Blog Directory CineVerse: August 2012

Through a magnifying glass--lightly

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Last week, CineVerse attempted to peel back the layers on Ingmar Bergman's pscyhologically gripping "Through a Glass Darkly." If the movie intrigued you, read on to learn more and appreciate the artistry of the Berg-Man.

WHAT THEMES DOES THIS FILM ATTEMPT TO DELVE INTO?
·       The “silence of God”: how God has supposedly abandoned us and left us to our own devices
·       Does God exist in the post World War II world, especially a Europe that experienced the Holocaust and intense suffering
·       God is love, and love is God, but what if there is no love? In the absence of love, do you look for a God instead, and will you find him? And vice versa: if there is no God, do you look for love instead and will you find it?
o   Bergman explores one family’s lack of love and stability as a metaphor for questioning the existence of God: their instability is parallel with our not knowing for certain whether or not God exists
o   The family re-examines their relationships when they’re thrust together by a horrible event

WHAT IMPRESSED YOU ABOUT THIS MOVIE: WHAT STOOD OUT AS MEMORABLE, HAUNTING, INSPIRING OR OTHERWISE?
·       Masterful lighting by cinematographer Sven Nykvist:
o   each face is often separately and specially lit, and not always illuminated from the same lighting source
o   there is sometimes a dark line placed between the faces that separates them
o   ordinary objects like the wallpaper or a desk appear to have a glowing, luminescent quality
·       While there is not much of a plot to follow, there is intense focus on faces and facial close-ups, forcing us to carefully evaluate each character through their visage, as if we’re peering into the windows of their souls
·       Bergman is ambiguous in what happens to Karin:
o   is she actually hearing voices from God, or is it a mental illness?
o   Does she actually have an incestuous relationship with her brother?
·       There is very little exposition and backstory; we are only given subtle hints as to why characters act they way they do and their motivations and histories
·       There is no single main character: each of the four gets fairly equal screen time and significance
o   This wisely distances the viewr from the protagonists, who are ironically already distanced from each other
o   It also enables us to sympathize with the situation more than any one character
·       The film has two convergent yet disparate storylines that shouldn’t work together, but arguably do: the tale of a woman who believes she sees God, and the tale of a family’s absence of love and communication

OTHER FILMS THAT REMIND YOU OF THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY
·       The Exorcist
·       A Streetcar Named Desire
·       Interiors by Woody Allen
·       Ordinary People

OTHER MAJOR FILMS BY BERGMAN
·       The Seventh Seal
·       Wild Strawberries
·       The Virgin Spring
·       Winter Light
·       Persona
·       Hour of the Wolf
·       Cries and Whispers
·       Scenes from a Marriage
·       Fanny and Alexander

Read more...

James Bond goes bald

Sunday, August 26, 2012


On August 29, CineVerse present Sean Connery in all his ragged Scottish glory in “The Name of the Rose” (1986; 130 minutes), directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, chosen by Patrick McMahon.

Read more...

View CineVerse schedule for September-October

Friday, August 24, 2012

Eager to learn what CineVerse has on its slate for September and October? View the new schedule now by clicking here or visiting http://sdrv.ms/SxOSIA.

Read more...

Through a movie lens darkly

Sunday, August 19, 2012


On August 22, CineVerse will bring you a World Cinema Wednesday special from Sweden: "Through a Glass Darkly” (1961; 89 minutes), directed by Ingmar Bergman, chosen by Art Myren. Plus, we'll offer a preview of the September/October 2012 CineVerse schedule.

Read more...

What makes Godfrey tick?

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Unable to join CineVerse yesterday for "My Man Godfrey?" Still curious as to why the movie is a considered a classic? Here's a recap of our discussion topics hashed out last evening:

