Top Five Movies about Iraq that I didn't See in 2007

Well, it has become obligatory that we take our experiences and rank them in a subjective order so that others can "discover" them. Here is my attempt at such a list.

2007 featured a lot of films unspooling which attempted to deal with our new long national nightmare, not be confused with the old one. When these films first started to appear, I would go and see them, leaving the theater feeling all topical and edgy. But then I saw Gunner Palace and realized you can make a terrible movie out of a terrible war very easily.

I did not attend these films as I do not think that popular entertainments about such topics have much of a chance of transcending the moment in which they were created. I will stick to Frontline, Bill Moyer's Journal, and other options to continue to explore the issues surrounding our nation's fantastic blunder.

1. Redacted
This Brian De Palma film, savaged by Film Comment, was given only a six day bow at the Landmark. It may represent the film industry hitting rock bottom when it comes to its depiction of the war. I would not know, since I avoided it as one avoids an open sewer.

2. No End in Sight
Now, this one I should have been seen, and I may still rent it and digest it (with the help of some form of hard liquor). This lauded documentary, about our new eternal war in the Middle East and the corporations sponsoring it, hit Baltimore in the dog days of August. At that time, I was confronting another cycle in the edu-mill. There I was, sweating to death, at a historic personal low, and Baltimore's film exhibitors ask me to go see a movie called "No End in Sight?" Sorry, guys.

3. Rendition
Why is Reese Witherspoon so emotively overacting in all the trailers for this film? I never found out. A serious and depressing topic made into a glossy Hollywood film. I chose not to Pick Flick, and I was not alone. This was one was technially not about Iraq, but what the heck...

4. In the Valley of Elah
Paul Haggis received an Oscar for his last film, which it did not deserve (ask anyone outside of LA). To not go to this film not only said you don't want to see any more lame movies about a deadly serious war, it also allowed you to have revenge on Paul Haggis. I, for one, could not pass that up.

5. The Kingdom
Jamie Foxx and the gang cook up another hot and sexy thriller, this time based on current events. This is the kind of film I often attend with my father on a lark, and even he didn't want to see this one.

Quick Take- Sweeney Todd

I have just returned from a sneak preview screening of Sweeney Todd at the Senator theater, and I can verify a few things. If you hear "Tim Burton" and "Johnny Depp" in the same sentence and have no more questions, you will not be dissatisfied by this film. The sullen goths of our nation will packing the mall cineplexes without a doubt starting Friday (this is why they will briefly abandon their natural habitat).

However, if you are a newly-minted fan of the Johnny Depp is hot variety, let me warn you: there will be blood. Lots of it. One fellow previewer commented that she would have never seen this film if it wasn't for free, I assume due to the gore-level. Finally, a musical for the Saw generation!

But how will the American popcorn purchasers (horror die-hards aside) react to such a film? It seems that Hollywood is betting that our nation's mood is best reflected by a holiday movie season filled with murderous barbers, apocalyptic visions of the last man on earth, and a fantasy epic initally penned by an Athiest. In my mind, there is a connection between the recession-bound Reagan-hangover late 80s and the dark times in various media (See Batman, Watchmen, Robocop, etc...), and I theorize that there may be a similar link here. Since the weak performance of one of these films at the box office, I do wonder if Hollywood is in the right place at the right time with this.

And what of the film, finally? It resonated with me and I recommend it (screenings begin at the Charles on Friday, a suprise to me, as I envisoned trudging out to the county to see this one). I feel that my deep appreciation of the film may have something to do with being raised on the stage by a musical-loving mother and my subsequent rejection of that world. This is a film both in tune with the history and tradition of the musical but also pushing hard against it. Outside of watching a college production of Assassins, I am not that familiar with Soundheim, and I walked away thinking of Victorian penny deadfuls, Poe's more clever "perfect crime" short stories, and the saga of Jack the Ripper, especially as brought to life by Alan Moore's From Hell (as opposed to the film by the Hughes brothers). How Soundheim had the audacity, nerve, gall and (dare I say it?) genius to create the source material for this film is beyond me.

Well, that is it for now. I am looking forward to seeing many more films this month, and will be adding a top five list or two to the site soon.

Film Exhibtion in Baltimore in General- November 2007

Well, my plans to update "shortly" turned out to be optimistic at best. Here we are, well into December, with November a distant memory. I shall try to draw out some thoughts and impressions of the month that was.

Landmark fully set up shop, adopting a "best of both worlds" strategy. If the pattern holds, they will play Harborplace-approved fare like Enchanted and they will play all the most lucrative of the "smaller" cinema. The Charles can only dream of playing a film like No Country for Old Men in the near future, and I have heard reports of near sold-out screening of the aforementioned excellent Cohen brothers film, despite the many obstacles to attending screenings in Harbor East.

