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Ragtag Discussion Board » Recent Posts http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Films, events, and everything else Ragtag en-US Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:05:14 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/search.php Jai on "Bela Tarr's "The Turin Horse" at Webster." http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=177#post-430 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:51:16 +0000 Jai 430@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Webster University will have three screening's of Bela Tarr's The Turin Horse on February 17, 18, and 19 at 7:30 p.m. The following description from their website.... The Turin Horse Bela Tarr, 2011, Hungary, 146 min. Weekend, February 17, 18 & 19 at 7:30 pm On January 3, 1889 in Turin, Italy, Friedrich Nietzsche steps out of the doorway of number six, Via Carlo Albert. Not far from him, a cab driver is having trouble with a stubborn horse. The horse refuses to move, whereupon the driver loses his patience and takes his whip to it. Nietzsche puts an end to the brutal scene, throwing his arms around the horse’s neck, sobbing. After this, he lies motionless and silent for two days on a divan until he mutters the obligatory last words, and lives for another ten years, silent and demented, cared for by his mother and sisters. Somewhere in the countryside, the cab driver lives with his daughter and the overworked horse. Outside, a windstorm rages. The horse refuses to move, and the man and his daughter struggle through their daily schedule. Food and water grow scarce. Beggars and gypsies come to their door. The horse stops eating. Slowly, the apocalypse approaches. Immaculately photographed in Tarr’s renowned long takes, The Turin Horse is the final statement from a master filmmaker. In Hungarian with English Subtitles Jai on "Why are trailer voice-overs male?" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=176#post-429 Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:37:18 +0000 Jai 429@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ I hadn't thought about this until I spotted this piece? <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/movies/trailer-voice-over-work-scarce-for-women.html?_r=1&ref=movies" rel="nofollow">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/movies/trailer-voice-over-work-scarce-for-women.html?_r=1&ref=movies</a> Dan on "Chad Freidrichs’s shattering documentary now in NYC" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=175#post-428 Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:55:07 +0000 Dan 428@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ good stuff Jai, I missed this one. Yeah, the film seems to have gotten a very nice critical reaction overall. Check out the Village Voice review if you haven't. Jai on "Chad Freidrichs’s shattering documentary now in NYC" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=175#post-427 Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:42:10 +0000 Jai 427@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ The Pruitt-Igoe Myth cited by Michael Kimmelman in this essay in the New York Times. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/arts/design/penn-south-and-pruitt-igoe-starkly-different-housing-plans.html?_r=1&hp" rel="nofollow">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/arts/design/penn-south-and-pruitt-igoe-starkly-different-housing-plans.html?_r=1&hp</a> Jai on ""A Dangerous Method" arrives on January 27th" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=170#post-426 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:55:25 +0000 Jai 426@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Well, whatever the reason was, I'm glad to see that Ragtag is opening A Dangerous Method on Friday January 27th as originally planned, rather than putting it off several weeks. Jai on "Scott and Dargis on the Village Voice film legacy" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=174#post-425 Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:49:35 +0000 Jai 425@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Here's a link to a New York Times piece on the Village Voice, film culture and J. Hoberman. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/movies/j-hoberman-talks-about-village-voice-and-film-culture.html?ref=movies" rel="nofollow">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/movies/j-hoberman-talks-about-village-voice-and-film-culture.html?ref=movies</a> lunapaydon on ""Pina" A German film about dancer, choreographer Pina Bausch" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=173#post-424 Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:02:38 +0000 lunapaydon 424@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Directed by Wim Wenders, this film presents some of Pina's most noted dance pieces in Tanztheater style (dance theater) and interviews of dancers from Tanztheater Wuppertal. The film has been selected as the German entry for best foreign film for the 84th academy awards. I would love to see this film at Ragtag! Rarely do you see dance theater on the big screen! Jai on "Glad to see "Carnage" is not coming." http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=172#post-423 Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:16:49 +0000 Jai 423@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Just got back in town and am really happy to see that Carnage won't be coming to Ragtag. I will be seeing Young Adult, most likely on Tuesday night. I held my tongue about Carnage when it was scheduled to come to Ragtag; now that it is not coming, I will quote A.O. Scott's review. "(S)atire requires a bit more specificity, and as a portrait of anxious, status-conscious Brooklyn parents living in a chiaroscuro of self-righteousness and guilt, “Carnage” misses its mark badly.' "I know these people. Why be coy? I am these people. And while these people might well be the parents of a Zachary and an Ethan, the sister of a Zachary would much more plausibly be a Sophie or an Emma than a Courtney. (Courtney? What is this, Beverly Hills? Reality television? Come on!) The elder Cowans and Longstreets would be on a first-name basis from the start so that the “call me Penelope,” “call me Alan” moment would never occur. (In France an invitation to replace the formal vous with the familiar tu might well be part of an encounter like this one, but this is not France.) And someone with Penelope Longstreet’s political views and multicultural concerns would be most unlikely to proclaim herself, without irony, a defender of “Western values.” "This may seem like nitpicking, but “Carnage” is partly about the narcissism of small differences — the nuances of rank, taste and behavior that take on disproportionate importance in close quarters — and fudged or sloppy details expose a larger weakness of design. Like Ms. Reza’s “Art” this play consists of a superficially provocative idea slapped onto an almost-probable situation and whipped into a froth of hyper-articulate nonsense." gregorybrown on "Gary Oldman is a worthy...." http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=171#post-422 Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:56:41 +0000 gregorybrown 422@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ ...successor to Alec Guinness as George Smiley in TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY. He's come a long way from SID AND NANCY, which I've always recommended as a good "date movie" (which is one explanation for the fact that I've seen most movies on my own). The story is tautly told, the visuals set an enveloping mood, and there are enough ambiguities in the characters' interactions to prompt some thought after the credits. I think the actors were well cast and performed admirably--except for Ciaran Hinds, who was oddly silent, merely a greasy looking hulking mystery man. This presentation did nothing to dispel the history of his casting in at least three films/series as a pedophile. Jai on ""A Dangerous Method" arrives on January 27th" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=170#post-421 Sat, 07 Jan 2012 07:50:48 +0000 Jai 421@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ A Dangerous Method David Cronenberg's new movie about the return of the repressed is slated to open at Ragtag on January 27th. It came in number five in the Film Comment poll, and was cited by both Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott on their best lists. So it looks like, just maybe, David Cronenberg has done it again. Jai on "J Hoberman booted from the Village Voice" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=169#post-420 Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:30:56 +0000 Jai 420@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ I stopped renewing my subscription to the Village Voice several years ago after they got rid of Michael Atkinson and Dennis Lim. J. Hoberman hung on to his job there until now. But I'm afraid he was hanging on to a rather putrid venture. Fortunately the New York Times became a beacon of national popular film criticism by adding Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott around the same time. Of course, there are many other superb critical writers out there as well. Yet Hoberman along with Jonathan Rosenbaum, Robert Koehler, and Dennis Lim are some of the few radical challenging writers who have had had a wide following. All, of course, continue to write. But there was nothing quite like the stable of writers at the Voice in its heyday. It's where I first encountered the earliest reviews of Manohla Dargis, and a long list of others. Very influential in shaping a generation of cinephiles. Here's a link to the Indiewire story <a href="http://www.indiewire.com/article/j-hoberman-discusses-village-voice-layoff-its-like-slicing-salami-they-just-keep-laying-people-off" rel="nofollow">http://www.indiewire.com/article/j-hoberman-discusses-village-voice-layoff-its-like-slicing-salami-they-just-keep-laying-people-off</a> cd on "Please Please Please Get "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel"" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=168#post-419 Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:19:04 +0000 cd 419@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ The <a href="http://youtu.be/dDY89LYxK0w">Trailer</a> for the film. Stars Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Penelope Wilton, Maggie Smith, Celia Imrie, and Dev Patel. I know it's a bit early since this doesn't release in the states until May, but please get this. Jai on "Excellent reviews and small films" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=167#post-418 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 04:39:40 +0000 Jai 418@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ There's no doubt that Ragtag had a tremendous schedule in 2011, and deserves a great deal of credit for that. One way it can be even better in 2012 is to do a better job; to quit this old tactic of delay, delay, delay of some of the most obvious foreign film candidates (such as A Separation), followed by "oops it's out on DVD." I double checked and it was Le Quattro Volte (not Poetry) that tapestore led me to believe would be screened. With Poetry, a movie I suggested early last year, I received no response. And these two were probably Ragtag's saddest oversights of the year. You and I probably agree with several astute critics that Herzog's Into the Abyss was a far more compelling documentary than Cave of Forgotten Dreams. Though I think it's obvious that, as each were well-regarded docs, Ragtag was right to show both. The same logic applies to Nostalgia for the Light, Ragtag should have shown it. tapestore on "Excellent reviews and small films" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=167#post-417 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:31:16 +0000 tapestore 417@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Critics also seem to think TABLOID and CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS are two of the best documentaries of the year; I think they're nuts. tapestore on "Excellent reviews and small films" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=167#post-416 Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:28:38 +0000 tapestore 416@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ I don't think I ever promised anything w/r/t POETRY. 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. Even without True/False, I think our lineup this year has been very strong. Jai on "Excellent reviews and small films" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=167#post-415 Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:42:27 +0000 Jai 415@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ ONE -- In calling Nostalgia for the Light, a big doc miss for Ragtag, I want to be clear that the DVD is still in my queue, so I have yet to watch it. The statement refers to the fact that the movie is almost universally praised by critics who have rewarded us picky eaters with good picks. So I don't base my suggestion on my own take on the Nostalgia for the Light, but on the idea that the best-reviewed available docs ought to be screened at Ragtag whether tapestore or I care for them or not. TWO -- I really hope that Ragtag does indeed bring in A Separation. The history of tapestore raising false hopes with the most critically-praised foreign features can be seen with Poetry and Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives which were notable by their absence from Ragtag's screens last year. THREE - Below is a piece on overlooked films from Sunday Times by Dennis Lim who did "write something thoughtful" about Nostalgia --which perhaps tapestore and I can refer to if we ever have a conversation after he recovers from True/False. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/movies/awardsseason/overlooked-movies-of-2011.html?_r=1&ref=movies" rel="nofollow">http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/movies/awardsseason/overlooked-movies-of-2011.html?_r=1&ref=movies</a> Jai on "J. Hoberman on "Young Adult"" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=166#post-414 Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:11:43 +0000 Jai 414@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Here's the kicker in J. Hoberman's approving review... "Young Adult might be brushed off as curdled rom-com were it not for two things. The first is the depth of Theron's performance. As outrageously mean, dissolute, bratty, and delusional as Mavis becomes, she never ceases to inspire sympathy—even when she demands it. The second, less predictable aspect is the utter absence of the corny rehabilitation found in Juno and Reitman's glib, downsizing dramedy Up in the Air. Mavis might hit bottom (or not), but there's no pot of small-town virtue at the end of this narrative rainbow. For all the revelations regarding the roots of her Mavis-ness, the girl's bitchiness remains intact. She is forever young." Jai on "Kaurismäki's Le Havre... "strange and delightful"" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=165#post-413 Mon, 26 Dec 2011 18:14:46 +0000 Jai 413@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ With a Metacritic score of 82, Le Havre ranks third among current limited releases. As the Landmark chain has not announced a St. Louis screening, the movie isn't that easy to catch. So seeing that Ragtag has it on tap for January 6th is just invigorating news. Here's a link to Andrew O'Hehir's review of Kaurismäki's comedy. <a href="http://www.salon.com/2011/10/21/le_havre_a_strange_and_delightful_immigration_comedy/singleton/" rel="nofollow">http://www.salon.com/2011/10/21/le_havre_a_strange_and_delightful_immigration_comedy/singleton/</a> tapestore on "Top 20 of 2011 - the Film Comment poll" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=163#post-412 Mon, 26 Dec 2011 16:05:45 +0000 