WHY WOULD THIS FILM HAVE BEEN SO POPULAR IN 1936?
  • It would have appealed to Depression-era audiences
  • Why? Because it was a screwball comedy that usually depicts the rich getting their comeuppance or which serves as a satire of the failings and foibles of the wealthy
  • William Powell was a very hot commodity, having starred in The Thin Man movies and other popular features of the day; he was also previously married to Carole Lombard, so their onscreen chemistry was believable
  •  It boasts a witty, clever script that, while it’s filled with implausibilities, is nonetheless a fun, lighthearted, escapist comedy with some social commentary undercurrents
  • Beautifully shimmering black and white cinematography, memorable art deco sets, and classy costuming
WHAT IS THE MOVIE’S MESSAGE?
  • The “classless pleasures of escaping real life,” according to one critic
  • Playing the game and competing: the hub that sets the plot in motion is the scavenger hunt
  • Things are not what they seem, and life is filled with ironies: consider that the tramp is really a disillusioned rich guy going incognito; the Hoover Town dump transforms into a swanky nightclub, and the humble servant saves his employer from financial ruin
  • The poor are depicted as thoughtful, compassionate, virtuous, while the rich seem self-absorbed, inane and frivolous
  • The rich are shown to be human, but they require a harsh circumstance to make them appreciate what they’ve got
OTHER WORKS THAT THIS MOVIE REMINDS YOU OF
  • The films of Frank Capra, in which he celebrates the common man/underdog, and pairs up a richer female with a poorer male, such as Meet John Doe and It Happened One Night
    • However, unlike Capra, La Cava doesn’t honor or spotlight the little man
  • The films of Preston Sturges that contrast the poverty of the common, forgotten man with the indulgent lives of the idle rich, including Sullivan’s Travels
    • However, unlike Sturges, La Cava doesn’t focus on the magic of luck
  • The movie Easy Living
  • The comedies of Leo McCarey, such as The Awful Truth
  • The film was remade in 1957 starring David Niven and June Allyson
  • Lucille Ball borrowed elements from Lombard’s character for her “I Love Lucy” TV show
OTHER FILMS BY GREGORY LA CAVA
  • Stage Door
  • 5th Avenue Girl
  • Unfinished Business
  • Lady in a Jam

Read more...

In Godfrey we trust

Sunday, August 12, 2012


On August 15: CineVerse will dissect one of the funniest and most important films of the Great Depression era: My Man Godfrey” (1936; 94 minutes), directed by Gregory La Cava, chosen by Joe Valente. Plus, join us for a movie trivia game prior to the start of the film.

Read more...

"Money" for nothing

Thursday, August 9, 2012

If you missed last evening's exploration of Woody Allen's "Take the Money and Run" at our CineVerse meeting, here's a recap of what we discussed:

HOW IS THIS FILM DIFFERENT FROM OTHER ALLEN MOVIES YOU’RE FAMILIAR WITH?

  • Like several early Allen pictures, it’s purely a comedy, with no serious dramatic subplots, and doesn’t take itself seriously
  • It relies more on a series of loosely interconnected sketches and gags than any kind of strong storyline/plot
  • It’s strength is a manic, quickly paced style loaded with slapstick, verbal and sight gags and self-effacing comedy
  • It doesn’t explore existential and psychological themes that Allen was famous for doing in later movies
  • Arguably, although the film is short, it could be trimmed down a bit, as there are some dull moments in between the hilarious ones that indicate a younger, inexperienced director
HOW DID THIS MOVIE SET THE TEMPLATE FOR THE CLASSIC WOODY ALLEN STYLE THAT WE’VE COME TO KNOWN AND ADMIRE? WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS THAT ALLEN USES IN THIS MOVIE THAT HE WOULD REPEAT IN SUBSEQUENT FILMS?
  • Pairing humorous music with a serious subject matter
  • Depicting a frustrating romantic relationship between a nerdy Jewish intellectual and a beautiful woman
  • Parodies on psychoanalysis, fame, and success
  • Breaking down the fourth wall: talking to the audience
HOW WOULD THIS MOVIE HAVE BEEN INNOVATIVE AND INFLUENTIAL?
  • It is arguably the first feature-length Hollywood “mockumentary” film: a movie that presents itself as a serious documentary, but which is fictional
CAN YOU THINK OF ANY MOVIES, TV SHOWS OR OTHER WORKS THAT PERHAPS INFLUENCED TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN?
  • Chaplin’s Modern Times
  • I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang
  • The Defiant Ones
  • Cool Hand Luke
  • The 1950s TV game show What’s My Line
  • The comedic style of Mel Brooks
  • The zany, anarchic style of the Marx Brothers’ movies
  • The slapstick and sight gags inherent in Buster Keaton silent comedies
EXAMPLES OF OTHER FILMS INSPIRED BY “TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN”
  • Real Life (Albert Brooks)
  • Airplane!
  • The mockumentaries of Christopher Guest, including This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, and A Mighty Wind
  • Bob Roberts
  • The Rutles
  • Woody Allen’s own Zelig
  • Austin Powers

Read more...

Take the movie and run...

Sunday, August 5, 2012


On August 8, CineVerse will return to its SPOTLIGHT ON WOODY ALLEN  with “Take the Money and Run” (1969; 85 minutes), directed by Woody Allen. Plus, we'll screen selected segments from Allen's 1972 comedy "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask."

