. I know that I am not from movie-theater-love from childhood, and am more of a "movies on television" person historically.

In any case, to reflect this shift and to make my blog more user-friendly, I will now link to the Netflix page of any film I watch via that service when I list a film's title. This coming month that is pretty much all of them.

I know I am too orderly and willful to stop this blog now, but I foresee a day when I see no films in theaters in a given month. I already skipped seeing anything at the Charles last month for the first time in this blog's history. I had my reasons, but it was strange to realize.

So, I will continue on into year four of this blog. The next interesting/terrifying thing that may become a topic for reporting could be the end of the arthouse movie-theater experience in Baltimore entirely. I certainly hope this is not the case, but as the blue hairs shuffle off this mortal coil, the laptop generation wonders why anyone would pay for a movie at all.

The Return of the Senator Theater!

2010-10-08T17:42:00.000-07:00

Now under new management!

Friday, October 15th.

First feature? Red

Article here.

Let the new era begin!

Films Viewed (September 2010)

2010-10-08T16:22:00.000-07:00

Hackers was certainly not a great film, but it had its moments of great humor, mostly unintentional. I was too old in 1995 to dig on it, but I had my own encounters with this kind of youth film via Pump Up the Volume, Heathers, and other films often involving Christian Slater. They never quite get it right, but they do try. Check it off the list!

Machete was pure popcorn-munchin' fun. It was marred perhaps by being too politically ambitious, but still kept to its grindhouse pedigree with enough faithfulness to make it worth a Friday night screening. No regrets. Made good on the fake original trailer.

Ponyo was strangely disappointing. I figured I would enjoy it as much as other Studio Ghibli fare, but was left cold more often than not. Odd echoes of Hurricane Katrina reverberated around in my head while I tried to piece together the plot. The "okay this is ridiculous" trademarked Anime ending was especially so.

Summer Hours does not seem at first glance like something worth investigating. A bunch of bourgeois French people ponder their mother's legacy? Eh. But the"No. 3" ranking in Film Comment's Top Twenty Films of 2009 tipped me off that it was something worth seeing, and it truly was. The story engages because it is so artfully and humanely told. We have all been there when it comes to the themes presented, or dread the day we will be.

Easy A was some true pop relief. Emma Stone carried the film admirably. I found it to be a fun satirical romp through high school in the 2000s, familiar territory in my case. Sure it was ridiculous and campy. Not sure it was Election-level great, but definitely a contender.

L'Enfance Nue, the debut feature film from 1968 by Mauricee Pialat, is an unflinching portrait of a damaged young man stuck in a broken foster care system. Smartly executed and revolutionary, jarring and naturalistic, it bombed when first released in France. Pialat is still not a "name" director in America, but I am a fan of the films of his that I have had an opportunity to see.

Wallace and Gromit in A Matter of Loaf and Death was just a good ol' time, like a Warners cartoon. A fun "whodunit." Saw some digital work among the stop motion, but it was not terribly distracting. Does this count as film? I hope so.

L'Amour Existe was the debut short film of Maurice Pilat, included on the DVD reviewed above. Even in his first work, we see an assured filmmaker with a definite voice, ready to mix it up and get in your face.

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Landmark harbor East
Other (Netflix DVD, Netfix Instant, suburban multiplex)
Total: 7 films, 1 short film (2 in theaters)

Films Viewed (August 2010)

2010-09-09T16:27:00.000-07:00

The Girl Who Played with Fire was a worthy sequel to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I have been chided by Baby Boomer co-workers for not reading the books and have been told that I am getting a simplistic experience with the films. I respond that I am too busy on Twitter and Faceplace to read books. LOL.

Brighton Rock was the penultimate revival, British gangster noir. Was that really Richard Attenborough as the young conflicted Catholic psychopath? This Richard Attenborough? Carole Marsh was a vision of loveliness.

When You're Strange: A Film About the Doors was the definitive document on this group, if you ask me. After the impact that the Oliver Stoned Doors had on my misspent youth, I found this clarifying. I don't know if I am a true Doors Fan, as it were, but this doc gives legitimacy to their strum and drang via an evenhanded, researched approach.

Red Desert was one of those films you wait to experience correctly. I did, and was rewarded by the new Criterion disc. Beautifully shot and languidly paced, it presents confusion and desire in bleakly nuanced and sharply defined vistas. Comparable to Stalker, another big favorite of mine, which was inspired by this film.

We Live in Public was a perfect descent into the late 1990s, cash being burned as the future was foreseen. A heck of a ride, crashing around the end of the century like most ridiculous things of that era. Josh Harris saw it coming, all of it.

It Always Rains on Sunday was the last revival in the Charles theater series that stretches back to last decade, give or take the occasional brief hiatus. Another British noir, this one was more of a claustrophobic kitchen sink drama. With it, the revivals end for a year, to return when their programmer returns from Rome.

The Kids are All Right was why you go the arthouse; smart, truthful, complex, and unwilling to pull punches. Directed well, acted well, and worth the time of anyone interested in 21st century family dynamics.

Hell House was an old doc in a new DVD box, reminding me in production values of Roger and Me. We see the operation of the first big hell house of its kind, something that is now a nationwide phenomena. Scary in ways other that those intended by the operators of said house.

The Manchurian Candidate... "Wait, you've never seen that film?" "No, I haven't." But it's a classic." Yes, but for years it was unavailable to the public." "It's been available since 1988." "Oh..."

Lovely and Amazing is the second major film in the directorial career of Nicole Holofcener. It was interesting to see this film after seeing her latest, which used some of the same cast/types in different ways. I suspect her films will age well based on how this 2001 effort looked and felt today. Do I dare venture back to 1996's Walking and Talking?

The Beatniks (Mst3k version) was a terrible bore of a film only levied by the jibes of the Satellite of Love crew. Started flat and cold, but redeemed itself by the end. More proof those guys can make any film a hoot.

Bluebeard was the ZOMG highlight of the month. A fairy-tale re-told by the director of Romance? I was in from the first, and was stunned repeatedly by the cinematography and the performances evoked. Proof that film can be art. It is a crime it did not even get a week on a big screen in Baltimore.

It Happened One Night is canonical, a welcome relief on an otherwise dreary late-summer evening. Did not like the creaky sexist attitudes, still enjoyed the back and forth of the two leads and the pre-code licentiousness.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World was like a book written for people who don't read. The gamers and fanboys stayed away from a movie custom made for them, a film which represents a possible future of the feature film. I was enjoying myself from the opening Nintendofied Universal logo and theme onward. I wish I had more company in the theater, however.

Jaws was an old friend, revisited with educated eyes. Key scenes remained from my childhood, while others escaped me at the time. Nice way to wrap up the summer, movie-wise, despite declining to stick around to watch the sequel.

The Other Guys was thoroughly "eh" but was still Will Ferrell's second biggest opening box office weekend. I felt somehow not manly enough for this film, or maybe not stupid enough? And I can be a big appreciator of stupid humor... puzzling.

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Landmark Harbor East
Other (Suburban Mulitplex, Netflix! Netflix! Netflix!, Greektown rowhome)
Total: 16 (6 in theaters)

Films Viewed (July 2010)

2010-08-03T12:24:00.000-07:00

35 Shots of Rum seemed like a resposnse to arugments I don't know much about in French culture. I am a fan of the director Clarie Denis, but wasn't too moved by this film.

Se7en can be checked off my earlier list. I can see how it was impactful in its time, but it seems also kind of standard-issue to me today. I think seeing it in 1995 would have been a bigger deal.

Pick a Winner is a collection of videos and films from Load Records that I bought from the merch table of the band USAISAMONSTER. I skimmed through it once, filed it, and forgot about it. Good to finally sit down and soak in its weirdness.

Lessons of Darkness is a hybrid doc by Werner Herzog. Burning oil wells, science fiction scenes in the desert. Suggested by someone as appropriate due to the situation in the Gulf for a group watching that never occurred. So I borrowed the DVD.

Please Give was my first encoutner with the films of Nicole Holofcener at a jam-packed screening on a brutally hot day of the holiday weekend. I can see now why someone commented that her films are always welcomed.

Fata Morgana was on the flip side of the Herzog DVD I borrowed. Quite a trip through the desert. I do wonder if the tale of making it enhances the film, but it is clear that its influence is far-reaching.

Stones in Exile was the first thing I used my new Netflix account to watch over the computer instantly. Yes, I have gone over the dark side. Yes, this was not the most interesting documentary, but I still dig on that record.

Mickey One, although mostly a mess, is visually compelling and sometimes just plain insane in what it is about and after. Studio American does French new wave.

Cyrus reminded me in Mickey One in the sense that it is a "big" overground film being intentionally made in an underground style. For some reason, I gain pleasure from the experience of seeing these films despite how much I dislike this in other art forms.

The Last Detail was another Hal Ashby film to check off the list of his "must-sees." Like 35 Shots of Rum, I felt left out of the situation and the argument, although you can feel the tension of making this kind of movie in the Vietnam era. The incessant profanity from those cursing like the sailors they were must have been boundary-pushing at the time, but has little impact to the modern coarsened ear.

Good Dick was a film I have been meaning to see for some time. The copy at the Video Americain I frequent was stolen, so the Netflix Instant (which can be streamed right to our new television) provided the film to me finally. It is rare to see a film deal with female sexual dysfunction this openly and effectively.

Winter's Bone was a window into a world, buoyed by the performance of Jennifer Lawrence as a young woman in search of her father in the Ozark backwoods.

M has been on the list for so long it is laughable. I even own an earlier edition of it on Criterion DVD! The version I watched was the most recent clean-up of the print. Smart, savage, satirical... it is wild to see someone like like Fritz Lang running amok in a new art form.

Inception is looking like the only summer film of the summer, and can be highly recommended. Otherwise, I have been wholly unmoved and uninspired by this year's model of blockbuster.

Beautiful Losers is a documentary about a group of kids who skateboarded and made art together and apart in the early 1990s. It was a wonderful explanation in regards to what attracted me to this culture when I was a lad.

Pirate Radio was an intriguing premise turned into an abysmal film. Don't be fooled. It is a waste of time. So many "oh god no" moments based on ham-fisted script and directorial decisions I lost track.

The Hangover made 277 million in domestic box office. I was chided by my students for having never seen it. Now I have. So there, students!

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Landmark Harbor East
Other (Video Americain, Netflix, suburban multiplex)
Total: 16 features, 1 video compilation (6 in theaters)

Films Viewed (June 2010)

2010-07-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

Robin Hood was a movie that I saw at a Cinemark Multiplex in the county. They have radically changed the way concessions and tickets are sold there, creating a confusing "buffet-style" situation. I enjoyed the film, but my expectations were not very high. I am beginning to believe that seeing MacGruber has somehow cursed my filmgoing experiences this summer, but most agree this is a lackluster season.

Respect Yourself: The Stax Record Story re-affirmed by believe in soul over technique, emotion over suavity. Just get out there and get to it!

Harry Brown was a fantasy for a person that is not me, the tale of an avenging oldster taking back the streets from the kids and their rap music. Michael Caine was very good in his role, and things got complex enough to remain interesting. Beautifully shot, all smoky grays and haunted hallways.

Bringing Out the Dead was the last remaining post-Mean Streets Scorsese movie for me to see. Instantly out of date when created, it captured some of the insanity of being really, really tired fairly well, and was otherwise uneven. I did not save the best for last.

Warrior of the Lost World (MST3K Version) was a hoot and a half. I have noticed a tendency to return to such pleasures as the temperatures increase. The summer roster seems to be failing me as of late, so I will take it where I can get it.

Vincere, a movie I was implored to see by the local film community, was operatic, visually stunning, and about a kind of insane love and devotion that was probably not easy for the average filmgoer to understand. I have a weaknesss for such fare, and was glad that I was chided into seeing it by others.

Autonomous Comics One is the short film student work of Brian Nicholson, a Baltimore transplant and raconteur of some prominence.

The Reason Why Our World is Coming to an End is included in the above package I purchased the set at the True Vine, and this films was the superior of Mr. Nicholson's filmic efforts thus far. I wish him the best in all his continued efforts.

The Complete Metropolis was a worthwhile three plus hours, taking in this early silent masterpiece in as complete a version as is possible. Will those final additional seconds ever appear? I hope not, because then I would have to see it again. From the crappy public domain DVD I picked up at Best Buy through all the subsequent re-masters, returns, and revivals, it is a screening opportunity that is hard to pass up.

Fellini's Roma was considered a baffling misfire when first release, but I think makes sense as a doc hybrid today, at least to me. You get images and moments, leaving the idea of a plot eventually far behind.

Crimes of Passion was a overheated scorcher, perfect for a post-show late night. Ken Russell sure does have some issues with women! Comic book on one hand and blatantly Hitchcock psycho-drama on the other, it moved along with a kind of energy that reminded me of the kind of movies I would watch very late at night on pay cable in my youth.

The Scarlett Empress was such fun. I assumed I was tuning into a stuffy melodrama, but this film was having nothing to do with that. Expressionistic sets framed intrigue after intrigue. Don't let the DVD box fool you!

Walkabout was avoided for some time due to my associations with another kind of Australia. I should have known better. You don't get made by Nicolas Roeg early in his career and be referenced by Throbbing Gristle without being worth watching. Jenny Agutter's performance is entrancing.

Spetters seemed like it was going to be standard issue teen motorbike fare, but soon got all Verhoeven on it, which made for a much more interesting movie. I think these past three Video Americain rental choices reflect a kind of "let's see... um, maybe this is good?" stumbling about on my part. In all cases, I was not dissatisfied. I have not yet begin to plumb the depths of their back catalog!

Equus was a rental choice I was faux-chided for making. It was claimed that I was a "dirty, dirty man" for renting this film. I saw it on Jenny Agutter's IMDB and said, "Hey... if Harry Potter can be in a production of it, then I can rent it." Hoo boy! Quite a ride!

Taking Out the Trash/Trash Talking is a film by the Paper Rad collective I have been meaning to see for some time. Thanks to Brian Nicholson for lending it to me.

The Carter Showcases Lil' Wayne in all his sizzurp-swilling glory, breaking through big time. It is the kind of film that would not be allowed to be made about him while it was being made, and so things fall apart as he gets bigger and bigger. Like smoking a joint with Dylan in 1963.

Independence Day can finally be taken off my list of top ten 1995-1997 films I didn't see. I was like seeing 2012 again, but with less advanced special effects, outdated politics and worldview, and Will Smith. You know... it killed a few hours.

Two American Audiences was an interview film with Jean-Luc Godard, made around the time of La Chinoise, included in a Believer magazine film issue compilation of films about Godard in the States called JLG in USA. I think the above film will finally be rented, despite some reservations I may have about it.

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Landmark Harbor East
Other (Video Americain, The Senator)
Total: 16 features, 3 short films (5 in theaters)

Charles takes Senator for the Win

2010-06-11T22:24:00.000-07:00

The war is over! For more, go here.

Films Viewed (May 2010)

2010-06-08T13:43:00.000-07:00

Phantom Lady was another workaday Noir, replete with plot convolutions, frame-ups, tough dames, cartoon psychopaths... a good time if you take comfort in the sturdy frame of an old Hollywood picture.

Exit Through the Gift Shop was a fun-house mirror ride through the modern world of art and celebrity, London and LA, Banksy and OBEY.... a brilliant movie by an intelligent media player.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has been making the Boomers at work really excited. This film and the book upon which it is based are quite a phenomenon despite the "graphic" parts that are spoken about in hushed tones. I was on the fence until I heard it was Swedish. No regrets.

