Steve McQueen set the film world on fire with HUNGER (2008) five years ago. His debut film pinpointed to a director that not only knew how to fill a frame but took the time to familiarize himself with the in and out’s of his topic at hand. I mean, his first film was a reconstruction of a 90 second videotape left from the Hunger strike and riot that occurred in 1981 in Ireland, holy moly! Its a film about politics in every way. Its about the politics regarding the IRA and British Government struggle. Its about body politics; how the human body has been used as a political statement. And lastly it is about the statement itself, the political statement, the power that comes through it.

Like Hunger, Shame (2011) has all the seriousness one can possibly expect from a McQueen film. Shame had notes of Hunger. There is still an analysis on the body and its treatment. Just as Hunger had its constant reminder shots of the topic at hand so does Shame. Both films frequently had tight frames fixated on body parts. Hunger fixated on broken flesh, protruding bones or hands, especially the hands…hands, hands, hands. Each shot was filled with how the human body became a political statement. His focus on hands in Hunger points to the power of the political statement. He shot them making political demands. We see them writing letters to pass along to those outside prison to using their hands to defy on walls using their shit, we even see the bloody hands of the guards. Shame also focused on the body but this time the camera was aimed at the face (other parts as well, of course, but I’ll leave that up to you to discover) for example the first scene is an observation on the power of the penetrative stare. Tough stuff.

Both films have very hard pills-to-swallow for topics: one is about the struggle of prisoners of war while the other deals with the crisis of deviant sexual behavior. Hard topics aren’t often found in theatres so it is so refreshing to see a direction that doesn’t pick subject matter that cater to the crowds. So it was a nice surprise to see a full house last night.

In regards to style the films followed a cinematography of detail. Frames were full of detail relating to the topics. Each had great montages: in Hunger the scene of “the fucking Bastard” comes to mind, where prisoners start destroying their cells after been given civilian cloths in a taunting manner; in Shame, its the removal of the porn. They also each had long takes of the central character, allowing the audience to really see them as they were. Style.

One has to ask, does two films alone make the stamp for Auteurship? I would probably make the safe bet and say, yes. He has delivered films that keep a style and a narrative that has been, lately, only been touched by McQueen. McQueen indicated in 2008 that he was a filmmaker to watch. His films aren’t something you take a first date to, no; but they are films that with every revisit their meaning sets another tone to your perspective on life. Make sure to check out Shame as it comes out today.

Here’s how it works!

Our staff and our readers were asked to send me a list of their 25 favorite TV Shows of All-Time. 59 ballots were received, and the shows were ranked on a point system allowing 25 points for a #1 choice, 24 for a #2, and all the way down to 1 point for #25. The points were added up, and what follows are the selections.

Tiebreakers work like such: If two shows have equal pointage (and neither got a number 1 vote), I went with whichever ranked highest on the individual lists. An show that was someone’s #4 beats another person’s #6, for example. If they were still tied, then whichever had more votes ranks higher. And then if they still were tied I just picked one so shut up.

We will be posting 10 shows a day for the entire week, culminating in the top 10 being revealed on Friday.

The countdown begins now!

50. Extras (2005-2007) - 91 points
(8 of 59 lists. Highest ranking #7 – Mally)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extras

Watching Andy Milman’s ego slowly destroy him is a hard thing to watch, and while it’s painfully funny, it’s still very painful. It’s when Gervais and Merchant offer the smallest bit of redemption for these characters that we cling to it like an oxygen mask of humanity. The series finale of Extras is one of the finest pieces of television I have ever witnessed, and I dare anyone to not be utterly destroyed by Andy’s monologue towards the end of the show. One thing I love about Extras is the stuff with Darren Lamb, letting Gervais and Merchant just play off each other, giving us something of a break from Andy’s tragic comedy. Submitted for your approval:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfNISfcJuYo

-James

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Louis C.K. – Comedian, writer, director, actor – has suddenly become one of the greatest artists working today. It’s not like this came out of nowhere – his stand-up material has been consistently brilliant, and he had a short lived sitcom on HBO (Lucky Louie) along with various other projects here and there. But recently, due to his continued success in stand-up (his special ‘Hilarious‘ was the first stand-up special accepted into Sundance) and his new, critically acclaimed TV show Louie he has suddenly found himself as one of the most successful and well-respected comedians of all time.