Read more...

"Vertigo" tops new Sight & Sound poll as greatest movie ever

Friday, August 3, 2012

The sled has slid!

"Citizen Kane" has been toppled--for the first time in 50 years--as the greatest film of all time, per Sight & Sound's newest poll. The new champion is Hitchcock's "Vertigo", surprisingly (and not so surprisingly, if you're a fan of The Master).

For more details and to see the complete list, visit here.

Read more...

How to balance Valance

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Last evening, CineVerse peeled back the layers on "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," which spurred a healthy discussion. Here are some of the talking points of that discussion.

WHAT ARE SOME THEMES THIS FILM ATTEMPTS TO EXPLORE?
  • The conflict between popular myth and warts-and-all reality
  • Action vs diplomacy; vigilante justice vs the rule of law
  • The first shot of the film can give you a clue as to what this movie is about: It’s a train, which stands for progress, just as the railroad helped civilize and populate many a small town in the west
  • The dying of the old west to make way for a new west where guns won’t be needed
  • Change and progress may be for the better, but it’s important to remember how that progress was achieved: by the blood, sweat, toil and sacrifice of forgotten heroes and the common man
STODDARD, VALANCE, DONIPHON AND HALLIE EACH STAND FOR SOMETHING IN THIS FILM. WHAT DOES EACH CHARACTER REPRESENT IN THE OVERALL MESSAGE OF THIS MOVIE?
  • Stoddard symbolizes the new west: one where the rule of law and the tenets of democracy will bring peace, justice and civility to a growing society; he’s an idealist who isn’t afraid to not be macho
  • Doniphon represents the old west, where guns and violence were used to settle a problem and take care of the bad guys; he’s a realist, and he knows that it takes more than courage and idealism to defeat the villain; he’s the outlaw hero who, as in the Searchers, must sacrifice himself and remain outside a civilized society for that society to progress forward.
    • This “outlaw hero” type has been depicted time and again in classic movies: he’s Rick in Casablanca and Doc Holliday in My Darling Clementine, who must collaborate with the “official” hero (such as Victor Laszlo and Wyatt Earp) to vanquish a shared foe
  • Valance, of course, is evil and fascism personified
  • Hallie serves as a surrogate for the audience, the one whom the old west and the new west are trying to woo; are we going to place our allegiance behind the values of the old west or the new west? Who deserves the credit and appreciation? Which is the right way to live?
HOW DOES THIS FILM DEVIATE FROM OTHER CLASSIC WESTERNS, ESPECIALLY THOSE MADE BY JOHN FORD, AND PERHAPS DIFFER FROM YOUR EXPECTATIONS?
  • It was shot in black and white, kind of an anomaly for a 1962 western
    • Many westerns of this period and prior were shot in glorious color, often in widescreen, showcasing the painted desert and epic scale of the old west
    • Yet, black and white is appropriate to enhance the murkiness and shades of grey inherent in this story and its characters; it’s also fitting considering that most of the film is told in flashback, as if summoning up a bygone time, which black and white lends itself well to
  • The movie is rather plain-looking, stagey, talky, and slowly paced, and is not an action/adventure type of western: it’s not a film where the land and nature are a character; there’s no majestic Monument Valley of Ford’s past films; it’s more of an introspective character study
  • The picture is less optimistic in tone than many of Ford’s previous westerns: instead, it’s a bit elegiac, nostalgic, bittersweet and mournful
  • It’s casts two top name, high quality actors, but who risk appearing too old for the younger parts they’re supposed to be playing
  • It’s ironic that the cowboys in this western are the bad guys: they’ve hired Valance and his cronies to threaten the townsfolk
  • Tonally, the film could be echoing the feeling of the times, which was when the Cold War and Vietnam War were ratcheting up: hence, the dark, cynical tone and cruel violence of the villain
  • This is a film that both glorifies the past and heroes of the west, yet also criticizes its injustices, cruelties, harsh realities and even racism (think of how Pompey is shown as not allowed to vote or be served at the bar)
 OTHER FILMS BY JOHN FORD
  • Stagecoach
  • Young Mr. Lincoln
  • Drums Along the Mohawk
  • The Grapes of Wrath
  • How Green Was My Valley
  • My Darling Clementine
  • Fort Apache
  • She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
  • Rio Grande
  • The Quiet Man
  • Mister Roberts
  • The Searchers

Read more...

  © Blogger template Cumulus by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP