2014 Summer/Fall Season

Don't forget to purchase your passes for the upcoming season. And remember, you now purchase your passes at the box office.

July 13 - 20 Feet From Stardom

July 27 - Wadjda

August 10 - Frances Ha

August 24 - Girl on a Bicycle

September 7 - The Book Thief

September 21 - Instructions Not Included

October 5 - Barbara

October 19 - Gloria

November 9 - Of Time and the City

November 23 - Unfinished Song

It's going to be a really interesting season. These are mostly films that have never been shown in North County. Invite your friends to come along.

Last week's film "Starbuck" provided for some excellent discussion. Someone in the audience asked if this story was based on fact. I'm not sure if the filmmaker had researched the history into this phenomenon. But yes, there are several cases of multiple children from sperm donors. There is actually a documentary about just such a happening. You might want to check it out. It's available from Netflix.

 Or just check out this link:

Jeffrey harrison


Critic's Corner

Gail Brown has been busy going to lots of movies. She has so many reviews we'd like to share - but we'll have to pick and choose so as not to overwhelm.

Cast:  Jon Favreau, Robert Downey, Jr. (almost a cameo), Sofia Vergara, Dustin Hoffman (almost a cameo), Scarlett Johansson

Synopsis: A chef who loses his restaurant job starts up a food truck in an effort to reclaim his creative promise, while piecing back together his estranged family

Critics Weigh In:
When a film doesn't have any form of engaging conflict, it’s difficult to like it. Chef is your straightforward, feel good, everything works out in the end project that reeks of passion project.

Pretty simply, Chef has all the strengths of mainstream Hollywood comedies and all the strengths of indie films, without the weaknesses of either. The plot has continual forward momentum without any art-house slack, but nothing that happens is a contrivance, and all the key performances are wonderfully naturalistic.

Favreau's a big man who knows how to wield a chef's knife and shoots the food truck scenes with a hectic good nature that's infectious. There's no message beyond the obvious -- a good sandwich can solve a lot of problems

As for me…

*Did not see this as a 2 hour production.. 1 ½ hrs maybe more like it
*Everyone with me loved it and gave it a 10..for me it was maybe a 7.5 ish as an overall film
*Enjoyable, sweet, predictable…some good family messages about children and parents
*I gained five lbs just watching this film!  It could bring back the cheese sandwich!

If you're a gourmet cook, love to ‘look’ at food and watch it being prepared…you will like this movie.

*Jon Favreau has a lot of friends in Hollywood that like him a lot—that is probably why the cast signed on for this movie (especially RDJr and Scarlett J)

12 of us attended and gave it a 7 through a 10.

Casting and acting from the actors who played the Four Seasons were excellent.

Movie was 2 hours 14 min…dragged a few times but enjoyable and worth seeing since it is a true story with aspects that we did not know.

Anyone who is thinking about stardom should see the downside of it all by watching this movie…the pressures, challenges, jealousies, family issues, money problems….not all it’s cracked up to be.

Critics are mixed as usual.  If you like their music, it’s a walk down memory lane.


Hope to see you all on July 13th for 20 Feet from Stardom.

Next Film, Etc.

Be sure to make it to the Digiplex this Sunday, April 27 for the film, Much Ado About Nothing - a modern retelling of Shakespeare's classic comedy about two pairs of lovers with different takes on romance and a way with words. The film starts at 3:00. Hope to see you there.

John Anderson's questions regarding this film:
1.  Does keeping the film to a limited setting enhance the impact of the play?
2. To what effect does shooting in black and white have in interpreting the text.
3.  What interpretations of Shakespeare in non-Elizabethan settings have worked the best?


Local Film News

(After finishing this post, I found out the Ken Cinema will not be closing. The parties involved in the negotiations have come to an agreement and the Ken will remain open. Yay!!)

