Okay, so I started off the year with great intentions but we all know which road that leads down. I had made a resolution to myself to try to post more frequently and regularly -- but that was before work commitments became even more demanding. We're in the home stretch of a two-year project and while we are making progress, there's still a huge amount of work to be done. I get home and am exhausted and there's still stuff to be done. And basically, once out of the office, I turn into a lazy lump and want nothing more to either watch TV (having cable after all these years is like someone on a diet being locked in a fully-stocked bakery with freshly made goods) or playing video games. Anything but having to use my brain. And on the rare occasions when I try to sit down to write something -- most times I'm not able to spew out more than five words before it all goes to mush.
Seriously, there were days when I felt I couldn't string 2 sentences together. (Obviously, today is not one of them.) I don't really get out to see too many movies; again it comes down to being lazy. I got spoiled living in NYC and being able to go during the day. And as a critic, you could pretty much expect that there would be a 6pm screening somewhere. In the real world, movies start later and that's a problem for me. I want to head out after work -- but if I go home -- well then I'm sucked into a black hole of inertia. Also, a lot of the types of films I really like -- especially foreign ones -- don't make it up here except to play "special engagements" -- that is, 3 or 4 days -- maybe a week tops -- and then they disappear and I have to wait for video. As such, I've become a proponent of VOD which my cable company provides, so I can see movies in the comfort of my home for less than what I'd pay at the theaters.
Even so, I am trying to venture back into the world of movie-going. Stupidly, I'm doing it when the work situation is reaching critical peak -- but I keep hoping that I'll be able to compartmentalize things as I did when I was younger. I put myself through grad school, working a full-time job, attending classes at night, and even doing extra stuff on weekends. It takes a lot of energy and planning -- so we'll see.
In a move that can only be called strange -- Boston has not one but two film festivals occurring simultaneously. The Boston International Film Festival (running April 17 - 26) and the Independent Film Festival Boston (running April 22 - 26). Both have interesting programs and I faced the usual dilemma that almost all film festivals create: Which movies do I see?
I opted for the Independent for a couple of reasons, mostly because it had more movies I really wanted to see. But I have to ask myself what idiot decided that it was okay to have two major festivals during the same time? This city doesn't support film in the manner that it did years ago -- it certainly doesn't in the same way that NYC does. But seriously, the idea of planning these two festivals to overlap would be akin to the Tribeca Festival moving from spring to fall to compete with the New York Film Festival. There's no need for this.
Anyway -- I doubt I'll be posting during the festival -- I'm scheduled to see 7 films -- but I WILL do a wrap-up piece during the week of April 26.
In the meantime, I've been catching up with a host of things -- a few quick reactions.
DOUBT (2008) -- How can a critic offer an opinion on a movie that is basically about making judgments? It's a slippery slope, but this adaptation of John Patrick Shanley's play is well-acted and can spark debates about a myriad of topics, least of all the central mystery of the story. I had my own doubts about Philip Seymour Hoffman in the role of the priest, but he acquited himself nicely. It's the women who dominate though, with Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and especially the magnificent Viola Davis, giving memorable performances. Rating: B+
HEAD ON (1997) -- This was one of the first movies I was assigned to review and whatever I wrote has been lost to the ether. So I revisited it to see if my memories were valid. The film attemptes to capture the psyche of a troubled teenager in Australia. Ari (the charismatic Alex Dimitriades, who I thought was destined to follow in Mel Gibson's footsteps, but who seems to have confined his subsequent work to his native land) is a second-generation Greek struggling to define himself. His solution is to ingest massive amounts of drugs, party and engage in gay sex. There's a self-destructive bent to him and the audience watches as he pursues that route. The movie isn't quite a classic, but it's pretty good. Rating: B-
RACING DAYLIGHT (2007) -- An independent feature comprised of three interconnected stories told from different characters' points of view, RACING DAYLIGHT has a intriguing premise that isn't executed well. Sadie (Melissa Leo) begins to be possessed by the spirit of a Civil War ancestor and starts to re-enact the woman's romance. Co-starring David Straithairn, Jason Downs and Sabrina Lloyd. Rating: C-
THE DUCHESS (2008) -- The true story of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire and an ancestor of Diana Spencer, THE DUCHESS attempts to find the parallels between the 18th-century figure and her 20th-century descendent. Kiera Knightley tries valiantly to infuse the character with spunk but she is out-acted by co-stars Charlotte Rampling (as her mother), Ralph Fiennes (as her much older husband), Hayley Atwell (as her romantic rival) and Dominic Cooper (as her paramour). It's high-gloss soap opera based on fact with Oscar-winning costumes. Rating: C+
MAN ON WIRE (2008) -- A fascinating documentary about Philip Petit who in 1974 mesmerized New York City and points beyond by walking a wire strung between the newly-opened World Trade Center towers. James Marsh's film is a mix of talking heads, re-enactments and archival footage and photographs and it serves a fitting tribute to the buildings that were attacked and destroyed on September 11, 2001. My first sight of those towers was only a few months after Petit had achieved his "stunt" and for over 20 years I lived in view of them. The film captures the spirit of the times and was one of the best documentaries -- hell, one of the best films -- I've seen in a long time. This is keeper. Rating: A
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year!
