Helen and Kieron show us how its done
One of the Greatest Filmmakers Ever Died Today
I'm in shock right now...Robert Altman passed away today. We have lost one of the greatest talents in cinema today. It breaks my heart thinking about his speech, when accepting a Lifetime Achievement Oscar earlier this year, where he spoke about his new heart and new lease on life. I don't think I'll ever be able to watch Prairie Home Companion without crying my eyes out. This man is a legend.
Do yourself a favour and go out and buy an Altman film. Nashville, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Short Cuts, Gosford Park, The Player, M*A*S*H*, 3 Women and The Company are all masterpieces. Glad that he went out on a high note with this year's remarkable Prairie Home Companion.
R.I.P.
Movie Questionnaire
Nathaniel over at the Film Experience is passing these round. Thought I'd join in...
1. Popcorn or candy?
Popcorn. Always.
2. Name a movie you've been meaning to see forever
There's tonnes of these, but right now-sitting on my shelf is Scenes from a Marriage staring right back at me.
3. You are given the power to recall one Oscar: Who loses theirs and to whom? So so many...I'm going about this by process of elimination. First, elimanate those too recent: so bye bye to last year's debacle. Secondly, ignore those horrific snubs that are well known: Citizen Kane doesn't really need that Oscar, does it? The film itself is legend enough. Thus, I'm landing on my favourite obession: La Pfeiffer. Get that bitch Jessica Tandy's family to give back her Oscar for Driving Miss Daisy and give it to the rightful owner. You know that she deserved it for The Fabulous Baker Boys in 1989. Also, i'm cheating here, but make Robert Redford and Kevin Costner give their Best Director trophies to the God that is Martin Scorsese.
4. Steal one costume from a movie for your wadrobe. Which will it be? Err...not too much of a costume guy, so...I'll go with that yellow t-shirt with the bull on it from Elephant. So cool.
5. Your favorite film franchise is...
Not really a "franchise" per say but Before Sunrise and Before Sunset are near and dear to me. If not then the Burton Batman films or LOTR will do.
6. Invite five movie people over for dinner. Who are they? Why'd you invite them? What do you feed them?
Ok...first things first: I'm only inviting people who are alive (simply to narrow things down). We've got Martin Scorsese, because he's a genius, approachable and would make great conversation; Jack Nicholson, so that his coolness will rub off; Meryl Streep because she's super-smart and a riot; Naomi Watts so that I could pry her with liquor and convince her to leave Liev Schreiber for me and Paul Thomas Anderson, because he is just too damn cool and I'd expect we'd get along. I would serve them a cuisine of french toast, pasta with pesto and mash potato because that's all I can make and truckloads of liquor and coke to get the party started.
7. What is the appropriate punishment for people who answer cell phones in the movie theater?
Death. Slow and painful. Perhaps having their hands and feet tied to four wild horses who are then made to run in four different directions so that the person can slowly be ripped apart. Yes?
8. Choose a female bodyguard: Ripley from Aliens. Mystique from X-Men. Sarah Connor from Terminator 2. The Bride from Kill Bill. Mace from Strange Days
All the ladies are great but the Bride is the bitch you wanna have by your side-that woman can rip anything apart. Always and Forever.
9. What's the scariest thing you've ever seen in a movie?
This is actually pretty hard- for the life of me, I cannot think of anything substantial. So when in doubt I revert to my childhood and remember that the last scene in the godawful I Still Know What You Did Last Summer where Jennifer Love Hewitt gets pulled under her bed scared the fuck out of me.
10. Your favorite genre (excluding comedy and drama) is?
Does family domestic dramas/comedies count? I suppose it's a sub-genre. More than any other genre of film, I always get excited about these. No matter how many times I've been burned (I'm looking at you Little Children!), I just keep coming back.
11. You are given the power to greenlight movies at a major studio for one year. How do you wield this power?
First of all, I disallow Paul Haggis from ever working again. Then I greenlight any and all pictures helmed by Martin Scorsese, Wong Kar-Wai, Wes Anderson, Todd Haynes, Paul Thomas Anderson, Hou Hsiao-hsien and David Cronenberg among others. Try to speed up Wong in the filmmaking process and insist that Julianne Moore and Michelle Pfeiffer get first choice in the casting of every.single.film. Yeah, that's about it.
12. Bonnie or Clyde?
Bonnie
13. Who are you tagging to answer this survey?
Alright Suba, Asvajit, Yanik, Naz and Indi: you're it.
1. Popcorn or candy?
Popcorn. Always.
2. Name a movie you've been meaning to see forever
There's tonnes of these, but right now-sitting on my shelf is Scenes from a Marriage staring right back at me.
3. You are given the power to recall one Oscar: Who loses theirs and to whom? So so many...I'm going about this by process of elimination. First, elimanate those too recent: so bye bye to last year's debacle. Secondly, ignore those horrific snubs that are well known: Citizen Kane doesn't really need that Oscar, does it? The film itself is legend enough. Thus, I'm landing on my favourite obession: La Pfeiffer. Get that bitch Jessica Tandy's family to give back her Oscar for Driving Miss Daisy and give it to the rightful owner. You know that she deserved it for The Fabulous Baker Boys in 1989. Also, i'm cheating here, but make Robert Redford and Kevin Costner give their Best Director trophies to the God that is Martin Scorsese.
4. Steal one costume from a movie for your wadrobe. Which will it be? Err...not too much of a costume guy, so...I'll go with that yellow t-shirt with the bull on it from Elephant. So cool.5. Your favorite film franchise is...
Not really a "franchise" per say but Before Sunrise and Before Sunset are near and dear to me. If not then the Burton Batman films or LOTR will do.
6. Invite five movie people over for dinner. Who are they? Why'd you invite them? What do you feed them?
Ok...first things first: I'm only inviting people who are alive (simply to narrow things down). We've got Martin Scorsese, because he's a genius, approachable and would make great conversation; Jack Nicholson, so that his coolness will rub off; Meryl Streep because she's super-smart and a riot; Naomi Watts so that I could pry her with liquor and convince her to leave Liev Schreiber for me and Paul Thomas Anderson, because he is just too damn cool and I'd expect we'd get along. I would serve them a cuisine of french toast, pasta with pesto and mash potato because that's all I can make and truckloads of liquor and coke to get the party started.
7. What is the appropriate punishment for people who answer cell phones in the movie theater?
Death. Slow and painful. Perhaps having their hands and feet tied to four wild horses who are then made to run in four different directions so that the person can slowly be ripped apart. Yes?
All the ladies are great but the Bride is the bitch you wanna have by your side-that woman can rip anything apart. Always and Forever.
9. What's the scariest thing you've ever seen in a movie?
This is actually pretty hard- for the life of me, I cannot think of anything substantial. So when in doubt I revert to my childhood and remember that the last scene in the godawful I Still Know What You Did Last Summer where Jennifer Love Hewitt gets pulled under her bed scared the fuck out of me.
10. Your favorite genre (excluding comedy and drama) is?
Does family domestic dramas/comedies count? I suppose it's a sub-genre. More than any other genre of film, I always get excited about these. No matter how many times I've been burned (I'm looking at you Little Children!), I just keep coming back.
11. You are given the power to greenlight movies at a major studio for one year. How do you wield this power?
First of all, I disallow Paul Haggis from ever working again. Then I greenlight any and all pictures helmed by Martin Scorsese, Wong Kar-Wai, Wes Anderson, Todd Haynes, Paul Thomas Anderson, Hou Hsiao-hsien and David Cronenberg among others. Try to speed up Wong in the filmmaking process and insist that Julianne Moore and Michelle Pfeiffer get first choice in the casting of every.single.film. Yeah, that's about it.