Nights and Weekends is part of my apology to the Mumblecore movement. Sorry I kinda dabbled in you until just recently! Clearly I needed to pay closer attention to all this business.

Dogtooth came into the 2010 Maryland Film Festival with a lot of "buzz." Joe Audience Member appeared to find it a "buzzkill," but I enjoyed it, taking away a commentary on parent's desire to "protect" their children from the outside world. What will you take away?

We Don't Care About Music Music Anyway... is an impressionistic take on Japanese noise music that I found just wonderful, filled with orchestrated smash-sessions and live-show theatrics.

Gabbi on the Roof in July is a movie I must recuse myself from reviewing since I helped to host the film for the Maryland Film festival. More information can be found here.

Tiny Furniture is another movie I must recuse myself from reviewing since I helped to host the film for the Maryland Film festival. More information can be found here.

Cold Weather is the final movie I must recuse myself from reviewing since I helped to host the film for the Maryland Film festival. More information can be found here.

Liverpool is why I go to the festival. A challenging film where we follow a man on a journey. We are given little, becoming detectives, reading into each small moment, each reaction to the man. I enjoy this type of exercise very much.

Total Recall was a whole bunch of smart fun. Always worth the time to take the trip. Hosted by Dan Deacon.

Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness, a silent film, was accompanied live by the Alloy Orchestra. This is an MFF tradition that makes for a pleasant Sunday morning. I hope it continues.

Until the Light Takes Us was perfect for a Black Metal dilettante like myself, giving an overview of an interesting/disturbing moment in recent music history.

Putty Hill was just a fine time, the second sold-out 2010 MFF screening for this local filmmaker. As someone from these types of neighborhoods who has lost people to similar circumstances, I applaud this film for its sensitivity and nuance. For more information, go here.

Iron Man 2 was a big dumb thrill-ride, nowhere near as refreshing as the first, but still full of all the little touches I enjoy about this director's films. The purists seemed upset, but I had no qualms.

Late Spring was yet another shot at getting into Ozu's most critically acclaimed films. I confirmed once again that I don't like them, preferring his Noir one-offs or films like Good Morning to this sort of stately, static drama. The ending was fairly devastating and understated. I will give it that.

Babies was a fine piece of observational documentary. A way to watch babies explore their environments without having some concerned mother snatch them away. The women cooing in the audience were annoying but served as a fascinating study in people's involuntary reactions to stimuli.

Kick Ass was a smart, geeky "hell yes / high five" sort of a film. I had a good time but I don't think I gained anything from the experience. A Kevin Smith-like journey through the annals of geekdom.

Magruber (cue theme) MAGRUBER was a movie that maybe only I saw in the theaters MAGRUBER didn't need to exist but Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig are always funny MAGRUBER one day I'll learn my lesson about SNL spin-off films MAGRUBER! (explosions)

A Colt is My Passport shows that Japan also was busy making work-a-day Noirs, a bit later than in America but just as enjoyable. An anti-Ozu to remind me of what I love about Japanese film.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High retains it's charm, perhaps, because it is based on an actual sociological study of 80s Cali teens. It is not shallow and it is not simple. Note-perfect.

In the Realm of my Senses was another anti-Ozu that is still unable to be seen uncensored in Japan. I am assuming that one day all film will be like this, but maybe I assume too much.

Hannah Takes the Stairs was another entry in my Mumblecore fest. Better than trying to tune in Digital TV in my new apartment, that's for sure.

The Secret of Kells was just ravishing, sumptuous film-making about the value of knowledge and books. I am glad to have seen this animated visual feast, and recommend it when it comes out on DVD.

A Day at the Races was lesser Marx brothers in totality but classic in certain parts. I can see why this one does not get revived as often. Made right after my favorite, A Night at the Opera.

The Puffy Chair, unfortunately named, is another Mumblecore film that eventually won me over. Headed up by the Duplass brothers, who are about to unleash Cyrus on us.

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Landmark Harbor East
The 2010 Maryland Film Festival
Other (Video Americain, suburban multiplex)
Total: 26 films (20 in theaters)

Film Exhibition in Baltimore (May 2010)

2010-06-03T13:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I think this is my last monthly update on Film Exhibition in Baltimore. There just isn't anything going on, really.

The film exhibition landscape has seemingly settled. No word on the Charles theater's owner taking over the Senator theater officially, just the possibility. Oh, to gain privileged access to those smoke-filled back rooms in city hall where these deals are struck! Meanwhile, the Senator keeps on keeping on in its patchouli-scented current incarnation, with maybe Hausu coming back again, (which I would enjoy seeing greatly). I am also seeing that The Complete Metropolis is scheduled for a run beginning Friday, June 11th, which I will enjoy if I can catch it (showtimes for any film are limited by the other events the theater tends to schedule these days, leaving potential patrons with 8PM or Midnight screenings to choose from most of the time).

The Charles is the Charles, a bit spiffier and pricier but essentially the same. The Landmark Harbor East and the Rotunda provide mainstream commercial American film with a place to be seen (it is so hard to get to see these films otherwise). A recent screening of Iron Man 2 at the Rotunda was relatively glitch-free, so I hope I won't get fooled again if I begin to consider it a screening option once more. I would just advise getting there with plenty of time to spare.

Well, that is that. I retire this column and will continue to update when news breaks, which is not very often on this front these days. The war is over, for now. Up next, a whopping Films Viewed (May 2010), including films screened as part of the 2010 Maryland Film Festival.

Fims Viewed (April 2010)

2010-05-02T19:17:00.001-07:00

Chloe was a psycho-sexual good time, courtesy of Atom Egoyan. Although flawed and a bit too Freudian, it should be noted for its attempt to tell the story from the perspective of the female lead, getting inside her needs, neuroses, and sexual desires.

Greenberg was about that guy who was older than me that I hated due to his uber-1990s slack and his inability to transcend his own hang-ups. Ben Stiller was fine, Greta Gerwig was lovely and amazing. It's hard to make a good film about a poisonously unlikable main character.

The Incredible Shrinking Man was a satisfying meal of 1950s smart Sci-Fi. Held up well and got me thinking. All I remember from seeing it as a kid was the battle with the spider.

Play It Again, Sam is Woody Allen as a play as a movie. Not quite there yet, but the pieces are in place for greatness. I want to live in the main character's apartment.

A Lesson in Love made for a good follow-up considering Allan's love of Bergman. A film unavailable on DVD I had taped off of TCM 11 or so years ago. I enjoy his work too much to criticize. A smart early effort that saved his career, apparently. Thanks for the info, Robert Osborne!

The Runaways is a standard bio-pic, but one that I still enjoyed. Another film that should be noted for its efforts to take stock of things from a female perspective (would there be any other way to tell this story?). Clearly from the viewpoint and with the authorization of Joan Jett and Cherie Curie. Lita Ford gets reduced to a bit part, which seems wrong somehow.

Mother, not based on the Danzig song in any way, was perhaps made more odd by my lack of understanding of the Korean mother-son relationship. A troubled boy gets in trouble. Mom gets to investigating. And then... hoo-boy!

Danger: Diabolik was just the kind of campy early-1960s comic-book relief I needed during a grinding work week. Slow in parts, fantastic in others, Diabolik is quite a piece of work.

Sympathy for Mister Vengeance struck me as the weakest of Park Chan-wook's vengeance trilogy. I would say check out Oldboy first, then Lady Vengeance. Points gained for leftwing radical nutjob female lead. Points lost for a "yeah, I already get it" unnecessary voice overdub and one plot convolution too many.

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Landmark Harbor East
Other (Video Americain, The Maryland Science Center)
Total: 9 films (5 in theaters)

NOTE THE NEW NEW POLICY: I will now give a capsule review with each film. I will continue to experiment with the format. Please leave comments or suggestions if you are not a spammer.

Film Exhibition in Baltimore (April 2010)

2010-05-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

Well, it may be all over except for the negotiating. The Charles theater's owner will take over the Senator, (probabilistically). The details are here. The Senator being leased for one dollar a year? Sounds like a deal, though I think I hear the Senator's soon-to-be-former owner crying off in the corner somewhere...

In other news, the Charles is gearing up for the 2010 Maryland Film Festival. The schedule is here. I may have to recuse myself from too much reportage on this, as I am a member of the screening committee and, at a few screenings, I will be introducing the filmmakers and running the Q and A afterward. Dan Deacon presenting Total Recall? Bill Callahan of Smog presenting Faces? Norwegian Black Metal Doc? Japanese Noise Band Doc? Some SNL doc that James Franco made? A whole slew of cutting edge festival fare, John Waters, 3D movies, and more? I would suggest giving that schedule a good going-over and making a weekend out of it.

Up next, a new format for my Films Viewed (April 2010).

Films Viewed (March 2010)

2010-04-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

Fish Tank
Husbands
Wild River
Shutter Island
Spring Breakdown
The White Ribbon
Alice in Wonderland (IMAX 3D)
A Prophet
For Ever Mozart

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Landmark Harbor East
Other (Video Americain, The Maryland Science Center)
Total: 9 films (7 in theaters)

NOTE THE NEW POLICY: If you want me to say something about any of the films viewed, please ask. I will be more than happy to speak on their qualities.

Film Exhibiton in Baltimore (March 2010)

2010-04-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

A day late and a dollar short. Apologies.

It has been some time since I have weighed in on local happenings. Here's some data worth passing on...

The Charles has upped its ticket price. The six dollar matinee/ eight dollar feature era is over. There is also now a senior discount. May God have mercy on the ticket sellers during this time of tumultuous transition.

The Charles has installed credit card machines. This means the "cash only" era is over. May God have mercy on the concessionists during this time of upheaval and change.

The Charles has installed fancy new granite counter-tops over the raw concrete ones. There is talk of the Charles serving alcohol in the future, but this is a rumor at best. For now, Tapas will have to suffice. May God have mercy on the ushers as they engage in crowd control.

In summary, every time I go into the place, something is different.

The Senator's former owner may have finally nuked the soup, as Towson University has pulled out its bid for turning the theater into a live music venue. This leaves the Charles' proposal as the only one on the table. For more, see today's article in the Sun. I have intentionally avoided reporting on all this wrangling, but am pleased to see a proposal which would bring films back to the theater as the only one left standing. If only anything involving the Senator's fate was a done deal!. Oh well...

The Rotunda continues to show first run films. I am assuming they will continue also to poorly project them, and will also continue to understaff the theater (concessions and tickets in the same line) so that there is very little chance that you will get in to see your movie on time.

That's about it! Up next, a paltry Films Viewed (March 2010).

Films Viewed (February 2010)

2010-03-14T15:49:00.000-07:00

The Hurt Locker
Putty Hill (excerpt)
La Corona
JFK (director's cut)
The Battle of Algiers
Final Flesh
The Last Station
Numero Deux
American Graffiti
The Last Picture Show
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
Hot Tub Time Machine

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Landmark Harbor East
Other (Video Americain, School Library, Wholphin)
Total: 10 films, 1 short film, 1 excerpt from a longer work (6 in theaters)

NOTE THE NEW POLICY: If you want me to say something about any of the films viewed, please ask. I will be more than happy to speak on their qualities. If not, I shall keep mum.

the Brith of a Cineaste (1998-present)

2010-03-14T14:58:00.000-07:00

After I broke up with the girlfriend who hated movies, I almost immediately entered into a relationship with a girlfriend who loved movies.

I had a lot of catching up to do.

I have two impulses that are pretty strong in me. One, if you deny me something for specious or arbitrary reasons, I will want it more. Two, if you tell me I can't do something, I will do it more just to defy you.

My first tentative encounter with the Charles happened just as they opened under the present management. I saw the second half of a Saturday Night Fever/Pulp Fiction double feature. Through my work for the A&E section of my college newspaper, I began attending critical and preview screenings there. It was at a screening of Kissed that I think that my love for the place, then still a one screen, solidified.

The Senator came into play during the Star Wars digital ruinings of late 1990s. I was there for more than that, of course, seeing many mainstream and classic films there over the years. I am especially grateful for my experience of a "proper" screening of Laurence of Arabia before the ol' gal entered into her current season of local band sucktitude. The place has really nuked the soup recently, if you ask me.

The Rotunda was owned by the Loews chain the middle to late 1990s, and used to screen arthouse fare, forcefully exercising its clearance over the Charles on many occasions. I saw Requiem for a Dream, the Virgin Suicides, You Can Count on Me, and many other films there that you might have expected me to have caught at the Charles.

My old interests rekindled, I added the recent explosion of American Independent cinema to the agenda. If I had the time, I was at the movies. If you were talking to me, I probably wanted to talk to you about film. If it was a nice sunny day out, I could be found in a darkened auditorium.

On one level, it is silly to talk about this person who is still me now. Clearly, a person who keeps a bi-monthly blog on film exhibition in Baltimore still has a more than healthy film habit. You know how I feel when it comes to the cinema: go hard or go home.

After a year's campaign, I got a part-time job at the Charles in 2003, and the rest is history.

Next month, I will devote this space once again to the goings on at the various local theaters. I hope this nostalgic exercise wasn't too painful. Before then, my Films Viewed (February 2010).

Films Viewed (January 2010)

2010-02-10T08:49:00.000-08:00

Stepbrothers
Sherlock Holmes
42nd Street
Stingray Sam
The Young Victoria
Letters from Iwo Jima
Broken Embraces
Gold Diggers of 1933
Young Mr. Lincoln
A Single Man
Swing Time
Footlight Parade
Crazy Heart
Mixtape

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Landmark Harbor East
Other (Video Americain, DVD, the Internet)
Total: 13 films, 1 short film (9 in theaters)

Notes: Although I will be including this in my Films Viewed next month, I thought it would be important to mention Putty Hill, the new feature by local filmmaker Matthew Porterfield. It seems like he hasn't caught too many breaks since the critical success of his extremely impressive directorial debut Hamilton. Of course, this is the case in the larger independent filmmaking community when it comes to funding and financing in these time of economic crisis. I attended a screening/benefit, and was impressed by what I saw. To find out more and donate to the cause, go here.

My filmwatching has been impacted by the re-start of school and another task I am engaging in for the Maryland Film Festival. This second task is secret but important. I can say no more.

I had two bad screening experiences this month: Sherlock Holmes and Swing Time. Sherlock Holmes' bad time was due to the print being projected "dark." Either something was wrong with the projector/print or Guy Ritchie has made a truly murky film. I am thinking it was the former. My problem with Swing Time came not from any technical problem but from the sequences between the dancing. I am very forgiving of hokey old-timey filmic conventions, but this one took the cake. I say watch Fred and Ginger dancing on Youtube instead. I also suspect my viewing of a few episodes of the rapid-fire 30 Rock earlier that morning kept me from getting too into the swing of things.

Conversely, I have had no problem getting into the Busby Berkeley films which the Charles theater revival series has been on a tear through recently. Those sequences are surreal and amazing.

Two winners which will be playing locally whenever the Charles manages to dig out and open their doors again would be A Single Man and Crazy Heart. As someone who has always had an affinity for the aesthetics and about-to-explode-in-revolution culture of the early 1960s, A Single Man was a direct hit, telling an engaging, tragic story in high style. Go and be enveloped in another time and place. Crazy Heart is a minor miracle, the same old story told one more time, but with feeling. Jeff Bridges is in the role he was born to play, and the rest of the cast is on par (even Colin Farrell). The music ain't half-bad either, and that is coming from someone who is very choosy about his Country and Western. The Charles needed another Slumdog Millionaire, and it looks like they found it.