Of course, the films the Charles made a point to grab early in the season have seemingly payed off, and the scraps from the table at this time of the year ("I'm Not There," "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead") have been more than satisfying. Still, they can't play "The Darjeeling Limited" forever, and I wait hopefully for a solid strategy to emerge.

In light of the changes to the landscape and other factors, there have been experiments. The Charles has begun a series of live telecasts of operas, which is certainly a change in pace and may be a sign of the theater overcoming its long-standing ambivalence to digital screenings. The Senator seems to have also headed in a new direction, what with Chanukah themed screenings with local celebrities lighting the menorah and, finally, soon enough, a Blade Runner Reboot screening. I am very excited to see what plans they will make for Easter, Arbor Day, and St. Patrick's Day.

Another movie that is scheduled for local resurrection at the Rotunda (beginning this Friday, December 14th) is the Anton Corbjin directed "Control," a biopic of some merit about the band Joy Division, focusing on their lead singer Ian Curtis. It will probably play for another Friday through Thursday run, and I would say to mope on down to Hampden and check it out. News of an actual documentary sounds promising as well.

Also, a recent "lobby poster battle" seems to be resolved, with Juno going to the Rotunda and, one assumes, the Landmark as well. Still unresolved would be the battle over who will get to show There Will Be Blood. I just glanced at some headline about raptuous critical praise, so I imagine Landmark will continue its policy of picking up the shiniest marbles in the chalk circle and taking them to the bank.

Well, the new era has begun, and the changes have begun to slowly manifest. I predict tough sledding for Baltimore's independant movie houses, especially when we hit another patch of art house famine. It is staggering to imagine what havoc the writer's strike will cause somewhere down the line. Certainly, I enjoyed Crimson Gold when it made a local bow, but I don't think the "bluehairs" did.

So far, December screenings have been scant, save for another great free film at the BMA (for the last time, people, it was not "Paris Je t'aime" and you don't have it at home on DVD) and What Would Jesus Buy? which put a spring in my step and a song in my heart. Run, don't walk to see that one if you would like the answer to that question.

Films Viewed (November 2007)

Syndromes and a Century
89 Gator Mine
Control
This is England
Lars and the Real Girl
Eraserhead
Wristcutters: A Love Story
Talk to Me
No Country for Old Men
El Topo
Beowulf (Digital 3-D)
House of D
Shrek the Third
I Am an Animal
I'm Not There
The Holy Mountain

Lawrence of Arabia
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

Key
The Charles
The Landmark

The Senator
Other (DVD, BMA, suburban multiplex)

TOTAL: 19 (18 features, 1 short)

NOTES: The month started out pleasingly with Syndromes and a Century, another excellent choice for the BMA free film series. The series continues this Thursday, December 6th, at 8PM with Je t'aime, je t'aime. It certainly will be a busy night in Baltimore, but I would suggest making the time. For more on the film, read this here.

The month ended pleasingly with my first screening of Lawrence of Arabia, a film I have refused to sit down and watch until I could see it properly. I got to do so (thanks to the Senator) and I was not disappointed.

I enjoyed attending the premiere of local filmmaker Josh Slates' 89 Gator Mine. In the spirit of full editorial disclosure, I must say I am among the many financiers of the endeavor. I left the theater well satisfied. Josh and I are the same age, and I felt that he captured the insanity of post-Cold War proletariat America very accurately.

The Russian Fantastik revival series at The Charles wrapped up with an appendix of head-scratchers that were "Not Russian, but still Fantastik." It is always a pleasure to see films like Eraserhead or The Holy Mountain again, as each viewing reveals new details and layers. I must admit that seeing Jodorowsky's classics again and being prepared for what was about to unspool was not the same as being slapped in the face by them upon first viewing at a friend's house when we sat down to "watch some movies."

It is interesting to try to summarize my thoughts on the month's films after having the opportunity to express myself so frequently here. Many of the films I have not discussed are doing well and are receiving oodles of press (do you really want or need my thoughts on Shrek the Third?). The ones I probably enjoyed the most are dead and gone at this point in terms of seeing them in the theater. But that is what DVD is for, correct?

Speaking of DVD, I did finally rent and watch Talk to Me and found the film very compelling in a number of ways. I was especially struck by the sequences involving the riots in Washington DC following Dr. King's assassination, as these riots, rarely discussed publicly, seem to be remembered only in their continuing aftermath. I look forward to the coming exhibit at UB in regards to what happened in Baltimore in the same sad and tense times as a form of education on the subject.

Please let me know if you would like to discuss any of the above films in more depth. I will return shortly with my thoughts on film exhibition in Baltimore in general this past month.

Also, on an aesthetic note, I am a man of words primarily, and not so good with the graphic design. Let me know if my "color-coding" above is good, bad, or ugly (I am thinking it is a little of all three at the present moment). I will continue to tinker with the presentation of the page.

