Some Artists I'd Love to Document (or see a great document on...)

I don't know if you guys do this, but there are several moments in film and music that I'm obsessed with, of which I've yet to find a perfect film document.  Some that come to mind are:

The Beastie Boys circa Paul's Boutique
The French New Wave circa 1955-1962
Talk Talk circa Laughing Stock
John Coltrane circa A Love Supreme
Massive Attack circa Blue Lines
Wim Wenders circa Kings of the Road
Abbas Kiarostami in the late eighties/early nineties
Leos Carax in the mid eighties
Bjorn Borg circa the late seventies
The Smiths in the eighties
Bob Dylan circa the early sixties (pre Don't Look Back)

If I ever foray into documentary filmmaking, these would probably be the first places I'd look into doing something.

The riches of Post-Punk

How many great songs and bands emerged in the so-called post-punk era.  I'm still getting around to catching up (30 years later!) with most of them.  But no other period of music is doing it for me as much as this one right now.  Bands like Public Image Limited, Wire, Joy Division, Pere Ubu, Mission of Burma, The Fall, Gang of Four, New Order, and Echo & the Bunnymen.

Here's a great song I just recently discovered.  I listen to it like I eat Triscuits.  Can't do it just once.

Echo & the Bunnymen:  Monkeys (listen on Youtube)

Favorite (four), part five

Just like in my other four posts thus far in this series, I want to take a second to single out the highlights of my recent film viewing.  I'm trying right now to take in almost a film a day.  Most have been first-time viewings.  And most I have been glad to finally see, but only very few have stayed with me.  This series is my filter for those (and hopefully one or two of these will be good to someone else, too).

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's A Matter of Life and Death
The most ambitious of the lot and the one that consistently made me in absolute awe of its sheer technical accomplishment.  Reminded me of some of Kubrick's more mind-blowing art direction and kept me repeatedly saying to myself, "I can't believe they just did that."  Probably not the most emotionally satisfying of the Powell/Pressburger films, but the formal accomplishment needs to be seen.  


David Lean's Great Expectations
I've never read the novel so the twists and turns of the story were particularly affecting.  Lean demonstrates his acute visual sense and his wonderful ability with actors.  I felt this one, I admired this one, and I thought it not only underrated, but completely satisfying.  


Abraham Polonsky's Force of Evil
A real masterpiece in my book.  I've long known it to be one of Scorsese's favorite films, but I just got around to seeing it for the first time.  Its visual naturalism is stunning and its raw power quite special. Seems to be a key link to The Godfather.  (In fact, McCluskey's death and the way that Coppola handles it seem to come almost verbatim from this earlier film.)  Also seems to have influenced Mean Streets and the noir texture of some of the early Nouvelle Vague films.  It's tragic that Polonsky didn't have the opportunity to direct more for with this one he left us a real gem.  


Lewis Milestone's The Strange Love of Martha Ivers
Milestone might not do anything particularly flashy.  But he captures the noir spirit and keeps this one plowing ahead, always in sync with the dark, complex, and rough noir tradition.  One of the great noir endings and certainly one of its better cast.  A noir that deserves to be a part of the dialogue and history.  

Favorite (four), part four

Just like in my other three posts thus far in this series, I want to take a second to single out the highlights of my recent film viewing.  I'm trying right now to take in almost a film a day.  Most have been first-time viewings.  And most I have been glad to finally see, but only very few have stayed with me.  This series is my filter for those (and hopefully one or two of these will be good to someone else, too).

Mark Robson's The Seventh Victim
Another one of Val Lewton's lo-fi horror films.  This one though is actually as much noir in spirit as it is horror.  And it's a tremendously compact, atmospheric, suggestive film that packs a real punch.  Of all the Lewton films I've seen so far, this one is my favorite.


Luchino Visconti's Ossessione
Based on the same James M Cain novel, The Postman Always Rings Twice, that led to two American films, this early film from one of Italian cinema's masters is a neorealist marvel.  Detailed, beautifully observed, this seems like a key influence on Godard's Breathless, and many of the other early French New Wave works.  