So it's 2009 and we're off and running. One of my resolutions is to try to be more pro-active on posting here. My work schedule has been taking a toll on me and then trying to run around and deal with the holidays not to mention the lousy New England weather. I have back problems that stem from a fall I took on ice in the winter of 2006 and with all the snow we've had it's been rotten.
The last year also took a toll on me as in an 18-month period, three close relatives and two good friends all died. It's a factor of life, but it also can seem overwhelming sometimes.
Anyway, I want to try to stay a bit more upbeat and hope that everyone will have a good year. Hopefully the new administration in Washington can work to improve the U.S. standing in the world and that our economy begins to improve -- although realistically I know it will take at least 2 years.
This year, I'm also facing a big decision as I've got about 9 months left on my commitment to this job. After that, it's the scary/wonderful prospect of moving on to something else.
The last year also took a toll on me as in an 18-month period, three close relatives and two good friends all died. It's a factor of life, but it also can seem overwhelming sometimes.
Anyway, I want to try to stay a bit more upbeat and hope that everyone will have a good year. Hopefully the new administration in Washington can work to improve the U.S. standing in the world and that our economy begins to improve -- although realistically I know it will take at least 2 years.
This year, I'm also facing a big decision as I've got about 9 months left on my commitment to this job. After that, it's the scary/wonderful prospect of moving on to something else.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Remake fever
I suppose I'm going to send a mixed message in this entry, but I do feel that there is a right way and a wrong way to proceed.
So I'm reading my email and I look at this one that comes in from Zap2It and the Hollywood news seems full of remakes, particularly of 1980s movies. Now I don't really have a problem with a few remakes -- just like I don't have a problem with some Broadway shows being revived. It can be very intriguing to see someone put a new spin on a role. Well today's edition mentions that there's a remake of Romancing the Stone in the works. Then I read further and discover that Russell Brand wants to star in a new version of Arthur. And a writer has already prepared a script for a redo of Soylent Green. Of course, there's a new Footloose starring Zac Efron. Denzel Washington is fronting a new version of The Taking of Pelham 123 (which already was remade as a TV movie). There are reports that Disney is going redo Tron not to mention the umpteen horror movies that are in the pipeline. Also, let's not forget Fame.
Ok. Occasionally a remake turns out pretty good. A classic example would be The Maltese Falcon. But with this dependency on turning hit foreign movies into English-language pictures (including The Departed which IMHO did not live up to the originals) and now this trend of turning hit movies from the 80s -- what can we look forward to? A new Back to the Future? How about another take on Star Wars?
My philosophy about film remakes is that a studio should possibly investigate remaking movies that failed artistically the first time out. But I realize that it become a question of $$$$ and a known quantity will draw a crowd. It's just depressing when new ideas are stifled because someone feels that audiences crave a new take on a movie that was successful in its initial outing.
Maybe I'm just missing something.
