ICYMI: The Furniture
Monday, July 4, 2016 at 11:00AM Our new contributor Daniel Walber is taking the 4th of July off but I wanted to take this wee break from his column "The Furniture," to sing its praises. When he first pitched the series I requested only that it be really focused, not solely Oscar-nominated specific (so much brilliant work isn't honored each year, after all), and that we alternate contemporary and classic cinema so there's something for everyone. But the series is all him. It's been a joy to read each week and the exact type of thing I've long wanted to do for my favorite craft category costume design. He beat me to it but I find it inspiring and am looking forward anew to our coverage of the below-the-line Oscar categories this year.
If you haven't yet read any of these episodes, I think you'll learn something about the cinema and the power of production design to enhance a theme, sell a heightened reality, and underline character arcs.
The episodes to date: The Witch (2016), Hail Caesar! (2016), Deadpool (2016), Lady in the Van (2015), Joy (2015), The Force Awakens (2015), Embrace of the Serpent (2015), Carol and Brooklyn (2015), Orlando (1992), Batman (1989), The Exorcist (1973), Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962), How the West Was Won (1962), A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), Black Narcissus (1947), That Hamilton Woman (1941)
Reader Comments (6)
This is really my new favorite series! Keep them coming!
Yes, this series is amazing. A really varied and interesting selection of films and thoughtful analysis. I always feel I learn something each week without being talked down to.
If there are other specialists out there, a series like this on any of the other craft categories would be welcome.
My fave series since A Year with Kate.
Agree with Steve G -- maybe a series on costumes? I'd love to watch TFE correct the Oscars and pay homage to costumes that aren't from a corset drama.
I've enjoyed all of them, even for films I haven't seen ("Joy" was fun for me because a friend of mine works at a home shopping channel), but I especially loved the "Batman" one. As a kid who was an Oscar nerd who saw that movie a ridiculous amount of times, I always thought it was so cool that a "superhero" movie won an Oscar for something!
I just want to pass along a few words of praise for this excellent series, and Daniel's writing.
These articles are always thoughtful and beautifully illustrated. They reflect both a keen mind and wide range of taste in terms of the films selected.
Even when I haven't seen the film I find them interesting. But when I have seen the movie being discussed I feel like I have just had a conversation with a kindred spirit.
I hope Daniel enjoys his vacation, and we can only hope he comes back with all sorts of ideas for the series. Well Done!
Daniel's work is just wonderful....I do learn so much