Finally, is is nice to be able to watch a short film and then be able to say that you can watch it here right now. Otherwise, it was Ford, Almodovar, and Eastwood, independent nuttiness and low-brow humor of the first order.

Up next, the final installment in my recent series, The Birth of the Cineaste (1997-present). Stay safe and warm, Baltimore!

the Lost Years of the Cineaste (1995-1997)

2010-01-25T17:49:00.000-08:00

For two years, I didn't watch movies.

"Oh... come on! You? For two years?"

Yes. Two years.

It is a bit of a simplification, but it is essentially true.

For two and a half years, I was in a relationship with someone who did not like films.

We got along on most other levels, but she wasn't interested in this activity.

That meant no weekend trips to see first-runs, no snowbound rental marathons, no catching something odd on the television. Nothing.

To be fair, I was also busy being a full-time college student who worked two part-time jobs who was also in a full-time rock and roll band. But, still! The conveyor belt shut down and I was out of the loop, creating a gap in my filmic knowledge that makes it appear as if I was out of the country at that time.

Clearly, there is not a lot to say about this era. I present instead a list:

TOP TEN 1995-1997 FILMS I STILL HAVEN'T SEEN

1. Se7en (1995)

Yes, one of my favorite contemporary directors made this apparently stunning film and I still haven't seen it. I tried once at a noisy college party. No dice. I rented it in anticipation of this list and ran out of time. Clearly, I need to see this thing. Some guy named Pitt is pretty good in it, I hear.

2. The City of Lost Children (1995)

It is insane that I haven't seen this film. It makes no sense considering how much I have enjoyed and/or felt obligated to see Caro and/or Jeunet's other works (Delicatessen, Amelie, A Long Engagement). Some day soon I will rent this and fill in this critical gap.

3. Apollo 13 (1995)

Epic space film starring Tom Hanks? C'mon, EVERYBODY saw that one! Not me...

4. Toy Story (1995)

Okay, this one I would have skipped initially, but considering its impact and influence, you figure I would have rented it or caught it at some holiday gathering. Not the case.

5. Independence Day (1996)

While everyone else was in line to catch this mega-blockbuster that July 4th weekend, I was in the studio recording an EP with my band. I caught part of it on cable recently and was amused by what a time capsule the film has become. Oh, to recall to time in America when we had no clear enemies and endless faith in computers!

6. The Apostle (1997)

With an acclaimed preformance by Robert Duvall, this is the kind of movie I will be all over very shorty. Not then and not yet.

7. Mission: Impossible (1996)

Tom Cruise on wires? Brian DePalma at the helm? Sounds like a guilty pleasure, but I have yet to indulge. This non-viewing has led me to not see the entire series as I assumed I would be unable to follow the storyline. This is silly.

8. Hackers (1995)

I guess I get a pass on this one considering my college-age at time of this "teen film", but some hold this (apparently) horrible and hysterically inaccurate film in high cult-esteem these days. Perhaps one day when I need to laugh, I will happen upon it on VHS at the thrift store.

9. Dead Man Walking (1995)

This is sort of acclaimed, serious drama I would have found gripping some rainy afternoon. Instead, I was off combing thrift store bins in search of rare records for a dollar (vinyl was cheap because it was SO DEAD at the time).

10. Amistad (1997)

Stephen Spielberg tackles slavery and I was either working at the school post office or the writing center when I wasn't desperately trying to suss out the lyrics I had warbled on my band's latest practice tape.

So, that is that. As I will explain in my next installment, this deprivation is extremely important, as without it there would be no true Birth of the Cineaste (1998- present). Before then, my handful of Films Viewed (January 2010).

Films Viewed (December 2009)

2010-01-04T16:31:00.000-08:00

Fantastic Mister Fox
Kids + Money
The Devils
La Danse
La Belle Personne
Trouble in Paradise
Fanny and Alexander: The Television Version (Act One)
Red Cliff
Avatar (3-D)
La Haine
The Kid Stays in the Picture
Happy Endings
Near Dark
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Manhattan
Matewan
Santa Claus (MST3K version)
Up in the Air
What's Opera, Doc?
A Night at the Opera
An Education
Casa de los Babys
The Maid
Me and Orson Welles
Flags of our Fathers
Fantastic Mister Fox

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Landmark Harbor East
Other (Video Americain, Projected Laptop, Wholphin)
Total: 24 films, 1 short film, 1 animated short (15 in theaters)

Notes: You know it has been a good movie month when the list begin and end with screenings of Fantastic Mister Fox.

The count has clearly been boosted by snow hibernation.

This month I will let the list speak for itself. Yes, go see it in 3-D. Yes, that movie is totally deserving all the critical acclaim. Yes, that movie is a work of pure twisted genius.

Yes.

the Cineaste Comes of Age (1987-1994)

2009-12-28T14:09:00.000-08:00

My family had just moved into our new home in Dundalk, an eastern suburb of Baltimore City. It was late at night, and I was keeping my usual night owl hours. It was probably 1987. It could have been 1988.

I had a room in the basement, where our latest monster projection television had been placed. I came out of my room after some quality time with Mad Magazine and Pro Wrestling Illustrated to discover my younger brother sitting in front of the television, transfixed. He had the weird clunky controller on the floor in front of him, its thick cord snaking back to the cable box. He was watching channel three, a pay channel. It was a freeview weekend, and Cinemax's Friday After Dark had been discovered. Things were never the same.

Through some quirk of fate, that "freeview weekend" never ended and the wide world of pay movie channels remained open to me from mddle school into high school.

I spent many a summer and weekend night foraging through the offerings. I knew I had something good playing out in front of me when it would keep my attention into the wee hours. A Clockwork Orange blew me entirely away. Near Dark had me up until 5AM, leaving me as raw as those freewheeling southern vampires. Raising Arizona, Blue Velvet, Roger and Me, Do the Right Thing, Edward Scissorhands, Jacob's Ladder... they all rolled by, uncut films streaming into the world of a young man who was far from the arthouse. This was thanks in part to the Cinemax Vanguard programming, which was what the channel ran late at night when it wasn't busy being skinemax.

But that wasn't the only way movies were entering into my world. My family's healthy film habit was supported by Sunday post-church trips to the suburban multiplexes and our membership at the Video Attractions down the road. We were often at the rental limit, and my brother and I continually attempted to sneak films like Basic Instinct out of the store and into the basement with limited success.

You will notice once again that the physical act of going to the movie theater was not a big deal, nor was it the only way I saw a film. Still, amidst the mega-doses of Spielburgs and Robocops and Batmen, I began digging deeper, paying attention to directors, looking for envelope-pushing materials. I was unafraid of black and white, interested in foreign cinema.

As high school dawned, my social world opened up, and so did my filmic horizons. One friend to whom I am particualry endebted to for may reasons enjoyed envelope-pushing music and cinema with equal fervor. He made sure I was treated to a steady diet of Tarantino, Lynch, Bakshi, and Kubrick when we weren't playing/attending shows.

After I graduated from high school and entered college, something happened that sealed my fate. It is perhaps best summed up in cliche. For soon, there is a darkening of the screen and a pause in the vhs tape as we reach the Lost Years of the Cineaste (1995-1997). Before that, Films Viewed (December 2009).

Films Viewed (November 2009)

2009-12-15T18:40:00.000-08:00

Good Hair
Antichrist
A Woman in Berlin
Disney's A Christmas Carol
The Third Generation
Coco Before Chanel
Branded to Kill
2012
The Killer
A Real Young Girl
Crude
It is Fine. Everything is Fine!
Duck Soup
Spies Like Us
The Men Who Stare at Goats
Even Dwarfs Stated Small
Lady Vengeance
The Road
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Landmark Harbor East
Other (Video Americain, Suburban Multiplex)
Total: 19 films (11 in theaters)

Notes: I feel very good about this month. I feel very good indeed.

Still, there was one notable stinker among the bunch. I cannot abide the newest A Christmas Carol. It features a character that is my namesake, and holds a special place in my family's holiday traditions. An encapsulation of my opinion would be thus: the wizz-bang CGI 3D effects cannot hide a barren, threadbare retelling of a usually warm and fuzzy fable. The film fails to locate the central humanity of the story. This is an essential part of any filmed Dickens adaptation of merit. Grade: F-.

Moving on, the clear highlight of the month was attending Crispin Glover's Big Slide Show, which featured a screening of It is Fine. Everything is Fine!, the second film in the It trilogy. This was a unique evening with a gifted and eccentric artist. I would say more, but it is clear that he wishes for people to experience his films for themselves, with the director present to explain. I recommend going to this if the occasion arises.

The filmed comedies ran the gamut, from perennial favorites to the unintentionally hysterica l to "nice try, guys." In general, there were compelling historical dramas, free-spirited biopics, wacked-out Yazuka films, women seeking vengance, nightmare dystopias big and small, clear Oscar contenders, revealing documentaries... it is hard ot know where to begin or what to recommend, honestly.

Well, that's about it. The Charles seems to be coming up aces at the moment. Let's hope that this continues. Up next... the Cineaste Comes of Age (1987-1994).

the Youth of the Cineaste (1976-1987)

2009-12-05T13:34:00.000-08:00

I was born in 1976.

I mention this since the year in which you were born determines a great deal about how you encountered film in your American youth. In my case, I was born at the dawn of the summer blockbuster, which I think still imparts a soft spot in me each year for the ultra-mega summer films.

I have hazy memories of the anticipation of the opening weekend of The Empire Strikes Back, as I was firmly under Mr. Lucas' spell at that time. The tickets were purchased in advance and pinned on the bulletin board next to the lone telephone in our Bayview rowhome. Seeing that the tickets had perforations similar to the ones in my activity books, I got up on a chair stacked with phone books and tore them. I was in big trouble then, but a call to the theater confirmed that we could still get in.

Well... at any rate, I spent my childhood in Baltimore city.

I mention this as Baltimore city did not have cable television available in the standard form until some time after my family moved just over the line into Baltimore county. Outside of occasional trips across that city/county line to "see a picture" at Golden Ring Mall, the television was the main way I encountered film. I harbor no cherished memories of the film palaces of Baltimore (which were firmly in decline at the time). Sorry.

Most of my "film on television" experiences came from broadcast television via the big three networks and the UHF affiliates. There were about seven channels to choose from, with a few more available if the DC stations were coming through on that particular day.

I harbor vivid memories of Kung-Fu Theater showing and re-showing terrible transfers of sub-Shaw Brother chop sockey flicks heavily edited to fit the running time, of midnight movie programs lulling me to sleep at slumber parties which gave the same rough treatment to the Universal Horror Creature Features and their attendant parodies, of WBFF TV45 having New Year's Eve marathons of Marx Brothers films. I am fairly certain I had more fun as a kid staying up watching old movies with my family on New Year's Eve than I do today running the Mount Vernon bar gauntlet.

Our "big screen" projection television was on almost constantly as my brother and sister and I played in the basement. My dad always insisted that he wanted to be able to "see what's on the television from the kitchen", and so we always had one of these monsters somewhere in the house. Despite the "big screen," these films on television were almost always poorly transferred, leading me to believe that the 1970s in America was a murky, badly-lit, washed out time in our nation's history. This was in sharp contrast to the eye-popping, sharply colored world of the 1980's situation comedy. Diff'rnt Strokes, indeed!

Despite our lack of standard cable at the time, we did have the outlet of VHS video rental and a Pay Television channel called SuperTV, which was sort of like being able to get just HBO. I remember waiting in vain for E.T. to come out on VHS, of watching and re-watching the Star Trek, Star Wars and Superman movies we had made copies of (my father, an electrical engineer, employed the system one used for making tape copies that defeated the Macrovision copy protection system). I used to leaf through the monthly SuperTV schedule booklet, looking for things to watch, wondering about the movies being listed, having no idea about the awesomeness of Z Channel and its then-unfolding impact on the world of "film on television" on the other side of the country.

It is clear from the outset of my existence that I liked watching movies. It was a part of what my family did together. Our tastes were admittedly mainstream, with the exception perhaps of my mother's love of all things musical theater-related. Those 90 to 120 minutes we spent together were often free of bickering and fights. I remember these times fondly but dimly, and consider them formative.

To be honest, things didn't get left-of-center for me in terms of my film tastes until we moved to the county. Because then we got cable.

More on that next time, after an update of films viewed in November. Until then, this is the Charm City Cineaste, signing off...

Films Viewed (October 2009)

2009-11-04T15:29:00.000-08:00

The Informant!
The Baader Meinhof Complex
Big Fan
Leave Her to Heaven
Whip It
Dodes'ka-den
Touch of Evil
Where the Wild Things Are
Gate of Flesh
A Serious Man
Capitalism: A Love Story
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
Vertigo

Key
The Charles
The Rotunda
The Landmark Harbor East
Other (Video Americain, suburban muliplex)
Total: 13 films (10 in theaters)

Notes: Well, I am prety much keeping up with my average, and ten films in theaters is a rarer event these days, but it's the time of the season for movies.

My absolute knocked-it-out-the-park favorite was The Baader Meinhof Complex. Finally, a big-budget action bloodbath suited to my sensibilities, Can blaring in background! As a political organ or as an accurate account it could be lacking, but as an adrenalized rush the film was most effective. After months of reading about Godard's sterile exercises in dialectical filmmaking, my inner-teenage radical dude was most pleased.

My underdog why-didn't-anybody-see this-movie favorite was Whip It, which was frothy fun but still worth watching. I don't know how true-to-rollergirl it is, but I had a good time. I would consider renting it when released to disc.

My dear-God-we're-all-screwed pick would be A Serious Man. One exiting filmgoer remarked that the film was "too dark" and was "like having surgery for two hours." I found the film's bleak sensibility and nervous-hand-wringing right up my alley.

The "grab bag" revivals at the Charles have continued, all over the map. The prints have been stellar. It was interesting to realize that most of my vivid childhood memories of the Universal monster movies came not from the originals but from a gentle spoof of them. I guess that was all I was allowed to watch as a kid.

Speaking of which, I plan to finally launch into the story of how I got into this mess in the first place later this month. Stay tuned...

Film Exhibition in Baltimore (October 2009)

2009-10-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

First, it should be noted that this week marks the two year anniversary of this blog. Others have come and gone, but the Cineaste abides.

In that light, it is a good time to check in on the "big three." The Senator has become a sad mess of karaoke and one-off screenings. Although it has been possible to see films there occasionally, I will officially remove it from the "key" this month. I wash my hands of this business, and will try to avoid any more than the most minimal reporting on the next round of shenanigans. Does the Rotunda have its own website yet?

In terms of the other two, it seems like a things have stabilized. The Landmark Harbor East spends most of its time playing whatever will make the most money. This seems to be the settled mission of the chain in this area. In DC, things skew way more "arthouse" for the chain and the LHE seems more than happy to let the Charles handle that business locally, especially if the subject matter is controversial or LGBT (Milk, Bruno, and Capitalism: A Love Story being recent examples).

Could this be how things stay? What does the future hold? There may be little to report on this front for some time, although with the precarious state of the economy, one never knows.

Perhaps it is time to quit the monthly updates on the state of things in general and focus more on specific film-going experiences. I have also toyed with the idea of explaining just how I came to my affliction via this blog. Maybe it is time.