Sad news for film buffs. It looks as if the Ken Cinema in San Diego will be closing. This is one of the few single screen movie theaters left in our area (the La Paloma is still alive).  If you want to read about the confusing negotiations regarding this old treasure, click here:
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2014/apr/15/ken-cinema-closing/ 

One of the 10 best theaters according to Forbes

But, not to worry, here's a list of the 10 best movie theaters in the U.S. (in case you're traveling around and want to take in a film):

http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestravelguide/2012/07/06/10-movie-theaters-worth-traveling-for/

Book Nook

This is a fun book in case you're thinking of becoming a filmmaker. You can save your tuition and just spend $15.00 for this book which will guide you with lots of helpful information. Author Landau only devotes 1 page to Filmspeak - a list of movie terms. This list could have been expanded to a few more pages, if you ask me. When I look at the titles after a film, there are always lots of terms that completely baffle me.

Here are some helpful hints that I thought seemed interesting:
A flawed protagonist is more compelling than a perfect protagonist.
1 screenplay page = 1 minute of screen time
A high concept movie can be explained in one sentence
Plot is physical events; story is emotional events
Etc. etc. You'll have to buy the book to find out more.
The only thing the book doesn't tell you is the most important part of filmmaking. Where to get the money to make your film. I guess they don't teach that in film school.




In Memoriam

We lost one of our most brilliant authors this month - The Nobel Prize winnr, Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

I'm including him in this film blog because one of my favorite books of his, Love in the Time of Cholera was made into a movie. So he belongs here, don't your think?

  
If you haven't seen it, here's a trailer FYI:

Much Ado About Voting

Now's your chance to vote for the next slate of nominated films:

Choose 8 from each category, then email your choices to ncfilmclub@gmail.com. The deadline for votes is April 20th:

Comedies

Damsels in Distress

Frances Ha

Garibaldi's Loves

Girl on a Bicycle

Gloria

Instructions Not Included

In the House

It's a Disaster

Last Call

Living is Easy with Eyes Closed

LongWave

Safety Not Guaranteed

The Spectacular Now

The Trip

Unfinished Song

The Way, Way Back

Dramas

A Hijacking

All is Lost

Barbara

The Book Thief

The Broken Circle Breakdown

Child's Pose

Enemy

The Good Road

Her

Imperial Dreams

Inside Llewyn Davis

The Invisible woman

The Jewish Cardinal

Le Capital

Nebraska

Neighboring Sounds

The Past

Prisoners

Renoir

The Secret Life of Bees

Short Term

Still Mine

Sunlight

Wadja

Walking with the Enemy

Documentaries

20 Feet from Stardom

The Act of Killing

Coexist Comedy Tour

Cutie and the Boxer

Finding Vivian Maier

The Queen of Versailles

Rich Hill

Room 237

The Square

Stories We Tell

Tim's Vermeer

Of Time and the City

Our Next Film

There will be no film this Sunday because of Easter. But the next Sunday is Much Ado About Nothing - a modern retelling of Shakespeare's classic comedy about two pairs of lovers with different takes on romance and a way with words. See it on Sunday, April 27, 3:00, Digiplex Oceanside.

Mark your calendars for the upcoming L.A. Film Festival. They don't have a schedule ready yet, but I'll try to keep you posted.



A friend sent me this fun link. See how many quotes you recognize:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/594Oxq4c0XA?feature=player_embedded





In Memoriam

We lost one of Hollywood's great legends last week, Mickey Rooney. I'll remember him best as Andy Hardy. I loved those old films starring him and Judy Garland. "Hey kids, let's put on a show". And he did put on shows - for over 90 years.

Get Your Votes In

Now is the time to vote for your favorite films. Please revisit Jim Hamilton's email of 3/28 to see the list of nominated films and view the trailers (if available).  Email your votes to ncfilmclub.com by April 6. You may vote for 10 films from each category - drama, comedy and documentary.





Our Next Film:

Akiko, a Tokyo student moonlighting as a call girl is sent to a new client. She's surprised to find a  shy and elderly Takashi. He's a committed academic who is constantly distracted by work-related phone calls and more interested in playing house than having sex. When encountering Akiko's volatile boyfriend, Noriaki, Takashi plays into Noriaki's assumption that he is actually Akiko's grandfather. The three settle into their new roles and Takashi becomes the protector that Akiko so desperately needs.

Here are some questions from John Anderson to think about before viewing the film on Sunday.

1.  Why does the director avoid placing vital information in a number of shots, using long takes and avoiding parallel editing?

