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Ragtag Discussion Board » Recent Posts http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Films, events, and everything else Ragtag en-US Thu, 17 May 2012 00:36:46 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/search.php Jai on "Cannes last year: a sight bite" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=216#post-503 Tue, 15 May 2012 19:46:33 +0000 Jai 503@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ With the 2012 Cannes starting tomorrow. Here is a sight bite from Dennis Lim about the resonance of last year's Cannes. "The 2011 Palme d’or winner, Terrence Malick’s Tree of Life, while divisive, was widely seen as a creditable pick. The Artist, the breakout crowd-pleaser, cleaned up at the Oscars, and Midnight in Paris, which opened the festival last year, became Woody Allen’s biggest hit in decades. The competition slate included many of the past year’s best-reviewed films: Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s Kid With a Bike, Lars von Trier’s Melancholia." Jai on ""Bike" blurbs by Scott May and Lisa Schwarzbaum" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=215#post-502 Thu, 10 May 2012 18:53:12 +0000 Jai 502@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ First, a short take on Kid with a Bike by Lisa Schwarzbaum. <a href="http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20483133_20578464,00.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20483133_20578464,00.html</a> I saw this Cannes winner, a few weeks ago at the Plaza Frontenac; and Scott May is right: this is the type of authentic virtuoso work that Hollywood no longer is able to produce. I suggest that you see the film for yourself before reading May's review because he gives away details you might prefer to discover for yourself. But here's a slice from his rave review that doesn't spoil anything. "The Dardenne brothers' direction is austere and, in the most delicate way, very soulful. I loved the simplicity of the script, especially scenes meant to show Cyril's loneliness and determination. Throughout the film, the camera and young Doret are in perfect sync, existing on a level where words are not necessary. A remarkable achievement." Showtimes for Kid with a Bike Friday May 11 @ 6:00 Saturday May 12 @ 1:15 and 6:15 Sunday May 13 @ 12:30 and 5:30 Monday May 14 @ 6:00 Tuesday May 15 @ 6:00 Wednesday May 16 @ 9:00 Thursday May 17 @ 9:45 One last thing. Don't let the trailer for this movie keep you from seeing it. These Belgian brothers make films that work in ways that really don't clarify well into trailers. Jai on ""Elena" with soundtrack by Philip Glass" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=214#post-501 Sun, 06 May 2012 13:12:30 +0000 Jai 501@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ I did a small mailing among friends when The Return directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev screened at the old Ragtag sometime after the turn of the century. All of us who were there were totally awed by the dramatic and visual style and impact of that film --one of the dozen best that Ragtag has shown. In ten days, The Film Forum in New York will open his newest work, Elena, and that noir thriller is being distributed in the U.S. by Zeitgeist Films. Here's a link which includes the trailer. <a href="http://www.filmforum.org/movies/more/elena#nowplaying" rel="nofollow">http://www.filmforum.org/movies/more/elena#nowplaying</a> Jai on "Critics picks: "Marley" and "Trouble in Paradise"." http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=213#post-500 Sun, 06 May 2012 09:54:56 +0000 Jai 500@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ I don't think there's much I can write that will change anyone's mind about Marley. I mean you could be a) totally in love with the man and his music, b) know that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and want to know more or c) think Mitt Romney will save us from Obama. (I will check 'a' and 'b', even though I try to understand where the c's are coming from.) Here's my old-timer brag. My introduction to Reggae was at the old Tinker St. Cinema in Woodstock, New York with the fairly macho left-wing fable starring Jimmy Cliff, The Harder They Come. That was 1972, just under 40 years ago!! The Woodstock Times had an article at the time on this new type of music called "reggae." (Where did all that time go?!!!!) If you go back another 40 years, on Wednesday, May 16th, you get to Ernst Lubitsch's Trouble in Paradise, which I saw ten(?) years ago at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, MA. Here's a passage from Wikipedia. "a romantic comedy, written with Samson Raphaelson, Trouble in Paradise (1932). Later described (approvingly) as 'truly amoral', by critic David Thomson, the cynical