Up next, films viewed in October, a month that still affords viewing opportunities. Until then...

Films Viewed (September 2009)

2009-10-07T18:38:00.000-07:00

Teorema
Le Doulos
Sugar
The September Issue
Fists in the Pocket
Bright Star
Tetro
Notorious (2009)
Heavy Metal Parking Lot
The Decline of Western Civilization, Part II: The Metal Years
Lorna's Silence

Key
The Charles
The Senator
The Landmark Harbor East
The Rotunda
Other (Video Americain, Enoch Pratt Free Library)
Total: 10 films, 1 short film (7 in theaters)

Notes: For me, a slow month. The films I did view (save one) have already exited the big screen. This is perhaps symptomatic of the month, which is filled with summer leftovers and odd ducks. The two standouts for me were Teorema and Tetro, which I suspect are not for many viewers. Teorema channeled a deep Catholic vein in a highly theoretical and unconventional way, and Tetro was perhaps too operatic to cross over. I enjoyed both.

It was also good to catch a decent-quality digital screening of two underground classics, Decline... Part II and Heavy Metal Parking Lot, both of which are bootlegger's delights (although it is true the HMPL has received a proper DVD release in recent years). As I lived through the era and was babysat by many Heavy Metal enthusiasts, it is sometimes interesting to look back. My life and choices may have taken me far away from that world, but I will never forget where I'm from.

So, that is that. The new Dardenne brothers film was brutal but moving, Notorious was Biggie-sized, and Le Doulos was good but not "big-g" Great. Up next, film exhibition in Baltimore in general.

Film Exhibition in Baltimore (September 2009)

2009-09-21T15:10:00.000-07:00

It is a little hard to expend more words on the Senator. Even the City Paper has deemed it "Best Local Issue We're Sick Of" in their recent Best of Baltimore issue. At this moment, the City of Baltimore can presumably accept request-for-proposals for the property. There are excited whispers among those who are hoping for the best from this situation, the best presumably being a non-profit dedicated to showing films taking over at the location. The Baltimore Development Corporation is now officially in the mix. At the moment, the new Tyler Perry film is playing, and the next scheduled event is Jokes and Jazz. Things, as usual, seem far from resolved.

The Landmark Harbor East, having run out of summer blockbuster wares to hawk, is switching tracks, heading for more rom-com/odds and ends territory, dutifully changing with the seasons, grabbing anything with instant legs or big stars or perceived heat. In my attendance of matinees at this leather-seated movie palace, I am often by myself. I imagine the opposite is true on a Friday evening. I don't know about you, but I'm not going to try to find parking down there.

The Charles has adopted a "throw it to the wall" theory, seeing if mixed-review indies or odd docs or sci-fi movies or foreign fare or second run will stick. Doesn't stick? End it Thursday! This week, almost everything is ending to make way for the next great hope(s). Having seen Bright Star in previews and having thorougly enjoyed it, I would say to check it out (after it opens Friday) if you really liked the recent Pride and Prejudice or if you were an English Major in college. Before then, try to catch Tetro is you are interested in seeing an old master return to form.

The Rotunda seems to be getting the hang of things, switching up their offerings on a more regular basis. I have always enjoyed the echoing emptiness of the Rotunda Mall, and never have a problem visiting thanks to its ample parking and roomy theater chairs. I hope that it continues to be a viable option. I will forgive its' missteps for the time being.

Up next, what is looking to be a scant September of Films Viewed. The back to school time of the year has a tendency to do that to me...

Films Viewed (August 2009)

2009-09-04T13:34:00.000-07:00

Bigger than Life
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Amelie
Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo
Eloge De L'Amour (In Praise of Love)
Bicycle Thieves
GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Nollywood Babylon
Daytime Drinking
Paper Heart
Children of Paradise
The Cove
Funny People
Yoo Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg!
Inglourious Basterds
A Place in the Sun
In the Loop
District 9
Summer with Monika

Key
The Charles
The Senator
Toronto-area Theaters
The Landmark Harbor East
The Rotunda
Other (DVD, DC E Street Landmark, On Demand)
Total: 21 films (19 in theaters)

Notes: As is often the case, August was a month spent avoiding the heat by taking in as many films as possible. My count was boosted by my trip up north, which I covered in my last post.

Looking back over the list, I am pleased by the diversity of high and low, the hard to see and the widely available. Two films that were direct hits on my sensibilities were District 9 and In the Loop, the former of which hearkened back to my early love of Robocop dystopias and grimy gritty special effects. the latter of which spoke to my love of British people insulting each other and Dr. Strangelove-style political black comedy.

Sadly, I have not gotten on board with the Basterds. In discussion, it seems as if I am the only one of my friends who did not enjoy it thoroughly. The best analogy that I can come up with would be that Tarantino's films were revelvatory, magical experiences during my initiation into film culture. Now, for some reason, the magic is gone. Perhaps it is because I have changed, more films viewed, my pallette tweaked. All I know is all that lengthy dialogue leading up to a brief violent payoff isn't doing it for me, even when said dialogue is delivered brilliantly by Christoph Waltz.

Otherwise, it was early Bergman, teen wizards, uneven mis-fires, and excellent enviro-docs that deserved more local screentime. Up next, film exhibition in Baltimore in general.

Film Exhibition in Toronto (August 2009)

2009-08-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

No, that's not a typo...

As I have just spent a week in Toronto, I thought it would be interesting to document my impressions of the film exhibition landscape there, especially since the landscape back home has had only one troubling proposed addition to its fragile ecosystem and is otherwise the same. In my time up north, I had the opportunity to see six films at five different theaters (and yes, I did other things as well).

I caught Amelie and Bicycle Thieves at the Bloor Cinema, a single-screen older theater that ran arthouse and second-run films, varying what was shown each day. There was something nice and comfortable about the Bloor, and I felt right at home. I didn't go and watch a film from the balcony, perhaps due to my culture shock over the Canadian candy situation (I kept defaulting to Coffee Crisp since the Kit-Kats looked different and the other choices seemed exotic... European). It was sort of like if the Senator was run like the Charles.

After reviewing all their impressive screening options, I settled on seeing In Praise of Love at the Cinemateque Ontario. This hard-to-see Godard film's screening was packed. To read the chapter about the film later that evening as I finished up my summer reading added a nice rejoinder to this rare opportunity. The theater's screening room, which is attached to the Art Gallery of Ontario, was nothing amazing, but the quality of the films they were offering (thorough retrospectives of European filmmakers and movements via rare, restored, and archival prints) was extremely impressive. Apparently, the Cinemateque is slated to move to some sort of movie-themed luxury condo site and to become the official home of the Toronto International Film Festival in the future.

I had great hopes that seeing GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra in Canada would offer some difference from seeing it at a multiplex stateside, but there wasn't one that I could detect in the crowd at the AMC Younge. The decor of this multiplex was focused on "great" films and directors (like Steven Speilberg and Ron Howard), which made me wonder if it is used for TIFF screenings.

The oddest experience for certain was a digital screening of Zatoichi meets Yojimbo at the Cineforum, which is located in Reg Hartt's house. Reg is a long standing film buff and archivist, and he held forth before the screening in a scattershot but welcoming matter before a videotaped introduction to the film by a "guest lecturer." Warm sake was offered as well.

As was also the case at the Bloor, you paid more for your first screening at Cineforum in order to become a member of "the club." Future screenings are then offered at a reduced rate. Was this some sort of Canadian scam or a viable model for a film club in Baltimore? In the case of myself and my traveling companion, we did not have a chance to truly utilize our memberships.

I got to view a film I missed at the 2009 Maryland Film Festival, Nollywood Babylon, which was engaging on several levels. The screening was held at the National Film Board of Canada's Mediatheque, which offered private screening rooms in which you could watch thousands of films (the catch: they were all NFBC-affiliated ventures). Something about the whole experience felt like the efforts of the uncool kids to be cooler, but this could be based on an inferiority complex that Canadians sometimes regretably possess in regard to certain aspects of their home culture.

All in all, I left Toronto very impressed with the diversity of their film exhibition landscape, and can only imagine what the same landscape looks like in the grips of TIFF. To be in a city that looks at things through a more European prisim was a welcome break from things back home, and allowed me to return to a familar landscape with a fresh perspective.

Films Viewed (July 2009)

2009-08-04T13:19:00.000-07:00

Revanche
Sex and Lucia
Lolita
Europa
Bruno
Food Inc.
Rashomon
(500) Days of Summer
Up
Moon
Connor Kizer's Cosmology
Margot at the Wedding
Une Femme Mariee (A Married Woman)
Chungking Express
Il Divo

Key
The Charles
The Senator
The Landmark Harbor East
The Rotunda
Other (On Demand, Video Americain, suburban multiplex)
Total: 15 films (9 in theaters)

Notes: It is interesting to envision a time when this blog will nothing more than my report of what I saw at the Charles this month. It seems to be the case in Baltimore that if you wait long enough, any non-mall-skewing film you want to see at the Landmark Harbor East will make it to the Charles (Up and Away We Go being recent examples). Will (500) Days of Summer be the next print to be passed from downtown to mid-town? We shall see.

This month I have been doing my usual summer homework at Video Americain, Von Trier and Godard and Wong Kar-Wai being some subjects covered. A Charles theater patron asked more than a few questions about my between-shift reading of Everything is Cinema: The Working Life of Jean-Luc Godard, her topper being "And this is the kind of thing that is summer reading for you?"

Well, the answer is yes. Sorry, lady.

One film off the beaten path that should be noted would be Connor Kizer's Cosmology, a free rental at Video Americain. His theories and musings on various topics relating to Cosmology were engagingly presented. I found especially useful his explanation of time travel, which places a very important franchise re-boot trick in a more understandable context for me.

Otherwise, it was disapointing comedies, animated films everybody saw two months ago, and crazy Italian movies that deserved more that a six day bow. Up next, a trip to Toronto. Perhaps I will have reports to make on the state of film exhibiton in Canada.

Film Exhibition in Baltimore (July 2009)

2009-07-29T17:05:00.000-07:00

(getting this in just under the wire... apologies)

Clearly, the auction of the Senator was the dominating event of the month. So many moments and pieces of information... the owner's startling admission that he may suffer from a form of objectophilia when it comes to the building in part one of the interview The Senator's Lover Bares All, the circus-like atmosphere of an auction that was clearly meant to be a formality, having a chance to personally say goodbye to the theater for a third time via a screening of a pristine restored print of Rashomon, watching mornful montages of vanished Baltimore theaters online... it really is quite a lot to take in. As of right now, the city refused the highest bidder (via the Ebay-style reserve not met option) and is now the official owner of the Senator. Within 60 to 90 days of the auction (Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009), the original owner will be sent packing and his screenings of The Yellow Submarine will cease. At the moment, Rashomon continues to play, and no new film has been announced for Friday. At least six months will pass before the city reviews requests to operate the theater and "awards" some entity the power to re-open the doors. Resolution and a second act still seems far away.

In other news, the Landmark continues to quietly dominate the city's exhibtion landscape from the dark heart of Harbor East, the Charles plugs along, having only been tossed the Bruno bone in recent months, the Rotunda occasionally gets around to changing its movies, and the summer blockbuster season marches headlong into the dumping grounds of August. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, anyone? I think I will prefer the original animated movie, when all is said and done...

Films Viewed (June 2009)

2009-07-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

The Limits of Control
Moscow, Belgium
Angels and Demons
The Room
Captain Ahab
Black Cat, White Cat
Weekend
Goodbye Solo
The Pornographers
Cinemania
Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream
Every Little Step
Escape from New York
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Away We Go
Alphaville

Key
The Charles
The Senator
The Landmark Harbor East
The Rotunda
Other (The Enoch Pratt, Video Americain)
Total: 16 films (9 in theaters)

Notes: First, it should be noted that the Senator, after sneaking in a few more screenings of The Yellow Submarine, has scheduled Rashomon as its last attraction before the theater's auction. The 1950 Kurosawa film is an art house stand-by, but is will be worth seeing again due to a new high-quality digitally restored print. This will be yet another opportunity to say goodbye to the Senator, and one that does not involve Michael Jackson tributes.

The month was filled with highs and lows. Godard blanks have been getting filled in to accompany my reading of Everything is Cinema: The Working Life of Jean-Luc Godard. The book is very well written and exhaustively researched. However, in pulling back the curtain, it does take away something from his films, that magic of the small revival house and too much coffee and Breathless unspooling on the screen.

Films like Captain Ahab and a few others made a powerful impact, while others were more of a dutiful cultural observance, a way to make sure I can still make small talk in the fall with my charges. The Rotunda will prove indispensible for this exercise, although to see such scant attendance at the #1 Movie in the World does make one question how long the theater will stay open in its new incarnation.

As always, feel free to ask about any of the films viewed I did not mention. Up next, film exhibition in Baltimore in general.

Film Exhibition in Baltimore (June 2009)

2009-06-26T12:23:00.000-07:00

(revised and with links, as an earlier draft was posted without polishing)

First of all, kudos to City Paper's Lee Gardner on his recent article on the state of film distribution and exhibition in America's increasingly On Demand digital marketplace. Worth a read.

The Senator theater will be sold at auction on Wednesday, July 22nd. The screenings of The Yellow Submarine have stopped, and the most recent updates have raised the (purely speculative) specter of the theater being turned into a church by a potential buyer. The most recent e-mails have called for volunteers to help re-paint the many iconic commemorative sidewalk blocks outside the theater. Let us hope that the participants have artistic abilities that match their volunteer zeal.

Several years ago, the summer was a slow time for the Charles theater. It seems that this slowness has returned, with the era of the fake indie summer hit award-winner loss-leader coming to an end (the most recent casualty seems to be Paramount Vantage, which appears to be going through a significant shake-up). You combine the reality of the marketplace with the Landmark Harbor East's poaching of anything with any potential for profit, and Away We Go into a particularity slow season for the theater. Recent screenings of the entries for the Baltimore edition of The 48 Hour Film Project were packed-lobby frenetic and a reminder of a different time. Here's hoping that something comes along soon to bring in some business.

For this author, there is a feeling of exhaustion, a dourness about the state of things. It is hard to embrace the changes that seem to be coming at an ever-accelerating rate. The future is unwritten, but it is hard not to see the writing on the wall.

Films Viewed (May 2009)

2009-06-01T18:51:00.000-07:00

The Player
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
X-men Origins: Wolverine
La Cicatrice Interieure
Star Trek
Tokyo Sonata
Gacy
Tyson
Kansas City
The Girlfriend Experience
Lymelife
Valkyrie
Hoop Dreams
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Drag Me to Hell

Key
The Charles
The Senator
The Landmark Harbor East
The Rotunda
Other (DVD, On Demand, cable)
Total: 16 films (10 in theaters)

Notes: This month, I welcome the independent Rotunda to the key. I imagine I will be seeing films there soon enough.

The summer movie season began, which means it's time to go to the Landmark. I was surprised about their recent decision to actually play two smaller films. I figured they didn't have the room with all the blockbusters rolling in.

Quite a mix of high and low this month. I particularly enjoyed Tokyo Sonata, a film which, in my view, captured the angst of recent times note-perfectly (although opinion was divided). It was one of many films the Charles has run for a week or two, hoping that something sticks.