Carl Theodor Dreyer's Day of Wrath
Dreyer makes films that feel like six or seven-course meals.  This one is heavy, hard-hitting, and gets under your skin in a robust kinda way.  I can't say I liked it as much as a few of his other films.  But those few other films are among my favorite of all time.


William Wellman's The Ox-Bow Incident
Interesting to think how much of an influence it might have had on both the tone and look of Jarmusch's Dead Man.  The dialogue and feel of the film is stunningly modern at times.  And it once again confirmed how much the war factored in as subtext to the majority of films made during WWII.

Nice Article/Interview on Lullaby (and) Peril

Great piece from yesterday's conversation with Clinton Stark from StarkSilverCreek - All Things West Coast on Stark Insider. Awesome article and audio interview.  Thanks, Clint!

http://www.starkinsider.com/2010/10/stark-insider-film-director-jeffrey-goodman.html

15 Actresses

Just like my previous posts on albums, movies, directors, and actors, here are the first 15 actresses that come to mind.  Would love to hear your various lists.

1.  Anna Karina
2.  Marlene Dietrich
3.  Rita Hayworth
4.  Joan Fontaine
5.  Ava Gardner
6.  Jean Seberg
7.  Angie Dickinson
8.  Brigitte Bardot
9.  Nicole Kidman
10.  Anouk Aimee
11.  Audrey Hepburn
12.  Grace Kelly
13.  Julie Christie
14.  Marie Riviere
15.  Melanie Griffith

15 Actors

Like my previous posts on albums, movies, and directors, I wanted to single out the first 15 actors that come to mind.  These are only the men. I'll focus on the women in a future post.

1.  Jean Gabin
2.  Jean-Paul Belmondo
3.  Al Pacino
4.  Cary Grant
5.  Marlon Brando
6.  Robert De Niro
7.  Jimmy Stewart
8.  James Cagney
9.  Humphrey Bogart
10.  Burt Lancaster
11.  Michel Simon
12.  Gene Hackman
13.  Charlie Chaplin
14.  Jack Nicholson
15.  Montgomery Clift

Mix Tapes and some more Morning Music

I've always been drawn to making mix tapes for friends and loved ones. I've even been known to do one for myself now and again.  It's been awhile since I've done any, but last week I started dabbling again and made a couple.  Here's one of my favorite songs from one of 'em.


Grizzly Bear: On a Neck, On a Spit (Listen to it on Youtube)

15 Directors

Like my previous Albums and Movies post, I jumped on the 15 directors note that was floating around Facebook. Here was my crack at it:

1. Jean-Luc Godard
2. Howard Hawks
3. Raoul Walsh
4. David Gordon Green
5. Robert Bresson
6. Jean Renoir
7. Abbas Kiarostami
8. William Friedkin
9. Michael Mann
10. George Cukor
11. Brian De Palma
12. Andrew Bujalski
13. Roberto Rossellini
14. Hal Ashby
15. Wim Wenders

A little music never hurt anyone

My song of the day. I like how cinematic it is.

Unkle: Trouble in Paradise (see on Youtube)

15 Movies

Like my recent albums post, here's another note that's been circulating of late on Facebook.  So figured I'd throw my hat into the ring and post mine:

1.  Holiday (1938)
2.  Pierrot Le Fou (1965)
3.  In a Lonely Place (1950)
4.  The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
5.  Rio Bravo (1959)
6.  Chinatown (1974)
7.  Blow Out (1981)
8.  Kings of the Road (1976)
9.  Shoot the Piano Player (1960)
10.  Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948)
11.  La chienne (1931)
12.  Heat (1995)
13.  Splendor in the Grass (1961)
14.  The French Connection (1971)
15.  McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)

15 Albums

This post has been going around Facebook, basically name the first 15 albums that come to mind.  Well I was inspired to participate.  Here's my list:



1. The Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
2. Van Morrison - Astral Weeks
3. Joy Division - Closer
4. Tricky - Maxinquaye
5. Massive Attack - Mezzanine
6. Miles Davis - In A Silent Way
7. Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home
8. Talk Talk - Laughing Stock
9. The Smiths - The Smiths
10. John Coltrane - Live At The Village Vanguard
11. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
12. Mission of Burma - Vs.
13. Leonard Cohen - Songs from a Room
14. Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
15. Neil Young - Harvest

Hard Eight

Here's my contribution for the current Paul Thomas Anderson blogathon taking place at the fantastic Moon in the Gutter:



Hard Eight

Let me start by saying, I’m not one of these guys that knows Anderson’s cinema all that well.  I haven’t even seen all his films.  But I’ve always been intrigued by him, his knowledge of cinema, and the legion of die-hard fans he’s been able to rack up along the way. 

While watching Hard Eight for the first time, I was struck by a few different things.  First off, the way that Anderson’s managed to build a cinema family around himself.  He’s used several actors numerous times, even been the one to establish them.  John C Reilly, Philip Baker Hall, Melora Walters, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman all show up here, and numerous other times in his subsequent films.  He’s also already using here in his debut, cameraman Robert Elswit, who has since worked with him on all his features and Jon Brion who has scored all his work with the exception of There Will Be Blood.

I had always heard that Anderson really loved Scorsese and Altman.  And while there are certainly hints of both (think Goodfellas and California Split), I see more of Tarantino’s influence here than anyone else.  And of course this makes great sense given the context.  We’re in 1996, two years after Pulp Fiction had exploded on the scene, and Tarantino had become a veritable cinema rock star.

Anderson chooses to cast Samuel L Jackson, who I think turns in one of his most memorable performances.  He also chooses to start the movie in a diner, which is of course quite reminiscent of both Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction.  He also seems to share QT’s love for words (mannered but sharp and effective) and his mixture of humor and violence.  See Jackson’s final scene to get a real feel for this.

Anderson might be post-modern.  There’s undeniably a self-consciousness to some of his work, particularly his use of the steadicam and how he likes to have the camera push in on his actors in a way that’s somewhat unmotivated by the action.  But he’s not as blatant with his pop-culture references as Tarantino nor the slew of other people in his generation that jumped at making a “crime film” after Pulp Fiction.

I would also offer that Anderson proves from the beginning to have a real skill and feel for actors.  The performances are very strong across the board, and I would give special mention to Hall and Jackson.

My only real complaint about the film is the ending.  I just felt a little let down by it.  It didn’t pop or register for me in the same way as most of the rest of the film.

But as a first-time filmmaker myself, it’s striking to watch Hard Eight and Anderson’s confidence right out of the gate.  This film doesn’t seem like a debut.  It seems like someone who already has a complete understanding of film language and is using it however the hell he wants.

Hearing Cronenberg: Eastern Promises

Below is my recent contribution to the excellent David Cronenberg Blogathon currently happening at the equally excellent Cinema Viewfinder:

HEARING CRONENBERG/Eastern Promises

(Howard Shore)

Have you heard the most recent David Cronenberg film?  I bet not.  You’ve probably only seen it.  But it’s worth hearing, too, as I would place Cronenberg in a very small group of directors that think about the sound in their work as much as they do the visuals. 

Working with Howard Shore for the twelfth time in Eastern Promises, Cronenberg once again proves that he and Shore have one of the most important director/composer collaborations in all of cinema.  Their only contemporaries that even challenge them, in my mind, are the Coens/Carter Burwell, David Lynch/Angelo Badalementi, and perhaps Tim Burton/Danny Elfman.

This time, Shore immediately sets the stage.  His music is symphonic, fairly big, with a deep sense of melancholy.  It announces itself forcefully in the beginning but then takes a backseat for most of the film, really only showing up to accompany the voiceover of the young girl’s diary. 

Shore’s music may not be noticeable in the same way as say a score from Bernard Herrmann, but it’s certainly a key component of the texture.  Its rhythms pulsate and churn and help create the feeling of Cronenberg’s cinema enveloping you.  Shore also likes to take short breaks between his themes, pause, and then re-start them.  This tendency aids tremendously to the sense of uneasiness Cronenberg is so adept at creating. 