comedy was popular both with critics and with audiences. But it was a project that could only have been made before the enforcement of the Production Code, and after 1935, Trouble in Paradise was withdrawn from circulation. It was not seen again until 1968. The film was never available on videocassette and only became available on DVD in 2003.' "Writing about Lubitsch's work, critic Michael Wilmington observed: "At once elegant and ribald, sophisticated and earthy, urbane and bemused, frivolous yet profound. They were directed by a man who was amused by sex rather than frightened of it-- and who taught a whole culture to be amused by it as well." Jai on "Metacritic scores: April and May" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=212#post-499 Sat, 05 May 2012 18:05:40 +0000 Jai 499@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ April feature films………… (Metacritic scores) Miss Bala………………………………….. (80) Coriolanus………………………………… (79) The Yellow Sea…………………………. (78) Chico and Rita………………………….. (76) Boy…………………………………………… (70) We Need To Talk About Kevin ……… (68) The Innkeepers……………………………… (64) Jeff Who Lives at Home…………………. (60) Salmon Fishing in the Yemen…………. (58) Friends with Kids……………………………. (55) Casa de mi Padre…………………………… (52) For eleven Ragtag feature films screened March 30 thru Aoril 30th, the median Metacritic score is sixty-eight (68). May feature films………… (Metacritic scores) The Kid with a Bike…………………. (87) Marley……………………………………. (82) Footnote………………………………… (82) Undefeated……………………………. (72) Sound of My Voice.............................(68) Damsels in Distress………………… (67) The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel……….. (61) For seven Ragtag feature films screenimg May 4th thru May 31st, the median Metacritic score is seventy-two (72). paul on ""The Deep Blue Sea" and excuses for neglecting art films" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=211#post-498 Fri, 04 May 2012 17:47:49 +0000 paul 498@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Jai, Deep Blue Sea is slated to come 6/8. Sorry for the delay. Among other factors, we were hit by our Music Box film booker leaving the company a couple of weeks ago, which threw bookings into disarray. There are other titles you'll be happy to know about: M. Lazhar on 6/15 and I Wish on 6/22. Please don't ascribe ill intent to us at Ragtag – we are trying to do the best we can, we really are. Jai on ""The Deep Blue Sea" and excuses for neglecting art films" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=211#post-497 Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:53:04 +0000 Jai 497@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ I'm happy to report that on Friday, May 4th, The Deep Blue Sea will begin its third week at the Plaza Frontenac. And the Kid with a Bike will begin its fourth week there. Which kind of belies yet another excuse for not giving much attention to art films i.e. that nobody will come to see them, Of course, one wonders why Ragtag even bothers bringing The Kid with a Bike to town. Especially when all Cory, in his May preview, can manage is a de facto dismissive near-sneer. For those who'd actually like to know why this Dardenne brothers creation is something worth checking out, here is some background written by Jeffrey Bloomer for the New York Film Festival program last Fall. <a href="http://www.filmlinc.com/nyff2011/blog/nyff-spotlight-the-kid-with-a-bike" rel="nofollow">http://www.filmlinc.com/nyff2011/blog/nyff-spotlight-the-kid-with-a-bike</a> Jai on ""The Deep Blue Sea" and excuses for neglecting art films" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=211#post-496 Sun, 29 Apr 2012 21:21:16 +0000 Jai 496@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ I'm disappointed that the opening of The Deep Blue Sea, originally slated for May 4th, has been scratched, apparently to make room for Damsels in Distress. The Belcourt juggled its schedule for the same reason, but, to its credit, The Deep Blue Sea is now scheduled to open there on May 11th. I drove to St. Louis eight days ago, and got to see Terence Davies latest masterwork. It captures the bell-jar world of a woman in the '50's, like no other movie I've seen since the Todd Haynes technicolored Far From Heaven. Davies' new movie has many of his trademark entrancers including remarkable use of light and color, as well as at least a couple of scenes of a group of people singing together in public, just for the fun of it. The performance of Rachel Wiesz in the role of Hester should be noted as an accomplished achievement, albeit one that won't even be mentioned during this year's awards season. As A.O. Scott wrote: "Ms. Weisz, for her part, gives Hester a full melodramatic coloration without overdoing, conveying the essential split in the character’s nature. She is at once a