Saturday, February 23, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
Zvenigora - Aleksandr Dovzhenko (1928)
Avant-garde comes hard to the narrative. Keep your thinking cap on if you want to make sense of this one.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
The Early Years of Mutt and Jeff - Bud Fisher (1909)
In this selection of early 20th century comic strips Mutt & Jeff travel all over the world including participating in the Mexican revolution and several encounters at the baseball field. The humor is low-brow vaudeville, but Fisher's artwork is all spindly contrasts.
Unfortunately the book suffers from poor design and editing. Some damaged or dirty strips are understandable due to the age of this material, but the artwork is reprinted too small to read comfortably in many cases. In addition, none of the strips are dated leaving you to wonder if you are reading strips in order or out of order, especially when a continuity sequence of strips is interrupted with a non-sequitur.
A useful 16 page introduction by Allan Holtz gives an overview of Bud Fisher's career and a peek at some rare artwork.
Unfortunately the book suffers from poor design and editing. Some damaged or dirty strips are understandable due to the age of this material, but the artwork is reprinted too small to read comfortably in many cases. In addition, none of the strips are dated leaving you to wonder if you are reading strips in order or out of order, especially when a continuity sequence of strips is interrupted with a non-sequitur.
A useful 16 page introduction by Allan Holtz gives an overview of Bud Fisher's career and a peek at some rare artwork.
I Married a Witch - Rene Clair (1942)
Imagined views of Veronica Lake in the nude and Robert Benchley's snappy comedy keep this fantasy rolling down the aisles. Frederick March doesn't outshine the two later Dicks (York and Sargent) by much. Preston Sturges' uncredited hand as director is seen throughout as well as Clair's eye for physical comedy. Fluffy, but thoroughly enjoyable.
BTW - Did Veronica Lake always do the "dress up like a boy" thing? I'm not complaining, just asking...
BTW - Did Veronica Lake always do the "dress up like a boy" thing? I'm not complaining, just asking...
Inappropriate Touching @ the Washington Street Art Center
A collection of obscene comics originals. Sweet...
Saturday, February 16, 2008
George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead - George Romero (2008)
Didn't float my hankering for all-out mayhem, but I appreciate the intellectual exploration of civic media and the obligations of an independent filmmaker. The viewer gets education on the basics of movie editing and sees it in action when the on-screen filmmaker edits an argument with his girlfriend to make himself look good.
Screened at the Boston Common
Screened at the Boston Common
Friday, February 15, 2008
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Andrew Dominik (2007)
How does one make a film set in 1882 that explores the nature of fame and fandom? This film does it very successfully. By removing the technology trappings of the 20th century, the moth/fan must fly very close to the flame/celebrity to get the sugar rush of proximity.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Saturday, February 9, 2008
From East To West - with Stephanie Ratte and Justin McCarthy
Concert with piano and clarinet. Program included Finzi, Rachmaninoff, Schumann and Templeton. Performed at Fox Hill Village, Westwood.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
Saturday, February 2, 2008
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