And then there’s Cronenberg’s use of sound.  It’s not as complex or expressive as Lynch’s work.  But it subtly conveys his themes and helps to create and sustain the tense atmosphere in his work.  One of the things that I was most struck by here were all the offscreen sounds of cars.  Whether we’re in Semyon’s restaurant, inside Anna’s home, or even at the spa, there’s always the faint sound offscreen of cars going by.  This adds immeasurably to the tension in the film and does it in a way that is highly intelligent and nuanced.

Of course, we all already know about Cronenberg’s obsession with the human body, and machinery (Crash).  And here those are the sounds that are the most pronounced, whether it’s a razor cutting a throat, blood spilling out of a hemorrhaging girl, or the entire famous scene in the sauna.   As for machinery, just listen as Anna goes by on her motorcycle or the expressive mileage Cronenberg generates from a hair dreyer or tattoo gun.   In his hands, all of them are transformed into sounding like some sort of murderous weaponry. 

Next time you get a chance, stop and listen to one of the Canadian’s films.  Neil Young and Leonard Cohen, you guys can be very proud.

Latest Updates

About once a month, I send out e-mail updates on the last lullaby (and) peril.  Want to receive 'em, simply send an e-mail to register@thelastlullaby.com

Here's the last update:

THE LAST LULLABY (AND) PERIL UPDATE
September 4, 2010

Thank you all for taking time to register for our updates.  Today I will cover four topics:

- Upcoming Events

- Facebook Fan Pages!

- Lullaby News

- Other Fun Stuff

Upcoming Events

On Sunday, September 19th, I will be the featured guest on Film Courage, one of the most popular independent film radio shows.  The show tapes live at 2PM CST.  If you would like to listen, please click on the link above, scroll down, and tune in.  It should be a very interesting hour.  

Then on September 25th, I will travel to Natchitoches, Louisiana to be one of the keynote speakers for the 2010 Louisiana Studies Conference: Louisiana on Film.  That night, they will also screen The Last Lullaby.  The conference sounds like it will be a tremendous day if anyone is in the area and wants to participate.  It's free and open to the public.  

Facebook Fan Pages!

I am currently putting the money together for my next film, Peril.  Things are progressing very well with it.  And even though I don't know exactly when we will start pre-production, significant progress is being made every month.  

In the meantime, I am continuing to grow the audience around both Periland The Last Lullaby.  If you haven't already, please take a second to join our Facebook Fan Pages for Peril and Lullaby:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Peril/266972237358?ref=ts

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Last-Lullaby/19456164241?ref=ts

Just click on the links above and then click "Like!"

More Lullaby News

I will keep you posted on new developments for THE LAST LULLABY.  I did want to mention though that Sasha Alexander's new TV show, Rizzoli & Isles (also starring Angie Harmon and Lorraine Bracco), has just been renewed for a second season.  I am very excited for Sasha.  People are really loving the show.      

Other Fun Stuff

Over at the PERIL Facebook Fan Page, we're doing a daily movie trivia game where each day's winner will be entered into a drawing to win a role as an extra in PERIL (including his/her name in the final credits).  The movie trivia game will continue until we hit 3,000 members.  At that time, we'll have the drawing.  We're having fun with it, and I hope that many of you will join the Page and come play with us. 

Also, as I have mentioned in previous updates, I have created several other places for people to begin following PERIL.  Here are all the different places we have so far.  I hope that many of you will join us:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Peril/266972237358?ref=ts
http://twitter.com/chaillotfilms

http://cahierspositif.blogspot.com/

e-mail updates (simply send an e-mail to register@perilthemovie.com)

I want to thank you all for your incredible support.  I really couldn't be more excited about the road ahead.

As always, if you have any questions, hit reply and your e-mail will come to me.  Please keep spreading the word!  You guys are the best.


Jeffrey Goodman
Director 
THE LAST LULLABY (AND) PERIL
www.thelastlullaby.com
Chaillot Films