sensible, capable, intelligent Englishwoman and a mad, keening martyr for love." Years ago, when Don Choate and I watched The Long Day Closes together at his house, he was fascinated and delighted by the artistry and the evocation of time and place. I sat alone at the Plaza Frontenac feeling forlorn that Don wasn't around to see The Deep Blue Sea with me. It looks like the best we can hope for is a June opening at Ragtag. But I wonder whether Ragtag will screen The Deep Blue Sea at all, or just come up with yet another excuse. With the help of tapestore, and with the current screening of Miss Bala, I've dispatched the oft-repeated excuse that Ragtag could not show a particular art film because it has been released on DVD. Let's turn to another excuse that Ragtag has offered for not showing superb art cinema (ironically, it's one most recently plopped on this forum by tapestore: (one of the reasons he gave for not screening The Turin Horse) "it's 2.5 hours." To start with let's consider The Yellow Sea which this website lists as 157 minutes long. That would be 2 hours and 37 minutes long or 2.6 hours. However, the website has it wrong as the movie is actually 136 minutes long which is only 2.26 hours long. So maybe 14 minutes more (2,5 hours) is intolerable? Returning to The Deep Blue Sea, it's only 98 minutes long --that's 1.63 hours. Ragtag should show it ASAP. It wouldn't be bad to screen the recently restored and re-released The Long Day Closes while you're at it. Jai on "The scoop on "Miss Bala"" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=210#post-495 Sat, 28 Apr 2012 08:20:23 +0000 Jai 495@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Here's the somewhat less sensational account of the arrest of Laura Zúñiga from a December 2008 edition of the Huff Post. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/23/laura-zuniga-mexican-beau_n_153217.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/23/laura-zuniga-mexican-beau_n_153217.html</a> gregorybrown on "The scoop on "Miss Bala"" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=210#post-494 Fri, 27 Apr 2012 22:37:50 +0000 gregorybrown 494@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ I'm happy to see that Ms Dargis recognizes the emotional qualities of telenovelas. Jai on "The scoop on "Miss Bala"" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=210#post-493 Fri, 27 Apr 2012 21:05:24 +0000 Jai 493@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Friends of mine who watched "Miss Bala" with me tonite didn't know there really was a beauty queen named "Miss Bala". Here's the account from Manohla Dargis. "In 2008 a Mexican beauty queen named Laura Zúñiga and seven men were arrested, their S.U.V. loaded with cash and guns. Ms. Zúñiga was soon anointed Miss Narco by Mexican newspapers, and the American news media had its fun too. Time magazine ran an article about her with the headline “Busted! Taking Down Miss Hispanic America,” embellishing it with a glamour shot of her in a gown, her bosomy cups running over. Her arrest, as Time put it, provided “some variety in the news for a nation weary of piles of corpses and vicious firefights in its relentless drug war.” She was soon released and, while she lost her pageant crown, unlike some casualties of the drug war she did keep her head. The director Gerardo Naranjo coaxes a few anxious laughs out of this weird tale, which he has liberally expanded on, but his tone remains almost relentlessly sober. It’s no wonder: According to the Mexican government more than 47,000 people have been killed since President Felipe Calderón began deploying the military against the cartels in 2006, a number that makes the body count in the film seem conservative. Even so, while Mr. Naranjo adds some real, grim statistics to the fictionalized mix, he doesn’t try to legitimize the story with documentary verismo. Instead, working from a script he wrote with Mauricio Katz, Mr. Naranjo gives Miss Bala the pulse of an action film, the tears of a telenovela and a heroine who easily shoulders the metaphoric weight of a people living under siege." Jai on ""The Yellow Sea" --Manohla Dargis and Scott May" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=209#post-492 Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:30:45 +0000 Jai 492@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ When I opened my Trib today, I was surprised to see that Scott May had taken the time to watch and review The Yellow Sea. I'd like to thank him for giving this movie some visibility as it is easy to overlook in the weekend shuffle. Manohla Datgis is a big fan of this Korean movie and her four and a half star review is linked below. <a href="http://movies.nytimes.com/2011/12/02/movies/the-yellow-sea-from-south-korea-review.html?ref=movies" rel="nofollow">http://movies.nytimes.com/2011/12/02/movies/the-yellow-sea-from-south-korea-review.html?ref=movies</a> Scott