2.  Do the characters conform to the archetypes that you would expect their characters to represent?

3.  What is the significance of the painting of the Woman and the Parrot? 


Book Nook

I just purchased a used copy of this book at our local library bookstore (The Bottom Shelf in Fallbrook). I thought it would be interesting to read again. I know I read it when it first came out. Didn't everyone? I remember that it caused quite a stir because it was so controversial. It seems tame compared to what you can find on the internet now.

You'll find info on:
Lana Turner's suspected murder of Johnny Stompanato (did her daughter really do it?)
Charlie Chaplin's marriage to a 16 year-old and the nightmare divorce
that followed.
Rudolph Valentino's early death at 31 and the commotion that followed
and lots of Hollywood murders.
My favorite part of the book is a photo of Mae West's room designed by Salvador Dali:

 

Can you imagine sitting here? 

If you want to review some of these old Hollywood scandals, lots of used copies of this book are available on Amazon.

BTW the author of the book, Kenneth Anger, is a filmmaker, having produced over 40 films which  have been described as containing "elements of erotica, documentary, psychodrama, and spectacle".

See you Sunday at the Digiplex, Oceanside. Don't forget to vote.







 

Nominations Please

Now is your chance to nominate your favorite films for consideration for next season.  If there are particular films you would like to see as a part of the Film Club's Summer Season simply list the films you wish to see and email your choices to ncfilmclub@gmail.com

The last day to nominate a film for the Summer 2014 season is Sunday, March 23.


Our Next Film

 

Our next film for Sunday, March 23 is After the Wedding. Mads Mikkelsen plays a manager of an underfunded orphanage who discovers that he and a potential benefactor share a tangled history. Co-writer and director Susanna Brier withholds key back story information, lending a touch of suspense and surprise in this effecting drama that is ultimately about the struggle to overcome the negative and destructive behaviors that interfere with our capacity to love.

We look forward to seeing you there - Digiplex theater in Oceanside (College and Mission) 3:00 p.m.

Here are some questions from John Anderson to think about as you're watching the film. We hope you'll stay for the discussion after to see how the questions are answered.

1.  How does withholding some of the back story effect the manner we relate to the character's physical display of emotions?

2.  In what other ways does the film's "realistic" style mediate against what many would consider the excesses of melodrama?

3.  Does the film offer its characters closure to the repetitive, destructive aspects of their personalities?

In Memoriam

It's ironic that just after viewing In A World, Hal Douglas, one of the most famous voice over actors has died. Here's the article about him from the L.A. Times:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-hal-douglas-voice-countless-movie-trailers-dies-20140313,0,942130.story#axzz2wRVE93cF

Also, take time to watch this video from a Jerry Seinfeld film - it's a parody starring Hal Douglas:

Critics Corner

Gail Brown has recently seen Monuments Men. Here's her review:

Cast:  George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Cate Blanchett, Huge Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Bob Balaban (numerous TV shows and movies)

Director & Producer:  George Clooney

Synopsis: Based on the true story of the greatest treasure hunt in history, The Monuments Men is an action drama focusing on an unlikely World War II platoon, tasked by FDR with going into Germany to rescue artistic masterpieces from Nazi thieves and returning them to their rightful owners. It would be an impossible mission: with the art trapped behind enemy lines, and with the German army under orders to destroy everything as the Reich fell, how could these guys - seven museum directors, curators, and art historians, all more familiar with Michelangelo than the M-1 - possibly hope to succeed? But as the Monuments Men, as they were called, found themselves in a race against time to avoid the destruction of 1000 years of culture, they would risk their lives to protect and defend mankind's greatest achievements.

 Critics Weigh In:

The movie does have some strong dramatic moments, but in general the story is bland. Yet despite the movie's drawbacks, it still manages to tell a story about an historical event of great importance and significance, and so for that reason alone is worth watching.

"Men" is a good, if flawed, film, telling a difficult tale that had to be harder to accomplish in reality than was depicted on screen. Its flaws are in uneven pacing, mismatched musical support, and a too-simple story; yet even amid these flaws, it conveys a valid story about still more heartbreaking loss in the midst of war. IT's worth your consideration.

In My Opinion:

I waited to review this film because I did not want to knit pick it since it is a valuable, historical and significant story to be told.  One that many of us did not learn about in school.  I agree with the two comments above. 