It was surprising to have the opportunity to see Drag Me to Hell at the Charles. I had a lot of fun, as the film hearkens back to when Sam Rami made Sam Rami movies. Still, it was odd not to see it at the mall in 1987.

The Altman retrospective came to an end, and so did the revival series. It seems that instead of "grab bag" stop-gaps, the revival series is taking a break. I hope it is a brief one.

Up next, film exhibition in Baltimore in general (including an auction date for the Senator). Until then...

Film Exhibition in Baltimore (May 2009)

2009-05-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

As usual, the Senator dominates the month's news. An article in the Sun newspaper claimed that the City now owns the theater (there is no online link to be found to the article, which I read). The Senator claims that this is not true, and there is an important meeting of some kind going on at the Senator this evening to "set the record straight," as it were. This sad situation is beginning to remind me of the title of a recent Iraq War documentary. In the meantime, continue to enjoy Beatles films, digitally projected, until somebody puts a padlock on the place.

The Rotunda, assumed dead, has returned under new management. One could go there this very evening and see a first-run movie. This new management is not affiliated with the Senator, but the film times and other information is available at the Senator's website for some reason.

The Charles theater hosted the 2009 Maryland Film Festival, which was a successful and enjoyable weekend by all accounts. It was odd not to be caught up in my yearly weekend of cinema immersion, but I am glad to hear that all went well, and hope to be there next year.

Despite this high point, it does seem like the Charles has had trouble finding its next Slumdog Millionaire. This is typical at this time of the year for the theater, but it is always the cause of some hand-wringing, especially since the Landmark Harbor East still finds a way to squeeze in indie crowd-pleasers between screenings of every single popular mainstream Hollywood film. Oh well...

Films Viewed (April 2009)

2009-05-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

Everlasting Moments
Thieves Like Us
Conan the Barbarian (w/commentary)
Adventureland
Ladies and Gentleman, the Fabulous Stains
Charade
Dernier Maquis
The K-Swift Story
California Split
Sin Nombre
Frogs
Ann Everton Videos, volume two
Buffalo Bill and the Indians

Key
The Charles
The Senator
The Landmark Harbor East
Other (DVD, This-TV, Video Americain)
Total: 12 features, 1 collection of short films (8 in theaters)

Notes: All in all, a pleasingly diverse month, with some new adventures.

I rented a film for the first time with the sole intention of watching it with commentary. To listen to a seemingly drunk Ah-nold and director John Milius wax poetic about their muscle-bound classic is indeed something to hear.

Against my better instincts I went to the Senator see an old classic long on the list. The place was depressing, drafty, and drab. It could have been my personal opinions coloring the experience, but there is no doubt that someone forgot to turn the heat on.

It was good to catch Dernier Maquis, a fascinating take on the experiences of working class Muslims in France, at the Charles as part of their Cinemateque Francais series. This monthly screening series continues on into June, ending with another film I want to see, Captain Ahab. The Charles also allowed me to see more Altman films, many for the first time, and the sublime Everlasting Moments, which was like a hearty filmic meal, what Berlin Alexanderplatz could have been without all that cold intellectual calculation. What would I do without that place?

I guess I would watch more this-tv. This new digital variant of WBFF is a true 21st century shlockfest, playing anything they can digitze in its vast catalog of holdings. It is odd to see a truly goofy eco-horror flick like Frogs digitally re-mastered and crystal clear, but it also a break from the static of typical cable film channel programming.

Of course, tomorrow begins the 2009 Maryland Film Festival, and this year's schedule looks as top-notch as ever. For the first time since I began attending the festival ten years ago, I am looking at a weekend without the possiblity of attending screenings due to various obligations I cannot break. For recommendations, I would point towards Eric Hatch and Skizz Cyzyk's insider's guides (with trailers), and highly encourage you to get down there and see some movies. Screen one for the Cineaste!

Film Exhibition in Baltimore (April 2009)

2009-04-20T19:06:00.000-07:00

Well, needless to say, the Senator's dramatic finale continues to unfold. Unlike a Hollywood drama, no one following this story is going to walk out of the theater with any kind of satisfying resolution. The most recent development is that the auction has been canceled, as Baltimore city works on plans to acquire the theater. In the meantime, the owner continues to show classic films and do what he does best these days. Eventually, it seems that the Senator will be added to Baltimore city's vast collection of vacant properties. Let's hope they do something with this one.

But perhaps to be concerned with such matters is old-fashioned of me. I have spent some time exploring what may be the future for lovers of film recently. One way looks forward and another way looks to the past.

Apparently, there are people on this here Interweb that collect and trade ultra-rare films. In doing so, they allow those who are let into their circles see some of the most sought-after and obscure films out there. Via a friend of a friend, I have been lent such a film, and look forward to viewing it on some bleak afternoon soon. It is both illicit and firmly in the gray area of copyright control, two things I enjoy a great deal. As the vaults get emptied out during DVD's long, languorous swandive, these anonymous traders fill in the blanks. Let's hope they don't keep company with the Pirate Bay gang.

In another development, I stumbled upon a private video library that is trading films on an honor system to those that which to see them. This bodes well for the future. As the video stores slowly die, it is clear that Netflix cannot satisfy all comers. It is a reality that films go in and out of print, some never making it to digital realm at all. As we move into the post-object culture, it is nice to see something analog happening that harkens back to the beginning of the entire concept of the library. Ben Franklin would approve, I think.

And, finally, the entire roster for the 2009 Maryland Film Festival should be up and running. It looks like another great year for the fest, and I look forward to partaking in what the festival has to offer. See you there!

Films Viewed (March 2009)

2009-04-11T12:06:00.000-07:00

The International

Another State of Mind

Heavy Traffic

The Big Lebowski

Watchmen

The Class

Brewster McCloud

I Love You, Man

Waltz with Bashir

Rumble Fish

Two Lovers

The Secret of the Grain

42nd Street Forever, Volume Three

The Long Goodbye

Gomorrah

Ghostbusters

Key

The Charles

The Senator/The Rotunda

The Landmark Harbor East

Other (The Zodiac, Some Dude's Personal Library, Video Americain)

Total: 15 features, 1 collection of trailers (12 in theaters/spaces)

Notes: In local news, the Senator's impending 4/20 auction seems more and more like a reality. Despite claims that he would declare bankruptcy and forestall the auction, the owner of the Senator, in his most recent public remarks, appears to have given up the ghost. The Senator is showing a slate of seemingly random classic movies until the auction and selling every conceivable scrap and tittle in a very depressing yard sale/auction taking place in the lobby. Check it out if you want to say goodbye.

In suburban multiplex news, the Muvico Egyptian 24 became the Cinemark Egyptian 24 seemingly overnight. I am doing some reasearch into what this means, if anything. I believe I was mistaken on some things in an earlier draft of this post. My apologies. I did discover this, which does not seem like a promising sign. More later, after some more research.

But isn't the above all fodder for my Film Exhibition in Baltimore posts? True. I did see some movies recently.

The Altman retrospective has rolled on at the Charles, allowing me to see several of his highly-recommended films for the first time. I also had the opportunity to enjoy some highly touted festival films during their brief runs at the Charles. I engaged in a private film lending library for the first time, and am still sitting on a rare film I borrowed from a friend that was downloaded from the Internet. I will write more about these new frontiers in my next post.

It was fun to attend a screening of a fondly-remembered comedy from my childhood at the Zodiac. I hope the practice continues and that the opportunities to see film in Baltimore continue to diversify, despite the economic cold front coming at us from all sides.

Film Exhibition in Baltimore (March 2009)

2009-03-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

It seems only logical to spend this post ruminating on the loss of the Senator. As of this writing, the Rotunda Cinemateque has closed its doors, the Senator is scheduled to be auctioned on April 20th, and all sorts of people are pointing fingers, making plans, and trying to figure out what is next. The entire affair is sad and messy. No clear second act has emerged to follow the seventy years of continuous operation of the Senator as a movie house.

These events give me pause to reflect on my scant year or so of keeping this weblog. I created Charm City Cineaste to chronicle film exhibition in Baltimore following the opening of the Landmark Harbor East. It is interesting to think back on that time (Fall 2007) and see how things have changed.

When the Landmark Harbor East opened, the Senator's owner seemed very pleased. Having fought long and hard with first the Loews chain (now subsumed by AMC) and then The Charles over the Senator's right to show the No. 1 movie in America at all times, it looked like clearance was finally going to go the Senator's way. At the time, many people were concerned that the Charles would close it doors once it lost the ability to show the indie mega-hits that were the theater's bread and butter. I assumed that things were going to change in a big way in Baltimore, and that, soon enough, my second home would be in serious trouble.

Instead, Baltimore has lost it's premiere showcase. The patient on life support had died. The Senator has hit the bricks. The recent economic decline, usually a boon for movie houses, was the knockout punch.

Say what you will about the last minute effort to form a non-profit (as I know I did), Baltimore has lost three movie screens, making my weekends and afternoons less interesting. I can no longer park on the street that runs alongside the Senator (a spot I discovered during Star Wars re-issue mania), catch dinner at Saigon Remembered, browse Daedalus, and go see something I want to see. I can no longer enjoy the roomy air conditioned echoplex that is the Rotunda, browse the Amazing Spiral (formerly Comics Kingdom), conduct some cell phone/electronics business at the Radio Shack and go see something on my list. The March movies this month will be the last time for the foreseeable future that the Senator and the Rotunda will appear, and the list is poorer for it.

Despite my air of jaded resignation, losing the Senator and the Rotunda hurts. I will miss both places.

In more upbeat news, the Charles soldiers on, and was doing a brisk business this recent rainy weekend based on my own personal observation. Despite the economic collapse and the foreshortening of the condo projects in the Harbor East development, there is no news on any problems at LHE or in Cuban-land that I have heard. Perhaps now that three have become two, there will be peace in the valley. Of course, if the Charles buys the Senator at auction and suddenly has a clearance-free screen, I imagine this blogger will have a lot to type about.

Films Viewed (February 2009)

2009-03-15T18:04:00.000-07:00

Gran Torino
White Dog
American Teen
Wendy and Lucy
A Woman is a Woman
Defiance
Vivre Sa Vie
Coraline (in 3D)
Pierrot le Fou
Made in U.S.A.

Key
The Charles
The Senator/ The Rotunda
The Landmark Harbor East
Other (Video Americain, Suburban Multiplex)
Total: 10 (7 in theaters)

Notes: A quick month in which I only managed to catch a few things.

I meant to trumpet Medicine for Melancholy at some point during its recent run, but it was a "one week wonder," and has already closed at the Charles. I advise a rental when it is released on DVD, if you have not already caught it.

Che has made it into a second week at the Landmark. I hope to find the four plus hours required to see this two-part film, despite the tepid reviews. The clock is clearly running on that opportunity.

It is sad to consider a future in which there is no Senator or Rotunda to attend. Some who are planning on bidding on the theater at the impending auction wish to continue showing films there, including the owner of the Charles. It is interesting to consider the possibilities and limitations of having one (perhaps three) screens outside of the clearance zone of the Landmark. Could this be the beginning of a "two party system" in Baltimore film exhibition?

The Charles' bumpy run through Godard concluded with Made in U.S.A., an eliptical, messy film with moments. It was good to have the chance to see it at all, and the series was, overall, illuminating and enjoyable. The Charles revival series is now engaged in a multi-month Robert Altman retrospective.

All in all, a slow month, with some great opportunities and some truly enjoyable 3D filmgoing experiences. The Oscar films have lost steam quickly as they have headed to DVD, and the strange gap between this season and the dawm of the Summer blockbusters is being bridged by a wierd little film called Watchmen. More on that soon. I will try to time my next update to some fresh news on that impending seismic shift.

The Senator Theater is Going To Close

2009-03-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

Well, what has seemed grimly inevitable is now, apparently, a reality. The theater will close soon and will be sold at auction in a few weeks. For more, see an article here.

Film Exhibition in Baltimore (February 2009)

2009-03-04T18:46:00.000-08:00

A day late and a dollar short. Apologies.

This past month I have been plotting out a simple exercise, a look at the major Oscar winning films (and one highly touted contender) and their exhibition history in Baltimore.

Slumdog Millionaire (8 Academy Awards including Best Picture)

How the Charles got this one will remain a mystery, but the theater did and has held onto the film ever since, from its start as a crowd-pleasing upstart with strong word of mouth this fall to its current status as a box office barnstorming, award winning Bollywood-lite hit. My bet is that it will play locally until the week it makes it to DVD.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (3 Academy Awards for technical achievements)

This weird, smart Forrest Gump do-over really made its bones around Christmas time, riding some critical hype into the Landmark and the Senator. But even Brad Pitt could not keep this old man boy three hour curiosity from losing serious steam. The lack of big wins was the final straw. By the evening of the Academy Awards, the Senator had moved on to Madea Goes to Jail. The Landmark is shutting 'er down tomorrow.

The Wrestler (Zero Academy Awards)

The one seemed like a gimmie, a clear climax to a narrative arc. Granted, an audience that wants to see some wrasslin' probably could care less. But still it was not the outcome that was expected for this worthwhile but flawed film. The film soldiers on at the Landamark Harbor East for now.

Milk (Two Academy Awards- Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay)

It is hard to be upset about this one winning. The Charles had the film exclusively very early on, for a time on two screens, and continues to show it. I hope that an Oscar-bump, which some claim is a myth,. helps to encourage more people to see and enjoy this moving film.

The Dark Knight (Two Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actor)

It was interesting to see what was made of this box office juggernaut getting some Academy love. I believe an effort to bring it back to area theaters to wring more bat-money out of it was about as successful as the unrated, milder re-cut of the Passion of the Christ. It played in the summertime at the expected placea, helping the Landmark Harbor East win Best Movie Theater, Suburbs in this year's City Paper Best of Baltimore.

The Reader (One Academy Award for Best Actress)

This one has had just the right run, opening when you wanted to see it and sticking around to be checked out after the awards season by those who are looking for a real bummer of an afternoon or evening at the Harbor East. I would expect no less from the Harvey Weinstein Oscar Winning Machine.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (One Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress)

Ah, yes... the official Film that Would Not Die of the 2008 Baltimore exhibition season! I half-suspected that it would return once again to take up valuable real estate despite its release on DVD before the Academy Awards were given out. It just would not leave Baltimore theaters, for good or for ill

Man on Wire (One Academy Award for Best Documentary)

This one was a switcheroo, managing to appear to be heading to the Landmark before detouring into a welcomed run at the Charles. The film skirted my top ten films 0f 2008 list and has become a bit of a rallying point for many of my friends who aspire to such audacious and radical acts. Worth renting, maybe even owning.

Well, that's it for now. The Senator stands at the precipice of implosion, with various parties looking like they are willing to duke it out to the death. I found the article linked here to be instructive as to where things stand. When I see Watchmen at the Senator sometime soon, I will try to keep the faint sound of The End from playing in my mind througout.

Up next, the movies I watched in February of 2009.

Film Viewed (January 2009)

2009-02-11T17:22:00.000-08:00

Last Year at Marienbad
Rachel Getting Married
Masculine Feminine
I've Loved You So Long
One or Two Things I Know about Her
Revolutionary Road
The Exiles
The Wrestler
Contempt
Frost/Nixon
Band of Outsiders

Key
The Charles
The Senator/ The Rotunda
The Landmark Harbor East
Other (Video Americain, Suburban Multiplex)
Total: 11 (all in theaters)

Notes: Firstly, It should be mentioned that the Senator is having a weekend where they will get down to the heart of the matter and have bands perform in a benefit to support the transition to a non-profit entity. Therefore, they will not screen any films this weekend. I would say it is best just to get used to this sort of thing.

