Wednesday, February 28, 2007

The Insomniac's Request

I'm going on two straight nights of insomnia. Perhaps the end of Oscar season has been met with a violent jolt of my internal clock versus me? I am never fully awake or asleep Help meeeee

Since I can't think clearly, you do it for me. Time to bring back "Reader Request" Suggest a topic: a film, a scene, an actor, a performance --something specific, it's not a book, it's a blog entry. I'll choose one of them to post for Monday. If you wanna see what's been done in the past, that's why I have these new handy "labels" at the end of each post

34 comments:

Paxton Hernandez said...

I would recommend any film directed by Tsai Ming-liang. Since theirs are consider "hyptonic films", it will put you down like a baby.

Anonymous said...

The Moulin Rouge! tribute. Please, we're desperate.

NATHANIEL R said...

i mean besides my normal projects. i will get back to that but it's a hella huge amount of work so i gotta be in the right mood/ time open situation

Sam said...

If The Nativity Story is on DVD, watch it. It's amazing that so much happens yet it's so thoroughly boring.

Keisha Knight-Pulliam-Castle-Hughes' emotional range ran the gamut from bored sneer to something-smells-bad sneer.

Glenn Dunks said...

I could totally go for some Gina Gershon in Showgirls appreciation.

She eats doggy chow, doncha know!

Anonymous said...

How about a piece on Marion Cotillard? Stephen Holden says, "[her] feral portrait of the French singer Édith Piaf as a captive wild animal hurling herself at the bars of her cage is the most astonishing immersion of one performer into the body and soul of another I’ve ever encountered in a film." And he's not prone to hyperbole (jk).

Anonymous said...

The many guises of Tilda Swinton?

Btw - have you seen "Possible Worlds"?

Colin said...

Duke out your two favorite romance films!

J.D. said...

I'd love to see your opinions on her majesty, reigning princess of Asian cinema, Ziyi Zhang.

It depends on how much I think of you as both a professional and a person. She is a FiLMBiTCH nominee for 2046, if I recall correctly. Maybe a rundown of her career and what you've thought of her.

Go from her limited breakthrough of The Road Home to her major breakthrough for CTHD, from Hero and House of Flying Daggers, 2046 to Rush Hour 2. Yeah, I try not to think about it. At least she basically was the eye candy sice she didn't know any english at that time. More ammo: Next project for her - TMNT. Good god. Don't.

All hail Z.

J.D.

Anonymous said...

First star you developed a crush on / fell in love with.....what movie....what scene.....how old were you? Me?....Ann-Margret, opening scene of "Bye Bye Birdie"...va va double voom!!!! I was about 7 years old.

Anonymous said...

Cute dogs in film.

Anonymous said...

Sleep. Then see Zodiac =)

anything but poetry said...

Maybe write about movies you're "supposed" to like (award-winning, critically acclaimed, etc.), but that you just don't like...

Anonymous said...

I would like to read something about CURRENT filmmaking. Is there a change? Like in the 60s... the years 1966 and '67, when something in the way movies were done was changing, like America itself... i don't know.
Because i think there's something happening right now with the movies. They "get" more political than, say, in the 1990s... Will we remember the "Mid-Aughts" (filmmaking-wise) as something very special and... NEW?????
Well, i often think about that because for me, it's defenitely the case.

Ok, i know it would be too long...!
So write about Michelle Williams and her career (and her future as an actress). I recently saw The Station Agent and i love her more and more in everything i see her.

Well, i'm psychopatic!



(Or something about the GREAT GREAT GREAT Thomas Newman!!!)



:) Manuel

Anonymous said...

How about some love for the films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger? Their charming WWII era propaganda flick 49th Parallel was recently released on DVD from Criterion. Oh and if you want to do a little actress appreciation you could mention Kathleen Byron's diva-tastic work in Black Narcissus. Its a performance that reminds me a lot of Fionna Shaw at the end of Black Dahlia. Heh. That flick is the original girls gone wild-except with nuns and in beautiful technicolor.

Anonymous said...

I'd love to see something written about the scene on the beach in The Piano... the one where Keitel finally brings Hunter back to her beloved piano. Arguably my favorite scene in what is arguably my favorite movie of all time. My heart sings everytime I watch it.

Anonymous said...

your favorite biopics just so we can see what you DO like.

Anonymous said...

Thomas Newman+Sleeping Pills+ Judy Garland= cure for insominia

Anonymous said...

I like your favorite biopics...also include who you'd like to see bio-pic'd and who should star....ie Reese as Anna Nicole?

Anonymous said...

How about your favorite movie "underwear" moments. Dunst and Ruffalo in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, for example.

-Jason

Anonymous said...

The raining frogs scene in Magnolia is a personal favorite of mine for discussion.

Corey S. said...

I would like to hear your thoughts on the posibilty of Halle Berry returing to the nominees circle for her role in "Things We Lost in The Fire"

Anonymous said...

more meryl.....

Anonymous said...

I've been thinking about this ever since I saw Little Children a few weeks ago: scenes where you really began to hate a film.

[Some Little Children Spoilers ahead:] what did me in with Little Children was the dinner scene with Jane Adams and Jackie Earle Haley. In that one scene, Adams gives an extraordinary performance, the best in the film, that suggests such a wealth of untapped, barely submerged despair. But the movie has no time for her, and it soon becomes clear that she's only there as an excuse to shock the audience with Haley's sudden (random, uncharacteristic) masturbation. In my book, the movie crossed the line from "awkward" to "awful" in that one scene.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand: what scenes have almost single-handedly made you despise a film?

adam k. said...

OMG someone is gonna make an Anna Nicole Biopic really soon.

Will it be Reese?

How about Gretchen Mol?

Or Jenny McCarthy?

I dunno, depends what kind of film you want this to be.

Corey S. said...

tim,

I agree with you on your take of 'Little Children'. The only thing that I can say in it's defense is, that scene is exactly the way it was told in the book, so it would have been an awkward omission. It does show how deep his addiction goes, since he was staring at the jungle gym.

Anonymous said...

How about ... not.

Anonymous said...

I actually thought that scene in Little Children made a lot of sense. Did you notice how he seemed to seize on her mention of having been possibly molested as a child? I figure it was all connected, a part of his sexual disorder. Arousal for him generally wasn't a good thing and had some pretty bizarre/dangerous results.

Anonymous said...

I think that halle berry thing would be quite interesting...

or something like "appreciating underrated actors" or "once appreciating actors i really hate" (like berry... i can't help it, i just *adore* her in monster's ball... GREAT performance).

or:
movie scenes where one sits in front of the tv with such a big smile it's even embarrasing... The Station Agent comes to mind (again)!
But really: THE STATION AGENT... Haaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!!
Butiful.......



(Oh and: Michelle Williams!!!)

Anonymous said...

Well, re: Halle...I looked up the new movie on imdb. Apparently she's not wearing make-up - time to take her seriously again.

Potential Topic: worst oscar-winning performance of all time...one choice. My fave: Helen Hayes, 1969, in "Airport." Or, possibly Renee Zellweger. Could be fun.

Anonymous said...

How about mad scenes? everybody loves a good mad scene.

Anonymous said...

How about the 10 best clint moments on film?! HAHA, you probably wouldn't anyway.

Anonymous said...

Let's get those Year-In-Advance Picks!!!!

Anonymous said...

Since There Will Be Blood is your "most anticipated" film of 2007 (as it is mine), how about a reflection on your favorite scenes from P.T.A. films. Or, even a mini P.T.A.-tribute; he certainly deserves one.