The second season of his show recently wrapped, and in wanting to talk about the show, I decided to forgo the usual article format we do here and instead have a sort of ‘discussion’ with another fan of the show and good friend of mine. We talked about what each episode meant, to us and in general, and gave each one a rating out of ten because I like to rate things with numbers. Here we go!

Episode 1: “Pregnant”

Alan: The second season opens with what is essentially the core of Louie. Putting his daughter to bed, Louie has to listen to her basically say she likes mom’s place better than dad’s. He listens to her talk about how much better mom is and with the innocence of a child doesn’t realize how it affects him. As she leaves, he gives her the finger.

Ife: She flat-out says that she loves her Mom more. Louie just carries on and the best part is that he doesn’t change his tone of voice or even his facial expression when he flips her off. It’s like he’s heard that more than once before. Even calling her baby. It seems to summarize their relationship. After all, in his stand-up he’s called her everything from a “bullshitter” to a “mistake” despite loving her. “I know how to look after you! You’re not dead yet!”

Alan: It’s the heart of their relationship. His stand-up has always been about how he loves his children despite knowing that his life would be better without them. It’s an honesty that I think few parents acknowledge or even understand. And it sets up the rest of the episode as well, especially the ‘mango pop’ exchange. The feeling of helplessness he feels throughout the episode, whether with trying to pass some true knowledge on to his kid, or to help his pregnant sister in pain, or to thank the neighbors, it all comes out.

Ife: You hit the nail on the head there. He seems to find solace in complaining about things because he’s essentially helpless. Look at the themes throughout the season they all have to do with control or fate in a way.. It’s always “what’s going to happen to Louie now?”, never “What will Louie do this week”. He’s a passive participant who seems to just find himself in situations he has very little power in.

Alan: Exactly. Even when he attempts to do something he is at the mercy of the situation around him. When his sister starts having pains in the middle of the night, and knowing what he knows (that she’s had a miscarriage before) he doesn’t know what to do until the neighbours knock on the door. And even then, they have to talk him down and convince him that the right thing to do, is to trust the strangers he just met and help his sister get to the hospital. Which leads to possibly the greatest fart joke I’ve seen in a long time. Was it a little crass? Sure.

Ife: It was just crass enough. I think CK loves to be isolated. He has a way of dealing with problems on his own. This is why anytime he actually has a meaningful conversation, even when it’s with someone who is mostly irrelevant, he learns all these new things about life. He loves to be isolated but when a situation happens when he must seek help he’s so useless. I liked this episode a lot because it show that with all the self-loathing he has, he has a sense of foolish pride. Indignation. He gets humbled here.

Alan: Definitely. And he acknowledges that in what was one of my favorite scenes of the entire season. The moment he says ‘I didn’t even know you were there.’ Is so true to life. We don’t know a thing about the people around us, until we need to. For all the self-loathing Louie’s onstage persona gives himself, calling him a shitty actor, he nails this scene.

Ife: This was a great way to start the season, particularly for anyone not familiar with his style or humor. I’d give the episode a well deserved 6 bouts of searing gas-pain out of 10

Alan: I’d give it a solid 7/10, mostly for the neighbors and the stuff with his kids.

Here’s how it works!

Our staff and our readers were asked to send me a list of their 25 favorite Horror Films of all time. 15 ballots were received, and the movies were ranked on a point system allowing 25 points for a #1 choice, 24 for a #2, and all the way down to 1 point for #25. The points were added up, and what follows are the selections.

Tiebreakers work like such: If two movies have equal pointage (and neither got a number 1 vote), the movie that appeared on the most lists ranks higher. If those characters appeared on the same amount of lists, I went with whatever ranked highest on the individual list. A character that was someone’s #4 beats another person’s #6, for example. And then if they still were tied I just picked one so shut up.

The countdown happened on our official facebook page, and here are the finished results!

“The girls will wake up…when they are hungry.”

50. House – (1977) - 25 points 
(2 of 15 lists. Highest ranking #7 – B)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_(1977_film)

House is a 1977 Japanese horror film directed and produced by Nobuhiko Obayashi. The film stars mostly non professional actors with only Kimiko Ikegami and Yōko Minamida having any notable previous acting experience. The film is about a schoolgirl traveling with her six classmates to her ailing aunt’s country home, where they come face to face with supernatural events as the girls are, one by one, devoured by the home.