May thinks the movie only rates three stars, but he too finds much to admire. <a href="http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2012/apr/26/between-the-devil-and-the-yellow-sea/?go" rel="nofollow">http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2012/apr/26/between-the-devil-and-the-yellow-sea/?go</a> I'll be checking it out for myself in the next day or two. Jai on ""Poetry" of Wesley Morris" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=208#post-486 Sat, 21 Apr 2012 05:15:11 +0000 Jai 486@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ If you are not familiar with Wesley Morris, the 36 year old Boston Globe film critic, who was just awarded the Pulitzer Prize, check out his exquisitely written review of Poetry (below). I note also that the Korean actress, Yoon Jeong-hee, who plays Mija, won the Los Angeles Film Critics award for Best Actress. The DVD is available for rent at Ninth St. Video. <a href="http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2011/03/04/lee_chang_dongs_poetry_nearly_perfect/" rel="nofollow">http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2011/03/04/lee_chang_dongs_poetry_nearly_perfect/</a> Jai on "Kid with a Bike coming in May" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=206#post-480 Fri, 20 Apr 2012 05:27:13 +0000 Jai 480@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Here's a more durable link to the Kid with a Bike trailer. <a href="http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/thekidwithabike/" rel="nofollow">http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/thekidwithabike/</a> Jai on "Where did Miss Bala go?" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=207#post-479 Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:12:20 +0000 Jai 479@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Both this website and your Facebook page tout the opening of Miss Bala on Friday April 20th. But your Calendar says she won't be here. Did she get shot down after all? Jai on "Kid with a Bike coming in May" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=206#post-478 Mon, 16 Apr 2012 05:27:29 +0000 Jai 478@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Here's a description and a trailer for the Dardenne Brothers movie, Kid With a Bike. Note the sponsor (bottom of the trailer) that helps support the Belcourt screenings. <a href="http://www.belcourt.org/events?id=78847" rel="nofollow">http://www.belcourt.org/events?id=78847</a> Jai on "Your reply makes sense" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=205#post-477 Sun, 15 Apr 2012 16:30:39 +0000 Jai 477@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Your reply (below) makes sense, tapestore. I personally am glad for your efforts, even though I am not always interested in seeing everything you program. Just so you know, Matt and you have one thing in common: each of you have access to a huge number of movies on DVD that most of us do not, and watch a lot of stuff that Ragtag couldn't show if they wanted to, due to lack of availability. One thing that's different is that Matt a) lives quite a distance away and b) (unlike me) is not always happy about seeing movies with an audience. But the primary point of my "DVD release" post (below) was just this: a DVD or streaming release does not preclude a Ragtag screening. You seem to agree with me. Here I will spell out other point that you implicitly make: Showing movies that are not heavily marketed and are longer than average often is a financial drain. A third point you don't mention, that I will, is that venues (including Ragtag) can make this work by finding benefactors as e.g. Upstate Films does with their "Well Worth Watching" series. <a href="http://upstatefilms.org/film-series/well-worth-watching" rel="nofollow">http://upstatefilms.org/film-series/well-worth-watching</a> And the Belcourt does with their First Run Films Series (Open link and scroll down to see sponsor.) <a href="http://www.belcourt.org/events?categories=First%20Run%20Films&id=79308" rel="nofollow">http://www.belcourt.org/events?categories=First%20Run%20Films&id=79308</a> Finally, I'm not usually privy as to who does what at Ragtag, but I am glad that I'll get to see Miss Bala and The Yellow Sea.. So thanks for that. tapestore on "Ragtag movies & DVD releases: Which tapestore are we on?" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=204#post-476 Sun, 15 Apr 2012 15:46:13 +0000 tapestore 476@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Jai, First, if I didn't make it clear, I was NOT responsible for the booking of Passport 2010 (Paul and I met to brainstorm titles, but there wasn't any serious curation going on). re: UNCLE BOONMEE, you're correct to note that I still could (and perhaps should) have played it during Passport. The difference between BOONMEE and MISS BALA/YELLOW SEA/ALAMAR is that BOONMEE is/was available at 9th St. Video in July and, related to that, BOONMEE is a much "bigger" title (i.e. the film received a much more substantial release with reported numbers -- try finding out how much MISS BALA made in its NYC run). THE TURIN HORSE is receiving a substantial release, too. If we screen it (I'm a little doubtful -- it's 2.5 hours, it doesn't play late and we're not exactly swimming in cash right now), I'd rather it be before the DVD release date, but I'm too busy with Homebrewed right now to know whether or not there will be room in Passport. I'll end by emphasizing something else from Matt's post: "I've seen The Turin Horse already and may be willing to see it again at Ragtag should they acquire it,..." Jai on "Ragtag movies & DVD releases: Which tapestore are we on?" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=204#post-475 Sun, 15 Apr 2012 11:33:59 +0000 Jai 475@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Back when I complained that tapestore's first Passport series program in 2010 was a little shopworn, tapestore wrote an on-target reply to me which follows: "Lastly, I don't quite understand your DVD complaint. I don't think are many people who would known about ALAMAR if we hadn't programmed it (love Film Movement, but I don't think they have much of a Columbia fan base). And in any case, films like ALAMAR are meant to be seen on a big screen. Isn't that why you go to Ragtag? To see films projected? Why is ALAMAR suddenly stale and unworthy of big screen projection once it's available on DVD?" A little over a year later, when I complained that Uncle Boomnee Who Can Recall Past Lives did not screen at Ragtag last year, tapestore wrote: "I said that UNCLE BOONMEE would come to Ragtag but noted that it probably wouldn't be until Passport 2011. It ended up on DVD very quickly (July), and by the time we realized this (early June) it was too late to book it, as we had already locked TREE OF LIFE and MIDNIGHT IN PARIS. Sorry about that, but had the theatrical-to-DVD window been longer, it absolutely would have played the theater." Given the increasing availability of films via various delivery systems (including the simultaneous release of movies such as Melancholia in theatres and "on demand" on pay per view), I want to say that I find the response of tapestore #1 to be more apropos than the response of tapestore #2. So apparently does whoever booked two small movies that are Manohla Dargis faves: Miss Bala from Mexico and The Yellow Sea from South Korea. These movies were released on DVD In February, but will open at Ragtag on April 20th and April 27th respectively. All this comes to mind because of Matt's post last week which read in part: "The Turin Horse is set for DVD/Blu-Ray release in the US July 12th. Though this does not preclude a Passport appearance, I would think it would diminish the need. That being said, I've seen The Turin Horse already and may be willing to see it again at Ragtag should they acquire it,..." Given the great reviews and the beautiful black and white photograhy that Bela Tarr is known for, I suggest that, be it during the 2012 Passport Series or otherwise, Ragtag do just that, let us see it on the big screen. Jai on "We Need to Talk About Kevin" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=203#post-474 Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:36:33 +0000 Jai 474@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Here are two positive reviews of We Need to Talk About Kevin. The first was penned by A.O. Scott who concludes: "We Need to Talk About Kevin with help from Seamus McGarvey’s fever-flushed cinematography and Jonny Greenwood’s heartsick, throbbing score, saturates the senses like illness or bad weather. It is beautiful and demonic, like Kevin himself, and the bad feelings it induces are likely to be accompanied by helpless and stricken admiration. You may well need to talk about it afterward, but then again, you may be left speechless." <a href="http://movies.nytimes.com/2011/12/09/movies/we-need-to-talk-about-kevin-with-tilda-swinton-review.html" rel="nofollow">http://movies.nytimes.com/2011/12/09/movies/we-need-to-talk-about-kevin-with-tilda-swinton-review.html</a> Then, today's Tribune has a five-star review from Scott May. <a href="http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2012/apr/12/something-to-talk-about/" rel="nofollow">http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2012/apr/12/something-to-talk-about/</a> Jai on "That Dead Horse" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=200#post-473 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:57:37 +0000 Jai 473@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Oh