It is increasingly clear that Baltimore-based lovers of film will have three less screens to choose from very shortly. Astrogirl gets it, but I am not so sure I do. Why would I want to throw good money after bad in supporting this endeavor?

The list this month is small but filled with films of quality. Certainly Oscar bait abounds, but in many cases the films would have been worth seeing in any case. I have this strange allergy to Oscar buzz and discussions of who should win and why. Forgive me if I decide not to pile on. If you would like to enter into this national conversation, may I suggest the following sentence starters: "Mickey Rourke's masterful performance...", "The film, despite being set in the past, has many parallels to today's political...," or "Will the Academy finally recognize ________ ________, whose contributions have for too long..." Have at it!

The revival series at the Charles has been especially enjoyable, moving in every which way for a time, screening powerful/seminal docs like the Exiles along with what appears to be the remnants of a French film series. The series has now stumbled into Godard, out of sequence and without a map. I can't think of a more appropriate way to delve into these films.

That about wraps it up for this past month. Up next, Film Exhibition in Baltimore. I will try to wait until the next headline hits regarding the fate of the Senator to update.

Film Exhibition in Baltimore (January 2009)

2009-01-28T08:22:00.000-08:00

First of all, a petition to bring back the gone but not forgotten BMA film series has been started. I would say to go here and sign, if you have not done so already. The BMA is offering a free African film festival over two days. Go here for more.

So much has happened on other fronts it is hard to keep up. The Senator theater held a town hall meeting on December 18th, 2008, to announce it was in transition to be turned into a not-for-profit organization, ending any speculation regarding the cryptic messages the theater has been placing in the Sunpapers.

The meeting was all glad tidings and cheer on the part of the presenters. We were wowed with bg names like Tony Bennett, Kenny Rogers, and Wynona Judd. We were told that this was going to be our place, a community center and venue kept alive by dedicated volunteers. We were told that we would get to see out children dance on the stage of the Senator theater.

BUT this dream, in order to become a reality, was going to take a lot of time, effort, and, yes, donations. Sign up sheets for work teams were distributed. We were told to write down what we wanted the Senator to do on distributed index cards, and then to share it with the group. During the Q and A, and a Sun Reader Rewards group who had waiting long enough for their free screening of Marley and Me became an increasing presence, I decided to leave without speaking up.

Why? Well, they had no clear answers to any questions posted, just a lot of good intentions and big dreams to sell. And, I knew film at the Senator will soon be, essentially, a thing of the past.

I feel this way based on the orientation of the community in general and the current owner specifically. To them, an occasional screening of a DVD of The Wizard of Oz will be enough to keep film alive at the Senator. That is not enough for me.

I don't care about Tony Bennett. I care about adventurous film (projected from film stock). And, if the Senator starts a film society dedicated to regular screening of such fare, count me in. I can see blockbusters at the Landmark Harbor East. I can watch the Wizard of Oz at my mom's house over the holidays.

Could the Rotunda be a film venue for the place? Possibly, But I could also see the Rotunda being sold and turned into a Starbucks or a church.

In any case, since this meeting, a press conference was called at which it was announced that the Senator's efforts to transition has stalled, and that they needed cash yet again (as I mentioned in my previous post). Now, in the latest development, the city of Baltimore has offered to buy the debt of the Senator if the owner signs over the theater to a non-profit organization. In other words, the Senator has an opportunity to truly become the people's theater. Let's hope the owner can swallow his pride and give up on his quixotic mission. As John Lind, the CEO of Venuetech said, single screen single owner movie theaters "don't work." Even Lyndon B. Johnson couldn't keep one afloat.

A great resource on all of this is the new Google group "Friends of the Senator Theater." I may defer to them until all of this settles down and is sorted out.

In other developments, MICA cancelled the long running film series I was just championing. It is going forward with an unrelated French film series. The series is scheduled for mid-February and looks promising. I will update when there is more on the web about it.

The Charles has messed with many a patron's mind over the holidays, changing its screening schedule several times. During the holidays things were running full bore like in the good ol' days, then the nine o'clock round was cut Monday-Wednesday again, but the two o'clock round was kept. I would say the best thing to do is call, check the paper (as well as the website) before you go, making sure you are tuned in to that exact day when you look at the listings. The theater is still profiting from screeing Oscar contenders, but there is a long, hard winter ahead, so I imagine things will change up once more.

Well, that is about it. Apologies on the delay in posting. Forgive spelling and grammar. I will fix as time allows, as my laptop just went to that great computer graveyard in the sky. Things also got all inaugural and I got really busy. Up next, the films I viewed in January 2009. Until then...

Senator Press Conference Today

2009-01-22T04:57:00.000-08:00

This morning, at 10:30 AM, a press conference will be held at the Senator. Entitled "The Senator Theater's Endangered Future" and billed as a "call to action," it appears to be a way for the Senator to make its transition to not-for-profit status more public and to play on the narrative ("Save our Senator") that got so much cash out of people's pockets before.

The economic downturn has clearly hit the Senator hard, as it has hit most local businesses. Since the Senator is already in debt up to its eyeballs, I imagine the loan is coming due soon, and that the creditors are ready to take over before the transition can occur (I thought it was already occurring, based on the town hall meeting, but oh well...).

The question is, will people be willing to throw their money once again at a problem that they were assured was "fixed" by their last donation? Fool me once...

Up next, a criminally overdue update on film exhibition in Baltimore.

Films Viewed (December 2008)

2009-01-10T15:58:00.000-08:00

Role Models
Doubt
Please Vote for Me (excerpt)
Adaptation
Network
Ashes of Time- Redux
Lola Montes
A Christmas Tale
Raging Bull
Bombshell
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2012: Science or Superstition
Love in the Afternoon
Milk
The Reader
The Spirit
Baby Mama

Key
The Charles
The Senator/ The Rotunda
The Landmark Harbor East
Other (Tarantula Hill, Video Americain, MICA Brown Center, Suburban Multiplex)
Total: 16 features, 1 feature excerpt (13 in theaters)

Notes: This month offered a variety of screening experiences, from the mysteries of December 21st, 2012 on the west side to an otherwise unavailable Victor Fleming film in Falvey Hall. It is nice to have these added screening options in the city.

It is also clearly awards/top ten season, and the Oscar Bait is being trotted out all over town. Since these are films for which there is always provided a great deal of critical verbiage, I shall stay out if it for now.

Despite my strange ambivalence about lists, I overcame it enough to compose a "Top Ten Films I Saw in Theaters in Baltimore in 2008" list for The Mobtown Shank, to be published shortly. I shall quote myself from said list about some films of note from the past month:

"A brutal take on family dysfunction, A Christmas Tale is misleadingly titled. Two and half hours long and very French, the film somehow manages to paint a sympathetic portrait of a group of the some of the meanest and messiest people put on screen in recent memory. Still, the viewing experience was ultimately a rewarding one, akin to getting through a weighty and satisfying tome."

"Shall we call this one the anti-Marley and Me? The Reader is a complex and brutal take on Holocaust guilt, statutory rape, and all kinds of dark Germanic mess. Kate Winslet is brilliant in the film. I am a long-standing fan of hers, so she could read the phone book and I would probably watch, but the praise for her performance is not mine alone. The film offers no easy answers, leaving the viewer in a confused melancholy, stumbling out into a world that seems somehow bleaker. Any film with that kind of power is clearly worth noting."

Otherwise, my usual routine remained unbroken. Up next, a great deal to say about another round of seismic shifts in the film exhibition landscape in Baltimore.

Changes at the Senator

2008-12-19T04:31:00.000-08:00

It was announced via town hall meeting last evening that the Senator theater as we know it is coming to an end. I will post a link to this article for now, and will update and revise as time warrants with my notes from the meeting as well as my thoughts on yet another seismic shift in the film exhibition landscape in Baltimore.

Film Exhibition in Baltimore (December 2008)

2008-12-13T10:04:00.000-08:00

You will note that I have decided to change the month by which I track this post, as it tends to reflect the current moment as opposed to the past. There shall be no November 2008 post.

Three things on my mind, currently:

Topic One: Is the Landmark Harbor East homophobic?

There has been an interesting change in the pattern at the new theater in town, the Landmark Harbor East. Apparently, they will show any film that will maximize their profit share unless it deals with homosexuality (and the attendant and ongoing struggle for equal rights in that community) in a frank and open way.

Once you discount the fluke of the success of Slumdog Millionaire, which no movie suit predicted (it was apparently headed straight to DVD at one point), it makes no sense as to why Landmark would not be playing Milk. It is right up their alley in every way. It is another film for Mark Cuban to swipe from the Charles as he laughs and blow smoke from a cigar lit with a hundred dollar bill in the theater's face.

I am certainly not accusing the Landmark chain of being homophobic, as to look at their national exhibition picture shows several arthouses that are clearly gay friendly. So, my question is: was the decision not to play Milk based on having too many hits to handle already, or is there a policy of some kind in place at Landmark Harbor East?

It is certainly also possible that letting the Charles have Milk is based on its location near the heart of Baltimore's LGBT community. But something seems odd about the whole thing to me. I guess we shall see the next time a film like this comes down the pike. In any case, the film is having a successful run at the Charles, and this is a good thing for the theater.

Topic Two: Does the Arthouse have a future in Baltimore?

As discussed in a prior post, the Charles has cut the nine o'clock screenings on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from the schedule, prime time for college kids and those of the cineaste stripe among us to catch the films they want to see. This is outrageous to some, and another clear sign that the theater is catering to and getting more support from the greatest generation and the boomers than the youth of today.

It is extremely unfortunate that these screenings were cut, but financial concerns were involved. I wish that the next generation of film lovers were coming out to see these films in enough numbers to justify the screenings, but I know in my heart that the next generation of film lovers is moving away from the arthouse.

In conversations with young (and gen-x) lovers of film, it is clear that they get their movies on their laptops and Netflix most of the time, and do not understand the need to sit with a group of people in a darkened room and watch something projected on film more than a few times a year. Of course, I get a true and resonant enjoyment from this regular communal experience, but, to them, it is as antiquated a practice as reading a daily newspaper.

It is then only logical that a new paradigm is needed, as this is a business without a future. Perhaps the Senator's current move to non-profit status is an acknowledgment that the need now is for preservation as opposed to profit.

Topic Three: Why the heck are so many films opening on Christmas day?

I don't get it. How am I supposed to choose between The Spirit, Doubt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Reader, Valkyrie, and Frost/ Nixon, all scheduled to open in Baltimore on Christmas day? Outside of skipping out on my friends and family, I don't see options that allow me to take it all in over the holidays. Why is all this product is being dumped on this day into our market?

Of course, I must remember that some of these films will live on, being passed from theater to theater for months and months. Despite my warm memories of seeing the film back in August, I am beginning to think that Vicky Cristina Barcelona was about zombies, as it is clearly the film that will not die when it comes to Baltimore movie houses.

Films Viewed (November 2008)

2008-12-08T14:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas in July
The Foot Fist Way
The Great Moment
I.O.U.S.A.
Quantum of Solace
Falstaff (Chimes at Midnight)
Happy-Go-Lucky
Let the Right One In
Joy Division
Trouble the Water
Rosemary's Baby
Badlands
Youth of the Beast
Synecdoche, New York
Slumdog Millionaire
Wu: The Story of the Wu-tang Clan
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Key
The Charles
The Senator/The Rotunda
The Landmark
Other (Enoch Pratt Free Library, Video Americain, Suburban Multiplex)
Total: 16 features (12 in theaters)

Notes: It is hard not to notice that I did not darken the doors of the Senator or the Landmark for the entire month. I guess I have a profound lack of interest in Christmas comedies and teenage vampires.

Pre-teen Swedish vampires, on the other hand, were well worth checking out. Let the Right One In was a surprising, disturbing, subversive good time even for someone who explores the horror genre sparingly. I guess when it comes to scary premises (and realities), I am more interested in films like I.O.U.S.A.

Two music documentaries, Joy Division and Wu: The Story of the Wu-tang Clan, both benefited from reams of interesting, rarely seen footage and a personal connection with the places from which the artists came. The latter, especially, as the filmmaker grew up in the "slums of Shaolin." Perhaps not just "for fans only", these two.

Synecdoche, New York was a head scratcher of the first order. Movies that push like this are why I still show up, and I thank the Charles for squeezing it in between screenings of Slumdog Millionaire and Milk (now playing on two screens).

Otherwise, it was revivals and Bond movies, starmaking turns and ugly realities. Not a bad time at the movies, all in all.

Up next, some commentary on film exhibition in general.

Changes at the Charles (Redux)

2008-12-03T04:56:00.000-08:00

(So much information to add that I felt it best to just re-post a revised version of the previous, with added CGI effects)

It should be noted that the nine o'clock round of film screenings on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at the Charles has been cut. The screenings were cut for financial reasons, as too few patrons were showing up to justify keeping the theater open. The timing is particularly strange on this, as the theater has been especially busy recently thanks to the success of Slumdog Millionaire. A lively conversation on this controversial decision has been taking place over at Beatbots, which you may wish to join. Go here for more.

Also, Robocop, Back to the Future, and Home Alone have been chosen as midnight movies in an employee-led effort to bring this practice back. Each film will screen Friday at Midnight and Saturday at noon. Robocop will be projected digitally on December 5th and 6th. Back to the Future will screen on December 12th and 13th. Home Alone will screen on December 19th and 20th. I have heard there may be an actual print of one of the second two selections screened. I personally am hoping that the restored print of Home Alone, which the good people at the Criterion Collection have labored on so painstakingly, will make its way to Baltimore. For more information on their epic journey to save this classic film, click here.

Up next, my monthly films list for November.

Changes at the Charles

2008-11-25T10:57:00.000-08:00

It should be noted that the nine o'clock round of film screenings on Mondays and Tuesdays at the Charles has been cut, starting this week. So, if you show up and the doors are locked, there is a reason.

Also, handmade posters for a series of midnight movies have been placed in the lobby of the theater. Robocop, Back to the Future, and Home Alone are the chosen films. They will be shown on Fridays and Saturdays at midnight over weekends in December. I did not jot down the order, but will edit when the information becomes available.

These three are certainly not traditional "midnight movie" picks. They may reflect the tastes of the current crop of college students who would be in a position to make it out to such screenings. Have such films been screened in New York and Los Angeles in such a way sucessfully? I am curious to know.

Film Exhibition in Baltimore (October 2008)

2008-11-11T17:15:00.000-08:00

One thing I would like to improve upon in the future would be my coverage of other revivals and film series in Baltimore city. You would think that this aspect of Baltimore begins and ends with the Charles and the (gone but not forgotten) BMA series. There is more going around town, needless to say.

For example, there is a series at the Enoch Pratt Free Library which has been unearthing prints from their extensive archive and exhibiting them for free for some time. I have found the schedule a bit difficult to follow, but things seem to happen mostly on Saturdays, often putting the series in conflict with other things going on around town for me.

This Saturday, their "RARE REELS: The Best Films You've Never Seen" series will be showing a print of Falstaff (Chimes at Midnight), a film worth the time of any Orson Welles admirer or Shakespeare film buff. The film screens at the Central Branch on Saturday, November 15th at 2PM. Go here to learn more.