So I'm reading my email and I look at this one that comes in from Zap2It and the Hollywood news seems full of remakes, particularly of 1980s movies. Now I don't really have a problem with a few remakes -- just like I don't have a problem with some Broadway shows being revived. It can be very intriguing to see someone put a new spin on a role. Well today's edition mentions that there's a remake of Romancing the Stone in the works. Then I read further and discover that Russell Brand wants to star in a new version of Arthur. And a writer has already prepared a script for a redo of Soylent Green. Of course, there's a new Footloose starring Zac Efron. Denzel Washington is fronting a new version of The Taking of Pelham 123 (which already was remade as a TV movie). There are reports that Disney is going redo Tron not to mention the umpteen horror movies that are in the pipeline. Also, let's not forget Fame.
Ok. Occasionally a remake turns out pretty good. A classic example would be The Maltese Falcon. But with this dependency on turning hit foreign movies into English-language pictures (including The Departed which IMHO did not live up to the originals) and now this trend of turning hit movies from the 80s -- what can we look forward to? A new Back to the Future? How about another take on Star Wars?
My philosophy about film remakes is that a studio should possibly investigate remaking movies that failed artistically the first time out. But I realize that it become a question of $$$$ and a known quantity will draw a crowd. It's just depressing when new ideas are stifled because someone feels that audiences crave a new take on a movie that was successful in its initial outing.
Maybe I'm just missing something.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Reading? and other Musings
Do people read anymore? And if they do, in what form? That seems to be a issue getting discussed lately. The piece by Roger Ebert mentions that the Associated Press has now put a 500 word limit on all articles. I can recall a web outlet to which I contributed wanted its writers to follow a template that limited the number of words we could use, including a one-sentence plot description. Now, some of the more serious feature films cannot be summarized in one sentence, so it was always a challenge. The thought behind the AP decision is that people are so pressed for time that people don't want long essays.
What does this mean for literacy in the U.S.? We're gradually moving away from a society that reads toward one that is viewer-driven. You Tube and its competitors suck up a lot of time. I know I spend far too much time on the computer than I should. And it has taken a toll on my reading.
The last few years I was living in Manhattan, I didn't have cable television -- just had an analog set and the choices were the major networks and PBS. Consequently, I didn't watch as much TV. Now I've got cable and there are shows to which I've become addicted. "Mad Men", "Damages", "Chelsea Lately", "Ace of Cakes", to name a few. (Yes, it's an eclectic group, but then I've been that way most of my life.) I rarely watch the major networks and when I do, it's generally for pure entertainment. I really liked "Pushing Daisies" for a number of reasons: it was clever if a bit twee, but the cast more than made up for it. Anna Friel is a terrific actress and I have fond memories of an interview I did with her years ago. Lee Pace is one of the best actors working today. Don't believe me? Rent "Soldier's Girl", "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" and even "The Fall" and then tell me otherwise. Truthfully, I wasn't much of a Kristen Chenoweth fan when I saw her on Broadway (her vocal shtick was like nails on a chalkboard) but in this show, she's entertaining. Swoosie Kurtz and Ellen Greene -- both stage veterans -- are in a class of their own. And the guest actors have been stellar. It's a quirky little show that got pummelled by the writers' strike and has now been consigned to the cancellation pile. Well, maybe I can put that one hour to use in January reading.
Yes, reading. Books. I was chatting with someone recently and was asked the last book I'd read, and I realized it had been a while since I actually had FINISHED a book. The last novel was called The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer (who had written one of my all-time favorites The Confessions of Max Tivoli which in turn owed a lot to the F. Scott Fitzgerald story "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" which is one of 2008's Christmas movies. I'm surprised that no reviews I've read note that some of the liberties Eric Roth took with the short story mirror some of the things Greer did -- but then again, do film critics have time to read?)