The film company Toho approached Obayashi with the suggestion to make a film like Jaws. Influenced by ideas from his daughter Chigumi, Obayashi developed ideas for a script that was written by Chiho Katsura. After the script was green-lit, the film was put on hold for two years as no director at Toho wanted to direct House. Obayashi promoted the film during this time period until he was given the right to direct it from the studio. The film was a box office hit in Japan but received negative reviews from critics. House received a wide release in 2009 and 2010 in North America where it received more favorable reviews.

The Top 50 Horror Films of All Time

If you’d like to participate, e-mail me at alangator@gmail.com listing your personal top 25 horror films. I’ll compile all the lists and make a ‘consensus’ for the top 50 films of the decade.

This is a project we’ve done before (top films of the 2000s and top films of the 90s) and it usually turns out pretty interesting. It works best the more people who contribute, so DO IT!

For those curious, the way it works is this:

If you list a film at #1, it gets 25 points.
If you list a film at #2, it gets 24 points.
.
.
.
If you list a film at #25 it gets one point.

The completed list will be posted on http://thespotlessminds.wordpress.com/ For a full week, revealing ten films every day from Monday to Friday. So get picking, and get submitting!

I watch a fair amount of movies. I do my best to make it to the theatre when I can, if there’s something I am truly interested in seeing, but for the most part I watch more movies at home than elsewhere. I have accumulated a pretty decent collection of films on DVD (fuck Blu-ray) and while it’s gotten considerably smaller the past few years there are a large portion of DVDs I will NEVER part with. Most of them are simply my favorite movies, and therefore I always want the option to watch them at anytime I may feel in the mood.

However, there are a LARGE amount of films I love that I just cannot watch that often. Either due to the crippling emotional toll it may take on me (I’m looking at you, Requiem for a Dream) or the length of the film, or the personal decision to only watch them once every year at most. That said, there are some movies I can watch anytime, and some that I’ve been known to watch at least once a month. I’ve selected my top ten favorites, and encourage you to comment with some of your favorites as well.

10. I Love You, Man

From 2009, this will be the most recent entry on this list but it’s quickly been added to the ‘watch anytime’ repertoire. I think both Paul Rudd and Jason Segel are two of the funniest actors working right now, and putting them together in this pairing really pays off. Honestly, the movie would be awful if not for their banter and chemistry (the secondary characters are all pretty weak, actually). But it’s worth the watch just to see Rudd make ridiculous made-up ‘broisms’ (I hate myself for writing that) while talking to Segel’s character and the subsequent reaction to that. It’s been two years since release but I must have watched it 6-7 times already.

My Favorite Films of 2010

“The only person standing in your way is you.“

10. Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky’s follow up to his wonderful film The Wrestler shares similar themes to its predecessor. A main character who goes to great lengths to hone their craft and fuel their obsession, although in this case it’s filled with more metaphor and psychological disintegration than before. I was really moved by Natalie Portman’s performance – especially during her phone call to her mom about getting the role – and it was pretty fascinating to watch her simultaneous downfall and triumph.

Summertime is blockbuster season. A time when matinées start appearing throughout the week and the popcorn machine acquires its annual greasing. Although the Southern Albertan weather may not be conspiring with the times, my anticipation for summertime has only gained momentum with the release of the following trailers.

The Tree of Life has been gaining some much buzz in Cannes that it inspired a quick google search for the trailer.

Canadian Release date: June 17th, 2011

From the 2:14 minutes of the trailer, Terrance Malick’s Tree of Life, promises to be a film with big, personal themes. Themes of the Cosmos, family, war, coming-of-age, religion, childhood struggles and hopefully Aliens (kid) all come into fruition and the film is suppose to last 138 minutes! From the literature that’s been written about this film (so far) it seems to be a thousand piece puzzle. Where the viewer gets to piece the film back together long after it has been viewed (or while viewing multiple times). The release date cannot come soon enough and it would be sacrilegious of me to cheat, wouldn’t it?

An ode to Jenni Miller (x2):

Canadian Release date: June 24th, 2011

Beginners, seems to meddle with the same themes of the trailer above but with the crafty editing of the trailer it seems to promise a more linear story. A story about finding out who you are late in life, or mid-way, seems to be central to the piece. Plus there’s a cute dog with a shade of humor in it. The trailer might inspire me to search for Thumbsucker (this is a Mike Mills story, ahem, film after all) next time I visit a pawn shop or a dying video rental store.