Another series I have been meaning to say more about would be the Fall Film series at MICA, with which the Maryland Film Festival is involved. I rarely make it out to this one as Tuesday nights are bad for me, but have made the time in the past for a Fassbinder series and the occasional film unavailable on the big screen anywhere else. The series this year has played a number of noteworthy films so far, and will be ending with two excellent selections.

I saw Medicine for Melancholy at the 2008 Maryland Film Festival, and have attempted to advocate heartily for the film ever since. Many more people know who Wyatt Cenac is now than they did then, as his star is clearly on the rise. The film is the best take on gentrification, modern love, and racial identity to come down the pike in a long time. The film screens Tuesday, November 18th, at 7:30.

The MICA series concludes on Tuesday, December 2nd at 7:30 with a screening of local gem Hamilton. The director, Matt Porterfield, will be in attendance. I have had the opportunity to see the film twice now, and have took away different things each time. As a former resident of that Baltimore neighborhood, I am astounded and inspired by the lyrical richness that the filmmaker has drawn from Baltimore workaday realities. As a filmgoer, I am proud that such an accomplished work has come from my hometown, something that can stand up next to the best work of Malick and Van Sant. If you haven't seen it yet, I say go for it.

In other news, the change at the Senator I spent so much time scrutinizing may be finally coming to some kind of frutiion. Several benefits are being held to help pay for the conversion of the Senator to a "not for profit" entity. The impact of this decision is hard to predict until the details emerge, but it hard for me to see the place operating in the manner that it has been once such a change comes to pass.

Also, we are back to "grab bag" revivals at the Charles, beginning with a screening of a restored print of Rosemary's Baby this Saturday, November 15th, at noon. After that, who knows?

Films Viewed (October 2008)

2008-11-02T17:43:00.000-08:00

Religulous

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek

I Served the King of England

Hail the Conquering Hero

Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist

Frozen River

Appaloosa

Miracle at St. Anna

Momma's Man

Sunshine for Shady People

Easy Living

Passions Just Like Mine

Mall Crawlers

The Great McGinty

Sex Drive

Quigley

------------------------------------------------------------

Key

The Charles

The Senator/ The Rotunda

The Landmark

Other (DVD, Suburban Multiplex, Wind-Up Space)

Total: 14 features, 2 short films (13 in theaters)

------------------------------------------------------------

Notes: September turned into October so quickly I almost marked off Bill Mahr's film essay Religulous on the ledger for last month. The film, a scathing indictment of organized religion, had me highly entertained until the last few minutes, when the gut punch was delivered in no uncertain terms.

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I spent quite a lot of time at Charles taking in their retrospective of the films of Preston Sturges in which the greatest hits as well as lesser known works were screened. Many films were checked off the list over the course of the month. The last film in the series screens this Saturday, and I do wonder what is next. Will we be getting another series with a clear thesis, or are we in store for another "grab bag" of great prints? I am game for either.

---------------------------------------------------

Quality films like Frozen River, Momma's Man, and (the overlong, still worthwhile) Miracle at St. Anna made quick bows but were worth catching. Michael Sragow championed two other films that came and went without me getting a chance to check them out. His article on the realities of current arthouse economics was appreciated.

---------------------------------------------------

The Windup Space screened a documentary investigating the phenomenon of Morrissey's fervent Latino fanbase entitled Passions Just Like Mine. I was glad to get a chance to see it, and hope that film screenings continue at the Windup. I also checked out Mall Crawlers by local filmmaker N.O. Smith, which featured the music of Human Host. It is available for sale at local music shops, and I would say it is worth tracking down if you have ever felt profoundly alienated at Towson Town Center.

----------------------------------------------------

One true oddity was Quigley, a movie that defies description. Essentially, Gary Busey plays a mean person who is brought back to earth after his apparent death as a cute, furry dog whose mission it is to right the wrongs for which he was responsible. Maybe clips will help? Totally mind-bending and available for rent at the Charles Village Video Americain in the New (to Us) section, if it has not been moved to the Cult Film section yet.

----------------------------------------------------

Up next, something to say about film exhibition in general this past month, as well as some great opportunities to see some little-seen films making the rounds of distribution.

And then, one year later...

2008-10-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a year of trying to keep this blog up and running. It was started on the eve of a great seismic shift the moviegoing/film distribution landscape of Baltimore city. My goal was to keep track of the changes in my movie habits and the patterns of film exhibition around town.

Here we are one year later, and things are certainly looking a lot different. Perhaps the best example of this change is evident at the Charles. One year ago, the theater was showing films like Into the Wild and The Darjeeling Limited. Now it is showing films like Sex Drive and High School Musical 3: Senior Year.

Times have changed, in more ways than one.

OMG WTF HSM3?

2008-10-22T16:24:00.000-07:00

So... today's City Paper announced that High School Musical 3: Senior Year is coming to the Charles theater this Friday. It will replace films like Before I Forget, a French film about an H.I.V. positive gay hustler contemplating his mortality.

HSM 3 at the Charles is certainly not the first sign of the end times, but still a shocking development, at least at first.

After some time to compose myself, I could see some precedent. The theater did show the musical version of Hairspray, which co-starred Zach Ephron, chief heartthrob of the series. It is also true that the theater has an opportunity to show a popular film in a time when clearance keeps most films of that stripe far away.

Still, with Sex Dive opening the same day at the Charles, is this an indicator of things to come?

Film Exhibition in Baltimore- September 2008

2008-10-09T17:07:00.000-07:00

This month I will concentrate on some scant data involving two local theaters.

Someone I work with in my main job mentioned that the Charles theater had been sold. I found this pronouncement baffling, so I decided to investigate. I found the following article, which explained the situation.

John Standiford has sold his share of the Charles to James "Buzz" Cusack. John remains on as a projectionist and a programmer of the revival series. As I am a dedicated follower of that series, this is great news.

It does not seem like a deal is imminent, but it does give one pause to consider the next life cycle for the place. Buzz and John have had a heck of a run with it, but it has changed hands in the past, and seems clear it will do so again. The idea of the theater joining a chain of other independent theaters sounds promising, as it would give them some muscle against the Landmark.

Certainly, business has picked up, and based on the Charles theater website, there are operas, ballets, and even a contemporary French film series on the horizon. Still, we are left with the question of what the future holds for the Charles, a question that is not being asked for the first time.

Over at the Senator, they recently celebrated their sixty-ninth anniversary quietly, running a series of ads in the newspaper. There were several lines that stuck out, at least to me. Here is the text as it ran in the Sun on Sunday, October 5th. I have emphasized the lines I find most interesting:

Today is the Senator's Sixth-Ninth Anniversary!

On October 5th, 1939 a gala was held to celebrate the Senator's opening. The new theater's graceful, art-deco design, state-of-the-art amenities & technical sophistication was praised by all. It was an inspiring vision of the future at a time when our nation's future was threatened and uncertain.

During its 69 year history of family ownership & operation the Landmark Senator has achieved reknown as "the people's theatre."

As we celebrate the theater's illustrious past, the Senator's primary mission is the continue to project a bright & shining vision of the future.

A transition is underway at the Senator.

As the Senator approaches its 7oth anniversary it will evolve & expand its capabilities & become the premiere entertainment venue in the region.

After reading this statement, along with another one that differs in some key ways that ran in the Saturday paper, it dawned on me that maybe the Senator isn't going to show movies anymore.

I have no factual basis for this claim. Still, you have to notice that there is no mention of films or movies anywhere in the write-up, even when mentioning the original opening. It is also implied that any changes that are made are in alignment with the original vision of the theater. We are also living in a time when "our nation's future is threatened and uncertain," and a theater like the Senator, which has been noted as being in debt so severe at to warrant an analogy with a terminally ill patient on life support, mentioning this is to me interesting as well. Certainly, if you can't make money after your competition has been pushed aside by clearance and you are running the No. 1 movie in America at all times. how can you make money in the movie exhibtion business?

In the Saturday ad, there were some differences in an abbreviated version of the text I consider worth examining.

As we celebrate the Senator's rich history, its primary mission is to evolve with the times & remain a futuristic, innovative facility.

An operational transition is in progress at the Senator...

Certainly, an operational transition sounds more intense than just a simple transition, but I can't put my finger on why. I also think that to evolve with the times you need to stop going to the movies so much and watch movies you stole on your laptop, like most people.

Certainly, the Senator would make a top-notch music/ event hall, and I think once you go in that direction, it is hard to maintain a regular screening schedule, as exhibtion contracts state you have to show such and such a movie on so many occasions a day for such and such a length of time (for proof of this, look at some of the movies limping along at a screening a day at theaters like the Muvico 24). How can you do that if Garrison Keillor is dishing out his homespun wisdom at your place for the weekend?

Time will tell. Certainly, the movies did very well during the last depression. We shall see how they fare this time.

Films Viewed (September 2008)

2008-10-07T16:31:00.000-07:00

The Last Command
The Lady Eve
Tropic Thunder
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Extended Cut)
Wizards
Barcelona
The Films of Kenneth Anger, Volume One
Who Gets to Call it Art?
Burn after Reading
The Palm Beach Story
Towelhead
Sweet Movie
Bombay Talkie
Helen, Queen of the Nautch Girls
A Girl Cut in Two
------------------------------------------------------------------
Key
The Charles
The Senator/ The Rotunda
The Landmark
Other (DVD, On Demand, Suburban Multiplex)
Total: 13 features, 1 short film, 1 collection of short films (7 in theaters)

Notes: This month I got to see movies like The Last Command which was a silent film with live musical accompaniment from the Alloy Orchestra. I got to see movies like Towelhead and A Girl Cut in Two, which came and went without much fanfare (Towelhead clings to a screening a day at the Landmark). I got to see Burn after Reading which was funny and excellent once it got going (proximity to DC and exposure to that weird rarefied wealthy world may have helped a bit). I got to take in various Preston Sturges films at the Charles theater revival series. I got to rent a whole bunch of films from Video Americain, some wild, some woolly. In conclusion, these are the movies I got to see this month.

(The following was written in the style of my freshman composition students, who are currently struggling with the art of the paragraph.)

Film Exhibtion in Baltimore- August 2008

2008-09-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

This month, some passing observations from my filmgoing meanderings:

Seeing a Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 Poster In the Lobby of the Charles

Although this did not come to pass, and may have been a joke on the part of the staff, I still was shocked to walk by this poster one evening. Was this a dream or a hallucination? I think it may reflect an interesting moment in the decision-making process on what to exhibit.

The Coming of Tyler Perry to the Senator

In the midst of the run of Tropic Thunder at the Senator, it became clear that the next feature, opening this weekend, was to be the new Tyler Perry film, The Family that Preys. I have nothing against the filmmaker or his films, but this is either a sign of his work earning a new cachet of respectability or of the Senator courting a new audience. Is it simply that this film is projected to be the No. 1 movie in America this weekend? It seems probable based on Perry's box office record, as the post-Batman pond drain that is the anemic weekend box office can have what are essentially flops as the No. 1 movie in America (Hello, Bangkok Dangerous!). In any case, I hope the Senator tucked away enough Bat-dollars to hunker down for a now Harry Potter-less fall movie season.

Poster Battle: Burn After Reading

When I first saw a poster for the new Coen brothers film up at the Charles, I thought "Yeah, Right." The Landmark had an epic run with the excellent film No Country for Old Men, and I was certain they would grab whatever was next. Then I found out it was a farce in the vein of their more out-there comedies, and that the reviews were coming in mixed at best. I then thought "Okay... Maybe." Then I started to catch the media blitz for the film, with the few stellar reviews plastered all over the paper and other media, and I knew that it was destined for the Landmark and the Senator. The Senator did decide to open it at the much smaller Rotunda, which may be a sign of lack of confidence in the film. If it does get bad word-of-mouth, it could get dropped and then be picked up by the Charles a la The Visitor. The big question: is this new film more The Big Lebowski or The Ladykillers? We shall see.

The End of the "Grab Bag" Revivals at the Charles

The grab bag revival series winded down with a micro-run of Kubrick (The Shining, Dr. Strangelove), some out-of-sequence early Bond (Goldfinger, Dr. No, From Russia with Love) and one remnant from the proposed (but apparently scrapped) French revival series (The Earrings of Madame De...). The Charles revival series is now on to a run of Preston Sturges films, and I, for one, am very pleased. The usual comprehensive list is available in the lobby.

Films Viewed (August 2008)

2008-09-03T16:47:00.000-07:00

Super High Me

Honeydripper

Unfaithfully Yours

La Collectioneuse

A Modern Coed

Together

Underground (Kusturica)

The Dark Knight (IMAX)

Pineapple Express

Goldfinger

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

The Edge of Heaven

Man on Wire

The Last Mistress

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

LOL

Dr. No

Tell No One

Hamlet 2

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie

Glengarry GlenRoss

Hissy Fits

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

The Wrong Man

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended Cut)

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Extended Cut)

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Key

The Charles

The Senator/ The Rotunda

The Landmark

Other (BMA, DVD, On Demand, Suburban Multiplex)

Total: 24 features, 2 shorts (13 in theaters)

Notes: I must admit I am impressed by my volume this month! Of course, keeping a yearly August movies list on another (more personal) blog was the grain of the kernal of the idea of this one, so it comes as no suprise that I have seen a lot of movies this month, the dead end of summer, the dog days of August.

It is sad not to be able to note or look forward to another screening at the BMA. I wish Eric all possible success in finding a new venue for this great series, and point you in the direction of an interview with our fearless curator conducted by The Sun's Michael Sragow.

I guess I will let the list speak for itself this month. I went to Video Americain a great deal, filled in some blanks, made it out to the Charles for some great arthouse fare, and saw a not very good Star Wars movie. Up next will be film exhibition in general in Baltimore. As we move into the fall and the one year anniversary of this blog, I will be keeping my eye on things around town, needless to say.

On Seeing The Dark Knight in IMAX

2008-08-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

Location: Johnson IMAX Theater: National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC
Date: August 8th, 2008
Cost of Ticket: 12.50 (plus service charge)
Cost of Concessions: None Available
Cost of Parking (off site): free (a minor miracle on the Mall in DC)

Total Cost: 14.50

Notes: Admittedly, I was not rushing out to see this film again. I had enjoyed my first viewing, but I also has some issues with the film in terms of pacing and plot logic that nagged at me. Still, it was an opportunity to spend the weekend in DC, visit my girlfriend's family, and see what all the IMAX hype was about.

The screening was sold out, causing many to settle, after fruitless searching, on the neck strain seats in the front of the house. It was interesting to note the obvious tensions of a museum theater putting on this sort of a show: there were no concessions for sale, there were only two showings a day (both sold out), the theater was located at the top of a staircase and had little to no hope of controlling well a crowd of this size... but the cash-strapped museums need the revenue, and the masses was to see their Batman big. Chris Kaltenbach provided a good overview of the situation in a recent article in the Sun.

Then the film began, in all its digital dome technologic glory. Was this an analog print or digital projection? What was up with that red text at the back of the theater underneath the projector (one fellow filmgoer at another screening swore it was closed captions)? Those questions aside, the Dark Knight in IMAX took on a scope and a depth that were, for the most part, breathtaking.

The film was projected letterboxed in non-IMAX filmed scenes, a full five stories tall in IMAX filmed scenes. This was not disorienting to me, but I may have been helped by my previous screening in terms of following along. It was interesting to see establishment shots take on a new magnificence and importance, and to also see the limitations of the form (I would say the major car chase "Harvey Dent transport" scene suffered in the IMAX format, the action becoming blurred to a large degree). But you haven't Batman jump off a roof in Hong Kong and fly around until you've seen it in IMAX.