ITEM(S)

ITEM: For those who may have been scratching their heads over the Charles theater's decision to show the new Steven King adaptation "The Mist" and/or may have been interested in seeing it, please be advised that a projector is broken as of Sunday, November 25th, and the film will not shown again until repairs can be made. From what I have heard, which is by no means definitive, the film has not done well for the theater. It may be an attempt to court a new audience for the venue (see the brief run of "Superbad" earlier the year). This new audience will be essential for the establishment's health once it gets past this time of feast into one of the many famine periods in the art film cycle. The new Landmark imposed desert awaits.

ITEM: Speaking of, if you were thinking about traveling down to the Landmark to see "Lions for Lambs," I would instead suggest seeing it at the dollar movie, where it is also playing for approximately half the price. This would imply that you, dear reader, want to see "Lions for Lambs" in the first place. This means that you like watching big stars talk a whole lot. I don't. I hope that the UA resurrection bears more intriguing fruit sometime soon. The studio has quite a legacy to live up to, and I am curious to see how it all plays out.

First Thoughts on Beowulf

Film: Beowulf (Digital 3-D)
Date: Sunday. November 18th, 2007
Theater: Muvico Egyptian 24- Arundel Mills Mall
Cost of Ticket: 9.50 (matinée plus extra "3-D fee")
Cost of Concessions: 0.00 (it was ten in the morning)
Cost of Parking: 0.00

Total Cost: 9.50

Notes: Well, the time has finally arrived. After rumors that sounded too ludicrous to be true, a foreign live-action version that is not half-bad, a WTF? sci-fi version starring Christopher Lambert, and about a billion dollars worth of hype, Beowulf, the big-budget spectacular, is here. Fear not, it does what it needs to do.

I was initially boggled by all the choices. Beowulf 2-D? Beowulf Digital 3-D? Beowulf IMAX? Beowulf IMAX Digital 3-D? I chose the Digital 3-D, despite the fact that it meant a trip to the suburbs and a close encounter with Ravens fans and their tailgating. This Sunday's early box office reports suggest I was not alone, and may mean a new reason you have to see it on the big screen (not that you will, necessarily).

Another in a recent spate of manly man movies. the film attempts to re-tell the epic poem, performed by anonymous scops and written down by Christianizing monks, as if you are getting the "true story" behind the legend. Some critics have assumed it is a parody of the poem, others have given it a "C-"... I understand their angst, but have to disagree.

Yes, major changes were made to text that I think were necessary to have the story make some degree of sense to a modern audience. Disparate elements are connected and the clash of two religions illustrated (Jesus v. Odin). Despite my familiarity with the text due to teaching it, I could live with the changes, and have often played up the same elements the film does to make this ancient and at-times inscrutable poem interesting to the youth of today.

Speaking of those youth, it is very clear that the filmmakers' intention was to zero in and dead-on target teenage boys, and those guns are firing on all cylinders. Dragons, monsters, swords and sorcery, practically naked animated Angelina Jolie... it is fair to say that my inner teenager was having a heck of a time. My adult self was not so happy with the tendency of the film to assume all women are demons in some form or the other, but in this post-everything world, women may go to the film and not be offended at all. Statistically, women went to see 300 which, in part, gave the green light for the marketing push for this film.

I do wonder if the occasional anti-Christian touches in the film are just what the filmmakers thought they could get away with and still have the film play in the heartland. It could reflect a new trend which may question or criticize the tendencies of those who follow the "Christ God." It seems, in a general cultural sense, that films like 30 Days of Night (sold with the hook line "Oh, God..." followed by a vampire saying "No God.") and The Golden Compass are part of a new calibration of the Hollywood machine. It could be just as calculated as the "just on the edge of R" violence, nudity, and sexuality on display throughout the movie. I cannot wait for the "Beowulf: Unrated and Outrageous!" DVD. The digital possibilities are endless.

Well, in any case, there are many good reasons to go and see this film in the theaters. I would suggest seeing it in 3-D. Even someone with ocular difficulties like myself had a good time and enjoyed the effect. I left the film contented and entertained.

Well, I will be out of town for a few days, and will resume my film regimen upon my return. Until then...

Signs of a Truce?

In a recent post, I spoke of the Senator listing a link to the Landmark on their webpage. I took it to be a sign of a cozy relationship between the two. I predicted this would sour, and the scuffle over who gets to show Blade Runner seemed prescient.

Since then, the Senator's web site has changed. For a time it listed links to both the Landmark and the Charles, which I took to be a nod to some sort of begrudging equity. Now, only a link to the Charles' website is listed, under a banner exclaiming "Support Baltimore's Independent theaters!" The emphasis is my own.

Now, the Landmark is many things, but it not Independent, and perhaps there has been a shift in allegiance here. It is hard to believe that these two long-standing rivals are getting along, but desperate times may call for desperate measures. I am curious to see how this ongoing drama plays out in the next act.

In other news, opportunities to see El Topo, The Holy Mountain, and Lawrence of Arabia on the big screen will be happening soon, and I would advise taking advantage of them.