Canadian Release date: September 30th, 2011

Two adorable leading men. A dark comedy. A possible love story? And a soundtrack inspired by the semblance of Garden State (so, indie). This trailer promises to be a treat for the summertime blues.

He set twitter and the media on fire when he uttered those hideous Nazi statements at Cannes. But Kirsten Dunst’s reaction and forthcoming jokes have gotten me to watch the trailer.

Canadian Release date: unknown

Lars Von Trier never promises an enjoyable viewing experience, unless you enjoy experimental film execution, perhaps the theater (you know, plays) and depressing stories. Like Beginners and Tree of Life – once again the trailer points to the cosmos and brings forth the tales of familial human life. There is a hush about this film, blew some people’s minds, so naturally it made its way onto my radar.

Now for a dose of reality.

Canadian Release date: unknown

Perhaps this film will never make its way to Canada. Making its way to Cannes was a big feat for cinema and perhaps, even, human kind. Jafar Panahi, a man condemned by Iran for making remarkable films, has created a film that explores the concept of truth. Not a trailer but a clip from a scene of his life. Enough to inspire thoughts on why films like Offside are so important and to recall the love of film.

The Top 10 Films of the Year

“Facts can be so misleading, but rumors, true or false, are often revealing.“

10. Inglourious Basterds

This is perhaps the longest movie I’ve watched that didn’t feel long at all. Due to the long, tense filled scenes littered throughout the movie I didn’t even realize how long each of those scenes were. It was a pretty amazing feat, now that I think about it, and really drew me into the movie. That said, there were some very strong performances here as well (including the now infamous Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa) and a really interesting look at an alternate history world war 2. It should be noted Eli Roth prevented me from rating this one higher.

A producer of over 60 titles and 25 years of being in the cinematic game, Christine Vachon delivered a provocatively progressive speech or a heaping pile of Donkey discard (it all depends on who you talk too) at the State of Cinema address during the San Francisco International Film Festival on April 24th. She’s been at the forefront of independent cinema by taking risks. She’s been putting hard-hitting titles under her belt, including one of my favorites, Hedwig and the Angry Inch throughout her career. She’s also been on the cutting edge of cinema with her own production company Killer Films. Continues to be committed to emotionally demanding and impossible projects within the industry, such as Mildred Pierce, which aired on HBO recently. So how is it that Vachon spurred such controversy at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas and online?

Antiquity is always admired. (Not the Sundance Kabuki Cinema but the Castro).

Vachon addressed the audience on Easter Sunday with crude honesty. She delivered the ugly truth of cinema’s undeniable change, especially when it comes to independent cinema. She stated that independent or not cinema’s consumption is changing. The film world (established independent filmmakers, critics and distributors) must not just sit and watch it happen in theaters. “The state of cinema is not necessarily in theaters” she stated during her speech. “What’s happening now is we have to be: budget agnostic, format agnostic, content agnostic and platform agnostic and that’s really exciting” she stated as [I can only assume] started the shudder among the audience full of independent filmmakers and watchers.

Vachon championed filmmakers moving to the medium of television while raising eyebrows to her HBO payroll. Commented on how contracts are now incorporating tweeting and facebook updates as part of productions job when promoting certain films. Mentioned that the internet can help in pioneering relationships between filmmakers and their audience members. But what critics (both in film and towards this year’s State of Cinema address) can only fixate was the lack of address of increasing theater seats. What everyone missed is that she is starting the conversation on how the internet can work with filmmakers instead of against. Right now we are currently breaching on what the internet can do for independent filmmakers. Distributorship is just beginning to see the light in the internet venture (with youtube finally introducing a movie monthly-stipend channel). Not to mention the growing markets for Netflix, mubi.com and hopefully, one day Hulu (who has “stolen” Criterion titles from Netflix).

As much as most of us want to fight it the internet is becoming an organic process. The experience of watching cinema within cinema will never truly die but it is drastically changing. How many of us are buying Data Projectors? Perhaps the backlash of Vachon’s speech was a mourn for the social aspect that the theater experience provides us. But the social is now moved onto a platform called twitter and it has everything to do with the internet.