All in all, I feel that my appreciation of the film has been deepened, but my problems with these recent incredibly popular and profitable summer films remain. In some recent reading, David Mamet may have put his finger on the problem: these films are not so much concerned with traditional dramatic form but rather with how fast they can move from thrill to thrill, set piece to set piece. This screening around, I "got" a lot more of what was going on (like what the heck the Scarecrow was up to in that early sequence). But I still wonder at my ability to keep up with these kids today with their youtube and faceplace and whatnot. Am I reaching a point where popular culture will no longer hold even a vestige of a thrill for me? Will I simply retreat into the Arthouse and shake my fist at the suburban multiplex?

It is funny how time passes. I can remember 1989 Batman (which I am certain I saw repeatedly at said multiplex) only distantly, but that summer was spent in the throes of Batmania, surrounded by merchandise and hype and a film that seemed grittier, darker, more in tune with its time than other releases of the day. It served as a milestone and an paradigm shift and a culmination of several years of comic book geekery for me. I doubt that my take would hold up if I watched Tim Burton's creation today, but I am also certain that this new film serves the same for a new generation of fans, and I look forward to discussing it with my students this fall, as there is no doubt that they saw The Dark Knight this summer. And hey... this old man's got one on them. He saw it in IMAX.

Film Exhibition in Baltimore- July 2008

2008-08-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

This month, a simple exercise... let's call it Baltimore Landmark vs. DC Landmark(s).

Here are the movies playing at the Baltimore Landmark Harbor East as of Tuesday, August 5th, 2008:

Swing Vote
The Wackness
Step Brothers
The X-Files: I Want to Believe
The Dark Knight
Mama Mia! The Movie
Wall-E

Listed as Coming Soon:
Pineapple Express (Wednesday)
American Teen (Friday)
Cirque De Soleil: Delierium (special digital event- 4 screenings)
Vicky Christina Barcelona (August 15th)
Bottle Shock (August 15th)

Now, here are the films playing as of Tuesday, August 5th at the Landmark E Street and Bethesda Row Cinemas:

(E Street)
Chris and Don: A Love Story
Water Lillies
Tell No One
American Teen
Brideshead Revisited
The Edge of Heaven
The Wackness
Encounters at the Edge of the World

(Bethesda Row)
American Teen
Tell No One
Brideshead Revisited
Brick Lane
Elsa & Fred
The Visitor
Mongol
The Wackness

Coming Soon:
Bottle Shock (Wednesday)
Man on Wire (Friday)
Boy A (Friday)
Hellride (Friday)
Red (Friday)
Henry Poole is Here (August 15th)
Vicky Christina Barcelona (August 15th)
XXY (August 15th)

Notes: The first thing that becomes very clear (as one commenter already pointed out) is that the Landmark Harbor East is about as far from an arthouse as you can get, especially in comparison to other theaters in the chain in the area.

I especially liked the inclusion of Swing Vote at the local Landmark, as there could not be a clearer indication of who they think goes to the movies in Baltimore city. It is somehow hard for me to imagine a Ravens fan wandering over to catch Kevin Coster being all American following an exhibition game, but apparently it was not hard for them.

The most surprising thing to me is how many films the Landmarks in DC were showing that were playing at the Charles (Brideshead Revisited, Encounters at the End of the World, Tell No One) and how many of those films that were there on Tuesday opened at the Charles on Friday. Since the Charles has recently abandoned the Films Coming Soon section of their website, all of those films opening in Baltimore at the Charles on Friday (Chris and Don: A Love Story, Man on Wire, The Edge of Heaven) were not logical progressions from Tuesday to Friday in my mind. I assumed Man on Wire was a lock at the Landmark, in fact, but that did not turn out to be the case.

Most telling is that American Teen, the one with the most chance of breaking through and selling the most popcorn, was the only one kept by Landmark between the transition from DC to Baltimore. I guess the rest don't deliver on the level the Landmark can generate right now with mainstream fare, and I seriously doubt that gay-friendly films like Chris and Don: A Love Story will ever play the Harbor East, which is an interesting thing considering who is probably living in those expensive condos. I guess the next Brokeback Mountain will test the limits of the Landmark Harbor East in terms of being family friendly.

It is still hard, though, to understand at this point why movies still open in DC before Baltimore. The cities are more connected than ever before, and the world is a smaller place, ultimately. Why are we still considered "third tier" and DC still considered "second tier"? It always makes me feel a little inferior when a DC friend talks of how a film already opened there when we are still waiting for it here. In some recent reading, I heard tell of a time when film exhibitors in Baltimore had to trek up to DC to go to the film distro depot to haggle out which prints they were going to be showing the following week. Sometimes I assume a print "waiting game" is still going on between the two cities. There are only so many prints available in the case of smaller films, but the lag on bigger films is still a bit puzzling.

Well, I found this look at things eye-opening in some ways. Up next, my take on a five story tall Batman in IMAX. Until then...

Films Viewed (July 2008)

2008-08-01T07:24:00.000-07:00

Hard Times at Douglass High

Wanted

Mister Lonely

Falkenberg Farewell

Performance

If...

Art of Failure: Chuck Connelly Not for Sale

Thursday's Children

Mongol

Knife in the Water

Up the Yangtze

Roman Polanski: The Short Films

Mitchell (Mystery Science Theater 3000 version)

Wall-E

The Amazing Colossal Man (Mystery Science Theater 3000 version)

American Hardcore

The Ice Storm

The Dark Knight

Encounters at the End of the World

Harold and Maude

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Key

The Charles

The Senator/ The Rotunda

The Landmark

Other (BMA, DVD, On Demand, Suburban Multiplex)

Total: 18 features, 1 short film, 1 collection of short films (8 in theaters)

Notes: First of all, this coming month marks your last chance to enjoy the free film screenings at the BMA. The film, Together, chronicles the attempts of an idiosyncratic cast of characters to live communally in Sweden in the twilight of the hippie era. Directed by Lukas Moodysson and released in 2000, I can vouch for it, as I caught it during its original brief theatrical run at the Charles, and look forward to watching it again Thursday, August 7th at 8PM. To register your protest over the cancellation of the series, e-mail programs@artbma.com. To their credit, they seem genuinely interested in discussing this matter.

I have been doing a bit of archive delving this month, roaming the stacks at Video Americain, plucking the films on my list and enjoying them as I chase away summer ennui. Roman Polanski. Nicolas Roeg, Lindsay Anderson... hard to go wrong with those names on the docket. I also continued my recent and growing appreciation of the films of Hal Ashby, finally seeing Harold and Maude at a "flicks from the hill" screening at the American Visionary Arts Museum. Outdoor summer screenings are an interesting animal, what with cars alarms going off, dogs barking, and that one (possibly) intoxicated lady that screamed "woooo!" every time Maude said something quotable and quirky. I can see why the film is considered a cult classic, and it is sort of amazing I haven't seen it until now.

I have also spent some time in recent months revisiting the work of the crew of the "satellite of love" to see if what they did holds up. It has passed with flying colors, and I got a big kick out of reliving those early days of cable access, trying to plan overnight adventures based on whose house got that exciting new cable channel, Comedy Central.

I feel like the films I have seen recently in theaters have not done much in terms of inspiring much comment here. Falkenberg Farewell was a elegiac downer and well worth checking out. A movie you could see right now that I would recommend would be Werner Herzog's Encounters at the End of the World, a ramshackle exploration of Antarctica with some truly astounding visuals. The director makes personalized film essays that I always enjoy, forgiving their flaws and enjoying their strengths. If there are any films on the list you would like to hear more about, please let me know.

The Dark Knight's detonation as the event film of the summer of 2008 has continued to echo into its third week of release. I found the film's breakneck pace to be perplexing at times, being as I am someone who increasingly appreciates languid takes and logical plot movements and whose following of comic book plotlines stopped in the early 1990s. I am of the original Batmania generation, though, and was surprised that I didn't just settle back and enjoy the ride like I did in 1989. Heath Ledger does give an amazing performance, and there were other things to enjoy along the way when the film didn't get tripped up in its hurried ruminations on the the nature of the hero. The plan tonight is to drive down to DC and see the thing in IMAX. I will report back on the experience. Perhaps my opinion of the film will change upon a second screening.

Also up next, film exhibition in Baltimore in general. Until then...

Mister Lonely: Now Playing

2008-07-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

After all my harrumphing and grousing, the new Harmony Korine film, Mister Lonely, is finally playing in Baltimore right now at the Landmark Harbor East. I doubt it will last past Thursday, what with Bat-mania about to descend, but it should be noted that it has finally arrived. As a reflection of the current perplexing state of film distribution and exhibition in Baltimore, I decided to watch the film via IFC In Theaters earlier this month after despairing that I would not be able to see it on the big screen. The price of the "download" of the film was less than the cost of a matinee ticket to the Landmark (not to mention parking and other costs), but more than a rental. I suspect this dilemma will become more common in the near future as the window between theatrical exhibition and home video is further collapsed. I enjoyed the film and would recommend it to anyone interested in an envelope-pushing film experience.

Film Exhibtion in Baltimore- June 2008

2008-07-02T06:44:00.000-07:00

As a moviegoer in Baltimore city, I am aware at times only dimly of the national film exhibition picture. I see what is showing and opening here, and the series of events that led to that reality is often obscured.

I have attempted to pay more attention to the machinations that lead to what is opening on Friday at a theater near me as a natural extension of keeping this blog. I admit that my thoughts on these matters is biased, but I try to keep perspective.

Earlier, my razzing of the Landmark Harbor East for playing all mainstream Hollywood films was reflective of my desire to see the edgiest films out there play Baltimore. I am one person, one ticket, and it is clear that I am not the average filmgoer in many respects.

Still, it saddens me to see interesting films come and go without a Baltimore bow. Even without the Landmark, Mister Lonely's shot at playing Baltimore was slim at best, and a probable loss for whoever showed it. I will move on and rent the DVD when available (more on that below).

But back to Landmark going 100% Hollywood mainstream . It was a sad and interesting moment, but one that I now see is reflective of national trends. It is becoming clear that there is no clear "summer indie hit" this year.

Having worked in the popcorn trenches for five summers now, I can see that we just don't have a Fahrenheit 9/11, March of the Penguins, or An Inconvenient Truth in the marketplace. Even if the Landmark never happened, this would be a hard summer for smaller films in Baltimore.

Is this an after-effect of the writer's strike? Is it that several of the studio indie houses (Warner Independent, Picturehoue) are being shuttered? It is hard to say, as these films must have the right mixture of box office return, word of mouth, and critical praise to really hit the mark.

It is interesting that the only film we have close to that, The Visitor, played the Landmark perhaps too early to catch on and was pushed out by the usual Blockbuster-mania at the Senator, only to wind up slowly and steadily playing at the Charles, where is continues to have legs months after beginning its run in Baltimore. I wonder if this will happen with other films as time goes on in the new realities of film exhibition in Baltimore.

One other interesting, jarring note: Baltimore's Comcast digital cable has added the Independent Film Channel to its line-up. which is welcomed. However, it is odd to see many of the same films that just played or are playing at the theater down the street (The Flight of the Red Balloon, Paranoid Park, among others) available On Demand for a fee. In fact, I have just discovered that I can satisfy my Mister Lonely jones for $6.99 at this very moment. Is this the future of film exhibition in Baltimore, and, if so, what is the role of movie theaters in all of this?

Films Viewed (June 2008)

2008-07-01T06:41:00.000-07:00

Because the Bible Tells Me So

The Fall

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

The Landlord

The Wild World of Batwoman (Mystery Science Theater 3000 version)

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired

The Visitor

Mister Jealousy

Frenzy

The Love Guru

Mr. Freedom

Berlin Alexanderplatz (parts I, II, and III)

The Incredible Hulk

Constantine's Sword

Being There

Reprise

Key Largo

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Key

The Charles

The Senator/ The Rotunda

The Landmark

Other (BMA, DVD, On Demand, Suburban Multiplex)

Total: 17 (10 in theaters)

Notes: First of all, it is important to note that the mighty BMA free film series, which has become such an enjoyable feature of filmgoing life in Baltimore, appears to be coming to an end. It is a sad thing to see it go, as it has provided opportunities to see so many great films on the big screen, some of which are impossible to see in any other way. Many kudos should be given to Eric Allen Hatch for a great run, and best wishes to whatever effort comes next to get worthwhile films screened for an appreciative public. The last two scheduled entries in the series are Falkenburg Farewell and Together. Falkenburg Farewell, a film by Swedish director Jesper Ganslandt, is unavailable in any format in the United States, and screens this Thursday, July 3rd, at 8PM. Together will be shown Thursday, August 7th. Enjoy these great free screenings while you can.

Another great Baltimore film series, the Charles theater's revival series, has concluded its six month run of Hitchcock and begun anew, starting with a seeming grab-bag of screenings, perhaps based on the availability of quality prints. Key Largo is playing this week. Rebel without a Cause begins Saturday, July 5th, followed by The Searchers (Saturday, July 12th), Two Lane Blacktop (Saturday, July 19th), and The Shining (Saturday, July 26th). Things seems to get decidedly French after that (titles like Contempt, Last Year at Marienbad, and Children of Paradise have been named but not given screening dates). Films screen at noon on Saturday, 7PM on Monday, and 9PM on Thursday of their respective week.

In terms of the rest of the month, I continued my ingestion of summer movies, spent time with some of my favorite directors, was pointed in the right direction in terms of some older films, and was introduced to some new filmmakers as well. I don't feel like I have a great deal to say about any of the films at this time, but will comment upon any if asked to do so. Up next, a shift in my perspective on film exhibition in general in Baltimore.

Congratulations to Landmark Harbor East!

2008-06-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

I had a feeling this day was coming, and it has finally arrived.

The Landmark Harbor East, as of today and through at least Thursday, June 26th, is offically showing ONLY Hollywood Mainstream films! Congrats, guys!

Some people would have a hard time seeing the "edginess" of films like Get Smart and You Don't Mess with the Zohan, but you guys can see that playing these films is possible while still staying true to your arthouse roots.

Sure, maybe a few Mister Lonelys have to get cut from the schedule, but that is the price you have to pay to stay focused on profit goals this quarter.

I see Savage Grace coming soon at the bottom there, but isn't that also the release date of Wanted? Well, I know you guys will do the right thing. Right?

Film Exhibiton in Baltimore- April/May 2008

2008-06-09T17:33:00.000-07:00

Instead of beating a dead horse, I shall offer a new observation.

People in Baltimore are adjusting to the new heirarchy of film exhibtion in Baltimore, for good or for bad.

All you have to do is wait and you can see your movie where you would prefer to see it, perhaps at a place that is cheaper, where you can find parking. It is a gamble, but it seems to be an emerging trend.

The Band's Visit? Played at both the Charles and the Landmark.

Iron Man? Played at both the Senator and the Charles.

The Visitor has managed to play all three local theaters, and is still going strong, perhaps due in part to an article that commented upon how strong it is going.

I just hope that my opportunity to see films like Mister Lonely (reviewed in the City Paper under the mistaken impression it was opening Friday. June 6th at the Landmark Harbor East) on the big screen in Baltimore is not taken away. Will more screens lead to less films?