The last non-fiction work I completed was Everything Was Possible by Ted Chapin, a behind-the-scenes story about the making of the landmark 1971 musical Follies with a book by James Goldman and a sublime score by Stephen Sondheim. In synchronicity, there were not one, but two stagings of the show here in the Boston area in the fall, so I had finished the book and then went to see the two shows. The first was at the Lyric Stage Company of Boston, a small house with a stage the size of a postage stamp. Yet, the director, Spiro Veloudos found nuances in the book and staged the show in a very intimate but enlightening manner. The cast consisted of local talent and it proved to be an enjoyable evening. About a month later, The Boston Conservatory did a full out staging of the show, recreating Michael Bennett's choreography. Because it was performed by students, the cast was enormous -- very much like the original production -- and that too proved to be a very enjoyable afternoon. (I should mention that I also saw the infamous 2001 Broadway revival which had its moments but I missed the Encores! production in 2006.)
One of my eccentricities is that I tend to start several books at a time, reading them in various places. In New York, I'd have the books I'd read during commutes on subways and busses, the ones I'd read at the laundry, the ones I'd take to a cafe, etc. Here in Cambridge, things are very different, so I find that I'm doing more reading at home than anywhere else. Still, right now I've got three or four books going at once. The novel Loving Che, the memoir The Glass Castle, and the nonfiction For the Thrill of It. I did try to read Twilight but I found that Stephenie Meyer's writing was puerile at best.
So what, if anything, do people read (beside blogs). From my own blog reading, I discovered something called the Cannonball read but I'm too much of a wuss to try to participate. Plus, my job drains me so when I do get home, I just want to relax and not be intellectually challenged. Nevertheless, as part of an early New Year's resolution, I'm going to try to read more books and to write more about movies and other things of interest.
What does this mean for literacy in the U.S.? We're gradually moving away from a society that reads toward one that is viewer-driven. You Tube and its competitors suck up a lot of time. I know I spend far too much time on the computer than I should. And it has taken a toll on my reading.
The last few years I was living in Manhattan, I didn't have cable television -- just had an analog set and the choices were the major networks and PBS. Consequently, I didn't watch as much TV. Now I've got cable and there are shows to which I've become addicted. "Mad Men", "Damages", "Chelsea Lately", "Ace of Cakes", to name a few. (Yes, it's an eclectic group, but then I've been that way most of my life.) I rarely watch the major networks and when I do, it's generally for pure entertainment. I really liked "Pushing Daisies" for a number of reasons: it was clever if a bit twee, but the cast more than made up for it. Anna Friel is a terrific actress and I have fond memories of an interview I did with her years ago. Lee Pace is one of the best actors working today. Don't believe me? Rent "Soldier's Girl", "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" and even "The Fall" and then tell me otherwise. Truthfully, I wasn't much of a Kristen Chenoweth fan when I saw her on Broadway (her vocal shtick was like nails on a chalkboard) but in this show, she's entertaining. Swoosie Kurtz and Ellen Greene -- both stage veterans -- are in a class of their own. And the guest actors have been stellar. It's a quirky little show that got pummelled by the writers' strike and has now been consigned to the cancellation pile. Well, maybe I can put that one hour to use in January reading.
Yes, reading. Books. I was chatting with someone recently and was asked the last book I'd read, and I realized it had been a while since I actually had FINISHED a book. The last novel was called The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer (who had written one of my all-time favorites The Confessions of Max Tivoli which in turn owed a lot to the F. Scott Fitzgerald story "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" which is one of 2008's Christmas movies. I'm surprised that no reviews I've read note that some of the liberties Eric Roth took with the short story mirror some of the things Greer did -- but then again, do film critics have time to read?)
The last non-fiction work I completed was Everything Was Possible by Ted Chapin, a behind-the-scenes story about the making of the landmark 1971 musical Follies with a book by James Goldman and a sublime score by Stephen Sondheim. In synchronicity, there were not one, but two stagings of the show here in the Boston area in the fall, so I had finished the book and then went to see the two shows. The first was at the Lyric Stage Company of Boston, a small house with a stage the size of a postage stamp. Yet, the director, Spiro Veloudos found nuances in the book and staged the show in a very intimate but enlightening manner. The cast consisted of local talent and it proved to be an enjoyable evening. About a month later, The Boston Conservatory did a full out staging of the show, recreating Michael Bennett's choreography. Because it was performed by students, the cast was enormous -- very much like the original production -- and that too proved to be a very enjoyable afternoon. (I should mention that I also saw the infamous 2001 Broadway revival which had its moments but I missed the Encores! production in 2006.)