what the hell. You can find good and bad reviews of the Salmon Fish movie --as is usually the case. Here's a link to Roger Ebert's essay which basically points out many of the movie's flaws discussed by cinephile writers. <a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120307/REVIEWS/120309986/1023" rel="nofollow">http://www.rogerebert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120307/REVIEWS/120309986/1023</a> On a positive note, I notice that both A.O. Scott and Roger Ebert have written glowing reviews of We Need to Talk About Kevin. So, despite some early misgivings, I plan to check it out this weekend. Jai on "That Dead Horse" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=200#post-472 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:38:07 +0000 Jai 472@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ I, like Matt, have better things to do than to waste my time with Salmon Fishing. I won't quote film reviewers that I believe; check them out for yourself if you want. At the same time, the Bela Tarr movies that I've seen require a certain amount of attention, patience, and openness to profound sadness. I'm currently watching his seven-hour Satantango a little at a time. But my sample posted below) from the A.O. Scott review of The Turin Horse speaks more eloquently to the beauty of Tarr's work than I could ever hope to. Jai on "Let me be a little clearer" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=202#post-471 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 17:50:14 +0000 Jai 471@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Not wanting to beat a dead Horse, let me come right out and air my thoughts about many of Ragtag's fair to middlin movies of the past six weeks and the possibility of Ragtag Cinema living up to its potential on a more reliable basis. 1) Many if not all of the "mixed review" movies as well as the well-reviewed Japanese Disney wide release Ragtag has featured would have been picked up by our local corporate theatres. 2) Ragtag shows movies all the time that are not particularly lucrative. But virtually the only time Paul puts down a movie for not being lucrative is in reference small distributor art films that tend to lack a marketing budget. These are the movies that need support not snide and inaccurate putdowns. 3) Although I don't want Ragtag to show only gourmet dishes, it might do better than to trend to top box office chart movies that will soon grace the bargain bins at Walmart. 4) If Paul's post relating to the well-reviewed movies coming in May comes true, then those who love well-made thoughtful entertainment can look forward to: The Deep Blue Sea Footnote The Kid with a Bike 5) That's good, but overall Ragtag can do better. To name just two movies that were notable by their absence here in 2011: Le Quattro Volte and Poetry. The former may not be to everyone's taste, but there are both a spiritual and an art cinema audience iin Columbia that would have appreciated the chance to see this --at least if someone at Ragtag let them know what it was. The second film, Poetry , showed at a great many independent theatres and in virtually every Landmark Theatre city. It may not have drawn the Kill List demographic, but it would have moved many of my and gregorybrown's generation had they had the chance to see them at Ragtag. 6) Have you checked out the Belcourt first run schedule lately? This is engaged, informed, and canny programming. Just what Ragtag has been known to do, just not consistently. <a href="http://www.belcourt.org/" rel="nofollow">http://www.belcourt.org/</a> gregorybrown on "That Dead Horse" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=200#post-470 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:02:13 +0000 gregorybrown 470@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Thanks for the head-up on the DVD release, Matt. And I neglected to thank Jai for bringing it to my attention. Matt on "That Dead Horse" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=200#post-469 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:31:00 +0000 Matt 469@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ The Turin Horse is set for DVD/Blu-Ray release in the US July 12th. Though this does not preclude a Passport appearance, I would think it would diminish the need. That being said, I've seen The Turin Horse already and may be willing to see it again at Ragtag should they acquire it, whereas I doubt I'll ever watch Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, at home or otherwise. I'm just weird that way. gregorybrown on "brows high, low and sweated" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=201#post-468 Mon, 09 Apr 2012 20:46:29 +0000 gregorybrown 468@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ I can't dismiss CASA DE MI