USA

From VILLAGE VOICE:
A shuddering, flickering tribute to two lost compatriots, Ken Jacobs’s Two Wrenching Departures took its original form in 1989 as one of Jacobs’s live “Nervous System” cine-improvisations on dual 16mm projectors. Earlier that year, his former collaborators Bob Fleischner and Jack Smith died within a week of one another—an ironic conjunction, as the pair had been at odds for years, long after Jacobs, Fleischner, and Smith had chaotically joined talents in the late ’50s to create Blonde Cobra, a grimly glamorous rummage through trash-pile transvestism that was one of the most celebrated titles of the pre-Warhol underground scene.Read More »

“This film was conceived in honor of the 20th anniversary of the death of one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema – Andrei Tarkovsky. The young filmmaker Dmitry Trakovsky sets out in search of his favorite director’s legacy. His journey leads him to fifteen moving interviews in California, Italy, Sweden, and finally, Russia, as he attempts to come closer to the meaning of one of Tarkovsky’s most enigmatic beliefs… that death doesn’t exist. The result is the acclaimed documentary MEETING ANDREI TARKOVSKY, which takes an in-depth and poetic look at the late Russian filmmaker who created under the oppressive censorship of the Soviet government. It explores the life and films of Tarkovsky through diverse interviews and stories told by friends, colleagues and others who have been influenced by his art, providing a rare glimpse into Tarkovsky’s working methods and personal philosophy of humanity.”Read More »

Synopsis
Gringo miner Gallager is caught up in the Mexican revolution of 1910-11 when corrupt administrator Ruiz appropriates his mine. Gallager saves the life of guerilla leader Raquel, then finds there’s a price on his head; he becomes romantically involved with her in the course of a series of rescues and ambushes, leading up to Orozco’s march on Ciudad Juarez.Read More »

Synopsis:
In this third sequel to “Planet of the Apes,” the apes turn the tables on the human Earth population when they lead a revolt against their cruel masters in the distant year of 1990. By doing this it creates the time loop that leads to the first film. “Conquest of the Planet of the Apes” is cinematically etched in broad, brash strokes slashing social satire and science fiction suspense with large-scale spectacle.Read More »

Summary:
A daring and fresh ensemble cast and crew have crafted a remarkable tribute to graffiti art and the city where it all began with Bomb the System. The director, producers, cinematographer, and other key crew members are all in their early 20s, and their debut feature deftly gives an uncompromising look at the life of urban youths. Blest, a 19-year-old graffiti writer, has just graduated from high school. With no ambition toward mainstream goals of work and family, he spends his time bombing the city with graffiti messages until he and his crew become the most wanted bombers by the corrupt NYPD Vandal Squad. He even attracts major media and gallery attention for his tags. Also part of Blest’s crew are Buk 50 and his younger brother Lune, whose arrest and beating by the NYPD causes the crew to wage a full-on graffiti war against the city. As they fight with their spray cans and their tags, Blest meets a political activist, Alexandra. Soon after, Blest’s relationship with Buk 50 and the crew fragments as Blest ponders his position in life. Writer/director Adam Bhala Lough, 23, finely weaves parallel relationships between everyone in the crew. With a lustrous production design and cinematography that utilizes the backdrop of New York City with radiant color that evokes as much as the graffiti, Bomb the System is a triumphant debutRead More »

The achingly hip I LOVE YOUR WORK arrives with trappings familiar to any keen-eyed independent film fan. With a cast that includes Giovanni Ribisi (LOST IN TRANSLATION) and Franke Potente (RUN LOLA RUN), a big-star-in-a-cameo-role appearance (in this case, Vince Vaughn), and the by now obligatory roles for people you wouldn’t expect to see in such a movie (Jason Lee, Elvis Costello), Adam Goldberg’s debut feature is positively dripping in cool, and he seems to have looked up every contact in his Rolodex for I LOVE YOUR WORK–even calling on the Flaming Lips’ Steven Drozd to carve out a few songs for the soundtrack.Read More »

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader wrote:
Except for The Saga of Anatahan, this 1929 release is probably the most underrated of Josef von Sternberg’s sound pictures, and it’s underrated for the same reason: Sternberg is known almost exclusively as a visual stylist, but the most exciting thing here is the highly creative sound track. It’s Sternberg’s first talkie–a near remake of Underworld, a spiritual romance about a doomed gangster, with the same lead (George Bancroft) and Fay Wray–and although this is a minority opinion, I find it better than the original in many ways. With Richard Arlen and Tully Marshall.Read More »

An extra is called upon to play a general in a movie about the Russian Revolution. However, he is not any ordinary extra. He is Serguis Alexander, former commanding general of the Russia armies who is now being forced to relive the same scene, which he suffered professional and personal tragedy in, to satisfy the director who was once a revolutionist in Russia and was humiliated by Alexander. It can now be the time for this broken man to finally “win” his penultimate battle. This is one powerful movie with meticulous direction by Von Sternberg, providing the greatest irony in Alexander’s character in every way he can. Jannings deserved his Oscar for the role with a very moving performance playing the general at his peak and at his deepest valley. Powell lends a sinister support as the revenge minded director and Brent is perfect in her role with her face and movements showing so much expression as Jannings’ love. All around brilliance.Read More »

Quote:
This improvised film is based on the true-life suicide of TV personality Art Linkletter’s daughter, Diane. Mr. and Mrs. Linkletter fret about their daughter’s recent behavior, which includes taking drugs and dating a lowlife named Jim. Eventually, the parents confront Diane… with tragic consequences.Read More »