That is all I will say about the film.  I do think it should be seen.  Just sad and shocking to think of some of the things that went on in this world at that time.

February Film Club News

Ah, film noir. Isn't that just one of our favorite genres? And what would filmmakers have done if venetian blinds hadn't been invented? Did you always wish you knew more about film noir? If that's the case, then you'll be thrilled that our own John Anderson will be giving a lecture on that subject. Here's the info:

NCFC host and Q and A moderator John Anderson will be giving a lecture entitled CLUES IN THE NIGHT: IDENTIFYING FILM NOIR on Friday, February 28th at 2:30pm at Mira Costa College. 1 Bernard Drive in Oceanside CA in Administration 1000.

Film Noir is one of the most popular American film genres, and it is often used as evidence to describe a certain dark mood that permeated society in the post WWII era.  The term itself, however, is a fairly imprecise category of film classification, and misusing the terms distorts the role that movies played in reflecting U.S. cultural trends and anxieties.  Mr. Anderson will talk about the evolution of the Noir sensibility as it applies to film, focusing on how themes and images with the films congealed into a widely appreciated film style.

Hopefully, many of our members will be in attendance. See you Friday at 2:30.

Our next film is In a World to be shown Sunday, March 9 (don't come next Sunday, March 2. No one will be there!) What's amazing about this film is that it was written, directed and starred Lake Bell. How often does a woman become a triple threat in Hollywood? The film is about a voice coach who wants to be a voice-over star. Her father dominates the voice-over world which creates the theme for the film - a father/daughter conflict. It's also about the male dominated profession and how a woman breaks through it. This quirky, funny film is full of believable characters, even some cameos of well-known celebrities.

I know there was lots of controversary about Thor Heyerdahl's various theories and voyages. But wasn't the film fun to watch? It was so well photographed and acted. Just a really fun adventure. Most scientists didn't believe his theory, but here's one who thought it might partially be true. This is from the June, 17, 2011 Telegraph, reported by Richard Alleyne:


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8582150/Kon-Tiki-explorer-was-partly-right-Polynesians-had-South-American-roots.html

Don't forget to watch the Academy Awards Sunday, March 2. I have no idea who is going to win any of the Oscars. It should be an interesting show.

Ready for Some Adventure? How about Kon Tiki?

Next Sunday, February 9th, we're all in for a real treat and some great adventure. We'll be viewing Kon Tiki, the 2013 foreign language film Oscar nominee. See you at 3:00 at the Digiplex in Oceanside.
Here are John Anderson's questions for the film.

1. Why does the film invoke so many biopic conventions?

2.  What is the underlying psychological motivation of the voyagers?

3.  What role does movie making play in Heyerdahl's journey of self transformation?

4.  What are the merits and problems associated with Heyerdahl's thesis?

Ponder them as you view Kon Tiki and be ready for a discussion after the film.

 

 More about Fruitvale Station

Oscar Grant's mom, stars of the film Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer

I don't know about you, but I always think about a film afterwards and want to look things up on Google. I'm always curious about the film several days later. I wondered why Octavia Spencer had a producer credit on the film. Here's what she said:

"When the film lost key funding for its shoestring budget of less than $1 million, Octavia took on an executive-producer role and started raising money.

"I shamelessly started calling my friends I knew had deep pockets, friends in which twenty-five grand wouldn't hurt. And I kicked in some of my own money," says Spencer. "I didn't want any of Ryan's vision to be sacrificed."

Spencer also tapped her Hollywood pals to appear in the movie, including Ahna O'Reilly, and Kevin Durand and One Tree Hill's Chad Michael Murray, who were chosen to play the cops most directly involved in the shooting. The 6-foot-5 Durand had to be brought in "on my insistence," says the relentless Spencer. He didn't want to be known as the guy responsible for Grant's death, even on film.

"I told him that was why we needed him. We needed someone to bring the humanity to that officer."

In Memoriam

We lost two of our most gifted actors this week - Maximillian Schell who played so many roles but will best be remembered as the defense attorney in Judgement at Nuremberg. He won the best actor Oscar for that performance.

Philip Seymour Hoffman, another Oscar winner died this week. I'll never forget him as Truman Capote. He was just such a great actor. He'll truly be missed.

See you on the 9th.