PADRE as simply "lowbrow "junk'". PORKY'S is lowbrow junk. JACKASS and those supposedly funny summer films that batch a group of movie Super Heroes in a pointless raunchfest are lowbrow junk. The tween-exploitive twinkly vamp films are lowbrow junk. And so are many of the Hollywood '"religious" films of the 50's and later--QUO VADIS, THE ROBE and more. Back during the Reagan years I was willing to share the cost of cable before the Vast Wasteland became a Putrid Swamp. I've 96% given up on TV as entertainment or even information now but recall that I enjoyed the intricate story lines of DUKES OF HAZZARD, as well as the culturally revealing Telenovelas on Univision. Overacting, or merely an exaggerated style unfamiliar to a bored Anglo trying to get relief from the tedium of a NW Ohio winter, ridiculous stories, cheap special effects--lowbrow, yes, but not exactly junk on the level of today's "reality TV". CDMP lacks the wit and puckishness of early Christopher Guest parodies. Yet it achieves a high level of faithfulness to the methods and appearance and feel of the Telenovela. It is mass entertainment, with no pretense of being high cinema art. It is funny, and certainly funnier on more levels for viewers familiar with the originals. I laughed and enjoyed it. I actually saw it. Can the poster who scoffs at it see the thing? I hope so. A diet of Twinkies and Ho-Hos isn't healthy, and neither is one constructed solely of haute cuisine. I think CDMP is peachy. gregorybrown on "That Dead Horse" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=200#post-467 Mon, 09 Apr 2012 20:21:16 +0000 gregorybrown 467@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ I suppose it's impossible to think that folks in Nashville might be more sophisticated than Columbians. The turnout there was likelier due to some misunderstanding. People heard "Tourin' Horse" and assumed it was a doc about one of the state's famous Tennessee Walkers, or maybe a personal appearance by the equine star of WAR HORSE or another of the horsey movies released these past few years. I wouldn't have heard about the film nor about Bela Tarr if it weren't for Jai's references. I'd like to see TURIN HORSE based on reviews I've seen as a result of that. Maybe Tapestore can sang it for the next Passport Series. Jai on "Paul's straw "Horse"" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=199#post-466 Sat, 07 Apr 2012 11:42:26 +0000 Jai 466@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ In his response to my "Check out the Belcourt" post below, Paul wrote: "I bet Toby would've played Salmon Fishing if he had the choice. That's because I'd be surprised if more than 75 people total showed up opening weekend for The Turin Horse." Hold on a minute. Let's think about this.... Fact #1: The Belcourt does show some films with overall middlin' reviews. Facts #2 and #3: Reviews of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen are mixed and it may not have been available to the Belcourt as it was showing elsewhere in Nashville. Nonetheless it surely is not an either/or choice of showing any given movie instead of The Turin Horse. It is not logically inconsistent for Toby (or Paul) to book low brow "junk" such as Casa de mi Padre (e.g. in the belief that Will Ferrell will generate dollars) and at the same time book high brow movies such as the The Turin Horse (e.g. knowing it may be an exceptional work but with less commercial potential). While nosing around in the box office charts, I stumbled into the weekend box office for The Turin Horse I hate to "surprise" Paul too much, but it turns out that the Belcourt took in $1481 dollars for its Friday, Saturday and Sunday screenings. Assuming all tickets sold for $9.50, The Belcourt weekend screenings the movie attracted 156 viewers, which is more than double Paul's surprise threshhold. Maybe Toby Leonard's Nashville friends were surprised as well. The Belcourt added a fourth screening last Tuesday. Sorry but I wasn't so vigilant as to find out how many people showed up on Tuesday night. Jai on "Check out the Belcourt's first run films" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=198#post-465 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 02:23:16 +0000 Jai 465@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Well there must have been at least something of a buzz regarding The Turin Horse, the Belcourt added an additional screening at 8:35 p.m. tonight (Tuesday). Jai on "Check out the Belcourt's first run films" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=198#post-464 Mon, 02 Apr 2012 17:17:57 +0000 Jai 464@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Sorry about the "Bile". Undoubtedly I mistranslated "vélo" from the Belgium French. Paul, makes a good point, in that some of the movies a theatre grabs are determined by the