We do it #ForTheCultrs
Lights! Camera! Action! Get the popcorn ready ‘cos the film is about to start.
Film, movies, motion pictures, cinema—whatever word you use, the context leads back to a form of visual art that conveys consciousness, stories, and emotions using moving images.
So these articles cover everything from random Batman movie scenes to The Thing.
“YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I’VE HAD TO SACRIFICE?!” hits different during a pandemic. So many great quotes and chaos from Willem Dafoe.
Spidey villain related: Venom, the symbiotic supervillain – good or evil? and The Most Evil Carnage Moments In Comic Book History
Happy Jamaican Independence Day!
For gal-dem, Pacheanne Anderson compiled a list of filmmakers, artists, and photographers showcasing life in Jamaica from the Blue Mountains to the troubled streets:
There are of course many artists belonging to the Caribbean diaspora working and living in the US and UK such as Karen Mc Lean, Terrell Villiers and RIP Germain (all of whom are worth a mention in this arena). However, here, we are focusing on artists living and working on the island. Artists who take a close look into Jamaican lifestyle in all its facets, from the spirituality found within the bushes high up in the mountains, to the political and economic turmoil present in the depths of parts of its most celebrated towns like Kingston.
There’s some amazing work on the list so go check out the article on gal-dem. And Jamdown forever!
Defunctland gave a detailed account of Captain EO from idea to execution to eventual shutdown. Like with many Disney things, it was over budget at a time when they couldn’t really afford it (it all cost $23.7m to produce, before inflation—$1.7m per minute of the film), too many people were involved, and it didn’t meet the expectations of some critics. And watch out for more signature Michael Eisner jibes. But hey, Michael Jackson was good!
CNXToonami did a side by side comparison of Jurassic Park in 4K Blu-ray vs 35mm film. It’s a bit cliché to prefer the old to the new by default (like vinyl vs digital) but the 35mm version looks really good here in comparison. In another referenced clip in 35mm, you also get to see the CGI dinosaurs and they look more realistic in this style.
Not all films look good in 35mm and, of course, they’re not made for it either but this is an example of good quality in an older format. I’d be intrigued to see how Jurassic World: Dominion would look, although we might end up with an 8K version by then.
This trailer for Venom: Let There Be Carnage dropped in May and while I’ve already watched it, I’m just getting around to posting it here because I got busy I guess. That said, watching it a second time has improved my opinion. I didn’t enjoy the first Venom movie all that much but I love Venom and Carnage so I’ll take any excuse to watch them in a film together.
Tom Hardy reprises his role as Eddie Brock/Venom alongside Woody Harrelson (Cletus Kasady/Carnage), Michelle Williams as Anne Weying, Stephen Graham as Detective Mulligan, Naomie Harris as Shriek, and Peggy Lu returns as Mrs. Chen.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage is scheduled for release in the UK on 15th September, and then in the US on 24th September.
I’ve not watched Space Jam 2 yet (tomorrow night) but the signs are not good. So I’ve collected a list of reviews that I’ve not read but the varying titles intrigued me.
And an extra special mention to Dom Griffin who did a video review you should watch (I’ll view it after I’ve seen the movie).
I’ll add more to the list as and when.
The dude who shouts “MORTAL KOMBAT!” in the movie and video game advert, Kyle Wyatt, spoke to Slate about how it all came about and how it affected his life. But if you were thinking it catapulted him to stardom in some way, you’d be mistaken:
So had you played Mortal Kombat at the point that you were recording the commercial? Did you have any idea what the commercial was for?
Had no idea, bro.
So they didn’t even tell you why they wanted you to specifically yell the words Mortal Kombat?
Oh, no, no, no, man. It was a gig. I was able to pay my rent that month.
Deep down, isn’t everything just a gig or a moment in our lives?
I’ve not watched many new films (and I can’t remember which ones they are off the top of my head). But the folks at Spectrum Culture have and they compiled a list of their best so far. While I’ve not seen any on their list, I know a few of them because Dom Griffin reviewed them on this YouTube channel (go subscribe).
Update: The Ringer also compiled a list involving a lot of Black movies which is cool.
There is/was(?) something so intriguing about DDL’s acting, allowing for some very funny parodies. This one imagines Daniel Day-Lewis as a frustrating roommate, involving his portrayals of:
Goddamn it, Daniel Day-Lewis.
We stayed wide for this entire scene so we could avoid drawing too much of the audience’s attention to Daniel’s lifeless embodiment of his character.
And if you want to read a serious review of the movie, check out Cultrface fave Dom Griffin’s for Baltimore Beat.
More on DDL: Another funny video about Daniel Day-Lewis’s acting, and the origin of the milkshake line in ‘There Will Be Blood’
This is classic Prince and I love it.
Julia Stiles: After The Bourne Ultimatum came out, there was a premiere in London. Prince actually came to it, then got tickets for the cast to come see him [perform]. We were summoned into a room to meet him [after the show]. Matt said, “So you live in Minnesota? I hear you live in Minnesota.”
Damon: Prince said, “I live inside my own heart, Matt Damon.”
I’d like to take a moment to praise the title of the piece I quoted:
Prince Had No Time for Matt Damon’s Pedestrian Small Talk
And that, my friends, is why I don’t do small talk.
(via bnq.tumblr.com via Vanity Fair)
I didn’t know if this was a conscious effort or a happy coincidence but there were more Black films (or films with Black people in major roles) than I expected in The Criterion Collection’s upcoming line-up. They include:
If you can find other means of watching or buying them, do that.
The UK film industry rarely commissions Black stories because they do not believe that our stories have an audience, and I find that astonishing. Black people are the drivers of culture, and we deserve to be represented. The only stories they seem to commission are the ones about gang violence to further perpetuate the falsehood that is Black on Black crime.
It is crucial that we explore alternative narratives to represent the multitude of nuanced Black experiences in our society. Being a womxn is one thing, being Black and British is another. My queerness adds another dimension to my identity. I am not Black before I am queer, I am not queer before I am Black, I am a queer Black British womxn.
(via Pink News)
Congratulations to Katori Hall for winning the award for her comedy “The Hot Wing King”.
Darnella Frazier also received Special Citation for her filming of George Floyd’s murder which feels weird to comprehend and Mikki Kendall hit the nail on the head in this piece for CNN:
This year, the Pulitzer Board’s announcement that Darnella Frazier — the teenager who filmed the killing of George Floyd — had won a special citation feels like a big moment, but not necessarily a celebratory one.
Floyd’s death is not something to celebrate, obviously, and despite the narrative of martyrdom and so-called sacrifice assigned to him posthumously, the horrifying truth is that he was murdered in front of a community. He did not choose to give up his life to change anything, and sadly in many ways, his death at the hands of police was just one part of the story.
(via Variety)
Tim Curry is an icon but I had no idea of the breadth of his voice acting. The Wild Thornberrys and FernGully I knew, but not Star Wars: The Clone Wars, TaleSpin, Tiny Toon Adventures, or Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? (amongst others).
Voice actor related: Phil LaMarr on his most iconic voices and Jim Cummings telling stories behind 4 fan-favorite characters he’s voiced