12. Bonnie or Clyde?
Bonnie
13. Who are you tagging to answer this survey?
Alright Suba, Asvajit, Yanik, Naz and Indi: you're it.
Best Lead Actress of Every Year: 2005 - 1927
05: Joan Allen, The Upside of Anger
04: Julie Delpy, Before Sunset
03: Uma Thurman, Kill Bill, Volume 1
02: Julianne Moore, Far From Heaven
01: Naomi Watts, Mulholland Drive
00: Björk, Dancer in the Dark
99: Kate Winslet, Holy Smoke!
98: Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth
97: Pam Grier, Jackie Brown
96: Frances McDormand, Fargo
95: Elisabeth Shue, Leaving
94: Isabelle Adjani, Queen Margot
93: Holly Hunter, The Piano
92: Michelle Pfeiffer, Batman Returns
91: TIE: Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, Thelma & Louise
90: Anjelica Huston, The Grifters
89: Michelle Pfeiffer, The Fabulous Baker Boys
88: Carmen Maura, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
87: Glenn Close, Fatal Attraction
86: Sandrine Bonnaire, Vagabond
85: Whoopi Goldberg, The Color Purple
84: Kathleen Turner, Crimes of Passion/Romancing the Stone
83: Meryl Streep, Silkwood
82: Meryl Streep, Sophie’s Choice
81: Susan Sarandon, Atlantic City
80: Sissy Spacek, Coal Miner’s Daughter
79: Sally Field, Norma Rae
78: Ingrid Bergman, Autumn Sonata
77: Diane Keaton, Annie Hall
76: Faye Dunaway, Network
75: Louise Fletcher, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
74: Gena Rowlands, A Woman Under the Influence
73: Liv Ullman, Cries and Whispers
72: Cicely Tyson, Sounder
71: Julie Christie, McCabe & Mrs. Miller
70: Glenda Jackson, Women in Love
69: Jane Fonda, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?
68: Catherine Denueve, Belle de Jour
67: (tie) Bibi Andersson/Liv Ullman, Persona
66: Elizabeth Taylor, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
65: Anna Karina, Pierrot le Fou
64: Anne Bancroft, The Pumpkin Eater
63: Shirley MacLaine, Irma la Douce
62: Jeanne Moreau, Jules and Jim
61: Sophia Loren, Two Women
60: Emmanuelle Riva,
59: Marilyn Monroe, Some Like it Hot
58: Elizabeth Taylor, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
57: Giulietta Masina, Nights of Cabiria
56: Maria Schell, White Nights
55: Grace Kelly, To Catch a Thief
54: Dorothy Dandridge, Carmen Jones
53: Audrey Hepburn, Roman Holiday
52: Jennifer Jones, Ruby Gentry
51: Vivien Leigh, A Streetcar Named Desire
50: Bette Davis, All About Eve
49: Katharine Hepburn, Adam’s Rib
48: Rita Hayworth, The Lady From
47: Deborah Kerr, Black Narcissus
46: Ingrid Bergman, Notorious
45: Joan Crawford, Mildred Pierce
44: Barbara Stanwyck, Double Indemnity
43: Greer Garson, Mrs. Miniver
42: Ingrid Bergman,
41: Bette Davis, The Little Foxes
40: Joan Fontaine, Rebecca
39: Vivien Leigh, Gone With the Wind
38: Katharine Hepburn, Bringing Up Baby
37: Greta Garbo, Camille
36: Louise Rainer, The Good Earth
35: Ginger Rogers, Top Hat
34: Claudette Colbert, It Happened One Night
33: Mae West, She Done Him Wrong
32: Marlene Dietrich,
31: Norma Shearer, A Free Soul
30: Marie Dressler, Min and Bill
29:
28: Renee Maria Falconetti, The Passion of Joan of Arc
27: Janet Gaynor,
Best Picture of Every Year: 2005 - 1927
05:
04: Before Sunset (Richard Linklater)
03: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Peter Jackson)
02: Far From Heaven (Todd Haynes)
01: In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-Wai)
00: Dancer in the Dark (Lars von Trier)
99: All About My Mother (Pedro Almodóvar)
98: Festen (Thomas Vintenberg)
97: Taste of Cherry (Abbas Kiarostami)
96: Fargo (The Coen Brothers)
95: Dead Man Walking (Tim Robbins)
94: Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino)
93: The Piano (Jane Campion)
92: Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood)
91: Thelma & Louise (Ridley Scott)