local exhibition topography. And, of course, it's likely that the audience for the The Turin Horse would be smaller anywhere, it's wonderful that the Belcourt gave it three weekend days. Thanks Paul, for the heads-up on three likely excellent choices for May. You saved me a trip to St. Louis and/or Nashville --though I do want to visit the Belcourt and my old friends in Nashville sometime. Keep This is Not a Film in mind. If only to show you can beat the Tivoli in St Louis in contemporary programming. gregorybrown on "Check out the Belcourt's first run films" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=198#post-463 Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:39:58 +0000 gregorybrown 463@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ "Kid with a Bile" sounds intriguing, though. paul on "Check out the Belcourt's first run films" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=198#post-462 Mon, 02 Apr 2012 07:34:08 +0000 paul 462@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ My friend Toby Leonard books the Belcourt and you're right, he does a bang-up job. Not to take anything away from Toby's skills, but I should point out that the Belcourt competes with a Regal Cinema that plays some films he might play otherwise. While critics seem to love The Turin Horse and are mixed about "Salmon Fishing in Yemen" I bet Toby would've played Salmon Fishing if he had the choice. That's because I'd be surprised if more than 75 people total showed up opening weekend for The Turin Horse. That's a victory, but it's a sparsely attended one. You might be happy to see how May is shaping up, with these tentative dates: May 4: The Deep Blue Sea May 11: The Kid With a Bike (should do much better than lesser film "Kid with a Bile") May 18: Footnote Jai on "This is Not a Film" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=193#post-461 Sun, 01 Apr 2012 20:47:09 +0000 Jai 461@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ The first sentence above should read: "Metacritic notes that A Separation was the number one critically reviewed movie of 2011.. It was released in late December 2011, and was the best reviewed movie of that year. Jai on "Check out the Belcourt's first run films" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=198#post-460 Sun, 01 Apr 2012 14:19:01 +0000 Jai 460@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ The Belcourt's schedule of first run films fearures great exemplars of what Ragtag and other independent movie places could aspire to. See this link. <a href="http://www.belcourt.org/" rel="nofollow">http://www.belcourt.org/</a> Between March 30th, when it opened The Turin Horse, and May 4th, when it begins a run of The Great Blue Sea, the Belcourt will show the five top critically reviewed movies of the year. That together with its Robert Bresson's retro, and a cool assortment of other stuff makes me think of The Belcourt as something of a marvel. Of course Nashville is a big city so they will get the great stuff quicker than Ragtag. But maybe with the money Ragtag makes from the star-driven things it is currently showing, Ragtag could be not far behind in May and June. The next five posts below provide a quick guide to the top films waiting for a Columbia booking. Jai on "Rounding out the top five of 2012" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=197#post-459 Sun, 01 Apr 2012 14:00:04 +0000 Jai 459@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ ...Is Bela Tarr's The Turin Horse which ends its run at the Belcourt Theatre in Nahville today. I've already posted a bunch about this, and I think it would be a classy move by Ragtag to bring it in. I will paste this beautifully-written passage by Tony Scott to leave a clue why... "In Mr. Tarr’s earlier films — like the magisterial, nightmarish, seven-hour Sátántangó and the wintry Werckmeister Harmonies — the heaviness was punctuated by incursions of the grotesque and the surreal, which may be why he has described them as comedies. Next to them, The Turin Horse is a pared-down, sinewy parable, as clear and simple as Fred Kelemen’s exquisitely lucid monochrome cinematography but also as layered and mysterious as Mihaly Vig’s jaggedly romantic score.' "The rigors of life can grind you down. The rigor of art can have the opposite effect, and “The Turin Horse” is an example — an exceedingly rare one in contemporary cinema — of how a work that seems built on the denial of pleasure can, through formal discipline, passionate integrity and terrifying seriousness, produce an experience of exaltation. The movie is too beautiful to be described as an ordeal, but it is sufficiently intense and unyielding that when it is over, you may feel, along with awe, a measure of relief. Which may sound like a reason to stay away, but is exactly the opposite." --A.O. Scott