tapestore 412@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Jai, We're still working out dates for some of these titles, but A SEPARATION and A DANGEROUS METHOD should be appearing at the Ragtag in the next few months. LE HAVRE opens January 6. We tried to book MARGARET earlier in the year (a good friend was a founding member of #teammargaret) but were shut down. We might revisit in March, assuming Jan-Feb help us bounce back after a slow Fall. AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF NICOLAE CEAUSESCU is likely amazing (I'm a fan of VIDEOGRAMS at least), but there are probably less than ten people in town who would should up for it (it's three hours long). NOSTALGIA? I'd like to revisit it and write something thoughtful about why I don't think it's transcendent (it didn't make my top 25 docs of 2010 list), but I'm buried in T/F screeners for the next month. Jai on "Rex Reed hates "Melancholia". New Debut is DECEMBER 2nd" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=150#post-411 Sun, 25 Dec 2011 17:34:04 +0000 Jai 411@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ David Edelstein showed his lesser side recently on "Fresh Air" when he said he "just couldn't" put Melancholia on his ten best list because it was so "hateful." That is just so wrong-headed. The virtuoso performances of Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg as the quite different sisters, Justine and Claire shows that the problem-solving mode of mind (Claire) is not always functional. In this instance, Justine, in acceptance mode, is able to do the best to calmly bring together what is left of her family and bring some final moments of peace to the situation. That's so much more loving and practical than the response of, say, Claire's husband. But even beyond that Melancholia is one of the top half-dozen movies of 2011; a point that even Edelstein grudgingly conceded, even as he sneered at Lars von Trier. Maybe David Edelstein has not had loved ones who have suffered from severe depression. If he had, I doubt he would find the word "hateful" appropriate; maybe "hard to be around" but not really malevolent or hateful. I know because I have witnessed devastating depression, including three wonderful friends now gone by suicide.... And I think Melancholia is a brave gift from all involved in bringing it to the screen. Jai on "The Artist" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=164#post-410 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:27:14 +0000 Jai 410@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ The Artist hasn't been to Ragtag yet. I haven't heard that Ragtag has it in the bag for either January or February 2012, but I think they definitely will show it if they can get it. I had tickets to see this in New York City a couple months ago, but things that could go wrong did go wrong and I never made it there. towerofbabel on "Rex Reed hates "Melancholia". New Debut is DECEMBER 2nd" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=150#post-409 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:40:34 +0000 towerofbabel 409@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Yeah...I saw that review. Epic fail. I just saw this last night in KC and I thought it was pretty great. Not my favorite film of Lars, but it's definitely an interesting experience. What's awesome, though, is that Lars would probably enjoy reading this review because his films are all about public reaction--especially with Melancholia. He'd probably be like, "well, this film apparently affected Rex...perhaps insecure with one's morality?" towerofbabel on "The Artist" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=164#post-408 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:26:21 +0000 towerofbabel 408@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ I'm not sure if you've already screened this and I've missed it, but I'm really looking forward to seeing The Artist. I was surprised by how well it did for Globe nominations. If you haven't shown it, I hope you do get it. I'm really sad that I missed Weekend when it was showing awhile back. Jai on "Top 20 of 2011 - the Film Comment poll" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=163#post-407 Sat, 17 Dec 2011 08:28:56 +0000 Jai 407@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ The results of Film Comment's annual survey of critics is out. Terrence Malick's "Tree of Life" topped the list of best films released in 2011, while "This is Not a Film" by Iranian filmmakers Jafar Panahi and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb was named best unreleased film of 2011. Note that #19 Take Shelter will be at Ragtag now through December 29th. Films that have not yet screened in Columbia are in bold. 1. TREE OF LIFE, Director: Terrence Malick 2. UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES, Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul 3. MELANCHOLIA, Director: Lars von Trier 4. A SEPARATION, Director: Asghar Farhadi 5. A DANGEROUS METHOD, Director: David Cronenberg 6. MYSTERIES OF LISBON, Director: Raúl Ruiz 7. CERTIFIED COPY, Director: Abbas Kiarostami 8. MEEK’S CUTOFF, Director: Kelly Reichardt 9. HUGO, Director: Martin Scorsese 10. POETRY, Director: Lee Chang-dong 11. FILM SOCIALISME, Director: Jean-Luc Godard 12. LE HAVRE, Director: Aki Kaurismäki 13. THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF NICOLAE CEAUSESCU, Director: Andrei Ujica 14. LE QUATTRO VOLTE, Director: Michelangelo Frammartino 15. THE DESCENDANTS, Director: Alexander Payne 16. NOSTALGIA FOR THE LIGHT, Director: Patricio Guzmán 17. A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY, Director:  Edward Yang 18. MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, Director: Woody Allen 19. TAKE SHELTER, Director: Jeff Nichols 20. MARGARET, Director: Kenneth Lonergan I am grateful that we got to see seven of of these movies at Ragtag this year and that A Dangerous Method has been announced for next year. I'm especially grateful for the chance to see Raúl Ruiz's Mysteries of Lisbon as it only screened at dozens of venues in the U.S. Ragtag's big misses included Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, Lee Chang-dong's Poetry, Jean-Luc Godard's Film Socialisme, Michelangeo Frammartino's Le Quattro Volte, and Ragtag's big documentary miss of the year, Patricio Guzmán's Nostalgia for the Light. (These movies are all currently available on Blu-ray except for the Godard movie which comes out on January 10th.) Remaining are five suggestions for 2012. See my next post on this "coming soon." Jai on ""Tinker Tailor" & "A Dangerous Method" are coming." http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=162#post-406 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 05:48:22 +0000 Jai 406@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ For those who haven't been to Ragtag lately, here's a note that two movies, among the top twenty of Manohla Dargis, will be showing there: David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method and Thomas Alfredson's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Here's a discussion by Scott and Dargis of the Cronenberg movie and Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar (which is also on her list). <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/movies/a-dangerous-method-and-j-edgar-studies-in-repression.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=A%20Dangerous%20Method&st=cse" rel="nofollow">http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/movies/a-dangerous-method-and-j-edgar-studies-in-repression.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=A%20Dangerous%20Method&st=cse</a> foxsp on "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=161#post-405 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:35:18 +0000 foxsp 405@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Not looking like this will be making the chain theater rounds, would *love* to see it. Thanks for bringing Senna, BTW! Steve Jai on "2011 World Cinema -- 10 from Manohla Dargis" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=160#post-404 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:36:50 +0000 Jai 404@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Here are the ten best foreign-language films of 2011 selected by Manohla Dargis. The ones that have screened at Ragtag are marked as such. It would be good to see the others turn up on your schedule, if it's not too late. In alphabetical order. “Aurora” (Cristi Puiu) “The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu” (Andrei Ujica) “Le Havre” (Aki Kaurismaki) “Melancholia” (Lars von Trier); *RAGTAG “My Joy” (Sergei Loznitsa); “Mysteries of Lisbon” (Raúl Ruiz); *RAGTAG “Of Gods and Men” (Xavier Beauvois); *RAGTAG “Poetry” (Lee Chang-dong); “Le Quattro Volte” (Michelangelo Frammartino); “The Skin I Live In” (Pedro Almodóvar) *RAGTAG Jai on "Why the LA Critics are so cool" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=159#post-403 Sun, 11 Dec 2011 17:32:49 +0000 Jai 403@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ The Los Angeles Film Critics awards have been announced and below are the results together with my comments interspersed. Best Picture "The Descendants" (Runner-up: "The Tree of Life") The Descendants was favored to win because director Alexander Payne has been so honored by LAFCA several times in the past. But one thing I really enjoy about this group is they list a "runner-up" for each category; and often, in several categories, either the winner or the runner-up is something edgy e.g. The Tree of Life. Best Actor Michael Fassbender, "Shame," "A Dangerous Method," "Jane Eyre" and "X-Men: First Class" A Dangerous Method is coming to Ragtag. Here's hoping that Shame comes as well. (Runner-up: Michael Shannon, Take Shelter) --which opens at Ragtag on Friday, December 16th. Best Actress Yun Jung-Hee, "Poetry" (Runner-up: Kirsten Dunst, "Melancholia") This is the second year in a row that a Korean woman has been cited as Best Actress. Poetry was inexplicably never screened at Ragtag, but it is available at Ninth Street on DVD. Best Supporting Actor Christopher Plummer, "Beginners" (Runner-up: Patton Oswalt, "Young Adult") Best Supporting Actress Jessica Chastain, "Coriolanus," "The Debt," "The Help," "Take Shelter," "Texas Killing Fields," "The Tree of Life" She was superb in The Tree of Life, and soon we'll catch Take Shelter. (Runner-up: Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs") I haven't seen Janet McTeer in a dozen years, when she was in Tumbleweeds Best Director Terrance Malick, "The Tree of Life" (Runner-up: Martin Scorsese, "Hugo") Hooray for