One of my eccentricities is that I tend to start several books at a time, reading them in various places. In New York, I'd have the books I'd read during commutes on subways and busses, the ones I'd read at the laundry, the ones I'd take to a cafe, etc. Here in Cambridge, things are very different, so I find that I'm doing more reading at home than anywhere else. Still, right now I've got three or four books going at once. The novel Loving Che, the memoir The Glass Castle, and the nonfiction For the Thrill of It. I did try to read Twilight but I found that Stephenie Meyer's writing was puerile at best.
So what, if anything, do people read (beside blogs). From my own blog reading, I discovered something called the Cannonball read but I'm too much of a wuss to try to participate. Plus, my job drains me so when I do get home, I just want to relax and not be intellectually challenged. Nevertheless, as part of an early New Year's resolution, I'm going to try to read more books and to write more about movies and other things of interest.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
New Neighborhood
In the past year or so, I've been trying to operate a blog of sorts through my webpage (www.murphysmoviereviews.net) but have encountered several problems with Yahoo and its options. Hence the relocation to this spot.
I'm hoping to use this blog to offer my views, mostly on arts-related things, but knowing me, it will occasionally drift off to other topics ranging.
A bit about me: for more than a decade, I worked as a film critic and entertainment writer in New York, first for a web-based company and later operating my own website. The company I worked for was sold to a larger one that was headquartered in California, so most of us got laid off. After years of struggling as a freelancer, I got an offer for a pretty good full-time job -- in Boston! Had to give it some thought, but I did move. The biggest frustration I find here is that the films I really enjoy -- foreign movies, documentaries, independent cinema -- don't really stay around here for very long. That is, IF they even get released here. Thank goodness for DVDs and ON DEMAND. So I'm able to keep that way, although there's a lag between when a movie gets released and when I get to see it.
Since there's something of a crisis now in the industry of film criticism -- more and more people are being laid off from print publications with some turning to the Internet and others just fading away. For an interesting take on that phenomenon, check out what Roger Ebert had to say (on his own blog!). Thanks to Jeffrey Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere for calling attention to it. Wells is someone I read rather frequently -- even though I don't always agree with him. But through his site, I've found some terrific writers. Over the course of time, I hope to build up a lot of links.
More to come in the near future. For now, hope all of the American readers had a very Happy Thanksgiving. And please send good thoughts to the families of those involved in the horrific bombings in Mumbai.
I'm hoping to use this blog to offer my views, mostly on arts-related things, but knowing me, it will occasionally drift off to other topics ranging.
A bit about me: for more than a decade, I worked as a film critic and entertainment writer in New York, first for a web-based company and later operating my own website. The company I worked for was sold to a larger one that was headquartered in California, so most of us got laid off. After years of struggling as a freelancer, I got an offer for a pretty good full-time job -- in Boston! Had to give it some thought, but I did move. The biggest frustration I find here is that the films I really enjoy -- foreign movies, documentaries, independent cinema -- don't really stay around here for very long. That is, IF they even get released here. Thank goodness for DVDs and ON DEMAND. So I'm able to keep that way, although there's a lag between when a movie gets released and when I get to see it.
Since there's something of a crisis now in the industry of film criticism -- more and more people are being laid off from print publications with some turning to the Internet and others just fading away. For an interesting take on that phenomenon, check out what Roger Ebert had to say (on his own blog!). Thanks to Jeffrey Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere for calling attention to it. Wells is someone I read rather frequently -- even though I don't always agree with him. But through his site, I've found some terrific writers. Over the course of time, I hope to build up a lot of links.
More to come in the near future. For now, hope all of the American readers had a very Happy Thanksgiving. And please send good thoughts to the families of those involved in the horrific bombings in Mumbai.
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