90: GoodFellas (Martin Scorsese)
89: Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee)
88: Wings of Desire (Wim Wenders)
87: Broadcast News (James L. Brooks)
86: Blue Velvet (David Lynch)
85: Ran (Akira Kurosawa)
84: Amadeus (Milos Forman)
83: Fanny and Alexander (Ingmar Bergman)
82: Blade Runner (Ridley Scott)
81: Body Heat (
80: Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese)
79: Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola)/Manhattan (Woody Allen)
78: Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick)
77: Annie Hall (Woody Allen)
76: Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese)
75: Dog Day Afternoon (Sidney Lumet)
74: Chinatown (Roman Polanski)
73: Solaris (Andrei Tarkovsky)
72: The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola)
71: A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick)
70: M*A*S*H (Robert Altman)
69: Once Upon a Time in the West (Sergio Leone)
68: 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick)
67: Persona (Ingmar Bergman)
66: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Mike Nichols)
65: The Umbrellas of
64: Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (
63: 8½ (Federico Fellini)
62: Jules and Jim (Francois Truffaut)
61: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Blake Edwards)
60: Breathless (Jean-Luc Goddard)
59: Some Like it Hot (Billy Wilder)
58: Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock)
57: Wild Strawberries (Ingmar Bergman)
56: The Searchers (John Ford)
55: The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton)
54: The Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa)
53: From Here to Eternity (Fred Zinnemann)
52: Singin’ in the Rain (Stanley Donen/Gene Kelly)
51: A Streetcar Named Desire (Elia Kazan)
50: Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder)
49: The Third Man (Carol Reed)
48: The Bicycle Thief (Vittorio De Sica)
47: Beauty and the Beast (Jean Cocteau)
46: Notorious (Alfred Hitchcock)
45: Les Enfants Du Paradis (Marcel Carné)
44: Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder)
43: Heaven Can Wait (Ernst Lubitsch)
42:
41: Citizen Kane (Orson Welles)
40: Fantasia (James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe, Norm Ferguson, Jim Handley, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts and Paul Satterfield)
39: The Rules of the Game (Jean Renoir)
38: Bringing Up Baby (Howard Hawks)
37: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Walt Disney and David Hand)
36: Modern Times (Charlie Chaplin)
35: The Bride of Frankenstein (James Whale)
34: It Happened One Night (Frank Capra)
33: King Kong (Merian Cooper and Ernest B Schoedsack)
32: Vampyr (Carl Theodor Dreyer)
31: City Lights (Charlie Chaplin)
30: Under the Rooftops of Paris (Rene Clair)
29: The Man with the Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov)
28: The Passion of Joan of Arc (Dreyer)
27: Metropolis (Fritz Lang)
Sorry...
I've been ignoring the blog for a couple of days and I AM sorry. Had a Halloween party on Friday where I dressed up as a hunchback with a hook (I know-awesome) where by around 2 o'clock in the morning I found myself scaling the fence at a children's park. Also went to a Metronomy concert on halloween at Goldsmiths and had an awesome night.
Also went to see Borat with Kieron and Chloe the day before and nearly pissed myself laughing.
Can't believe I'm coming home on Thursday- I've been here for 5 WEEKS!! I'll see you all n Friday..
Love
Arun
Also went to see Borat with Kieron and Chloe the day before and nearly pissed myself laughing.
Can't believe I'm coming home on Thursday- I've been here for 5 WEEKS!! I'll see you all n Friday..
Love
Arun
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