Malick! Best Screenplay "A Separation" (Runner-up: "The Descendants") This Iranian film, A Separation doesn't open in the U.S. until the end of this month. Of course, I hope Ragtag books it next year. Best Cinematography "The Tree of Life" (Runner-up: "City of Life and Death") --which should have been included in the Passport Series. Best Documentary/Non-fiction Film "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" (Runner-up: "The Arbor") Herzog's Into the Abyss will be a Ragtag until the 15th. The Arbor was my first movie at T/F, and a deserving pick. Best Foreign-Language Film City of Life and Death --Next year don't be scared away by gravitas when you book Passport Series. (That's meant as a friendly dig, tapestore :-) Runner-up: A Separation Getting lots of mentions by critics we trust. gregorybrown on "The world-ending sounds of "Melancholia"" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=158#post-402 Sat, 10 Dec 2011 21:52:15 +0000 gregorybrown 402@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Thanks for the tip. I found the ending literally breathtaking. It was partly suggestion, the mention a bit earlier that the atmosphere was being depleted by Melancholia's passage. Then the combination of Wagner and the concoction of sounds tn that "Death Star" rumble induced shallow breathing. It's a classy way to end the film. I wonder if there've been actual instances of people fainting...or is that too much likereports of the strobe effects causing seizures among the young vampire fans of Breaking Wind or whatever it's called? Jai on "The world-ending sounds of "Melancholia"" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=158#post-401 Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:43:39 +0000 Jai 401@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ A nice feature from the Times. <a href="http://carpetbagger.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/07/below-the-line-the-world-ending-sounds-of-melancholia/?hpw" rel="nofollow">http://carpetbagger.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/07/below-the-line-the-world-ending-sounds-of-melancholia/?hpw</a> Jai on ""Melancholia" tops European Film Awards" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=157#post-400 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:13:05 +0000 Jai 400@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Yeah, pretty cool that Ragtag has it for a second week (though note there's only one early show, at 1:45 on Sunday. I plan to see it again this weekend before I post anything much about it. But I will note Melancholia is less about plot and dramatic conventions, and more about evoking the subjective experience of melancholia with both the pain and the peace that that state of mind can entail. There's also a pervasive sense of the senselessness of the social order. As improbable as the whole story may be, it does speak volumes more about social fragmentation (the way we live) than any documentary, I know of, has dared. Dan on ""Melancholia" tops European Film Awards" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=157#post-399 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:55:23 +0000 Dan 399@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ looks like it got another week Jai on ""Melancholia" tops European Film Awards" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=157#post-398 Sun, 04 Dec 2011 23:22:58 +0000 Jai 398@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ There's probably just a few days left to see Melancholia at Ragtag. Here's a piece on it's recent laurels from Indiewire. <a href="http://www.indiewire.com/article/melancholia-firth-and-swinton-top-european-film-awards" rel="nofollow">http://www.indiewire.com/article/melancholia-firth-and-swinton-top-european-film-awards</a> gregorybrown on "WORLD AIDS DAY...." http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=156#post-397 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:05:10 +0000 gregorybrown 397@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ ...is a good time to revisit (or see for the first time ) the 1986 film PARTING GLANCES. Unlike the glossy LONGTIME COMPANION, this deals with realistic and just a bit out of the ordinary characters. Steve Buscemi's character has AIDS at a time when treatment was iffy and long-term survival was a future hope. There is affection and community among the characters facing a terrible calamity. The story isn't neatly tied up, with hot men lounging around Fire Island. There's a lively grittiness about this. See it, ponder it, remember those who are gone and love all your friends of whatever orientation. And see that an entertaining movie about a terrible medical plague is possible, done with grace, humor and some lightness. gregorybrown on "KISS ME DEADLY" http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/topic.php?id=155#post-396 Tue, 29 Nov 2011 08:29:11 +0000 gregorybrown 396@http://www.ragtagfilm.com/board/ Be sure to set aside time to see this. It's fun and just a bit mean. I've wondered if there's a connection between Spillane and Ayn Rand. Any thoughts on that? The film is referred to obliquely in both REPO MAN and PULP FICTION. Spillane never claimed to be a great stylist or Literary Man, commenting something like "People buy and eat a helluva lot more peanut butter than caviar".