First & Last: Darkness & Decay

first and last puzzles
the first line of dialogue and the last image from a motion picture. 

Grandmother. Come closer.

Can you guess the movie?

Tilda in a Box

Since you aren't allowed to take photos at Tilda Swinton's "The Maybe", the revival of her 1995 performance art piece where she sleeps in a glass box, I thought I'd tell you about my MoMA visit this past weekend in boxed up comic form. Read quietly. (Do not wake the Tilda)

*note: I intend for 'Actressland' to be a weekly serialized comic but for now, it's one-offs.

Contest: "On the Road" Autographed by Walter Salles

Here's another contest for you for reader appreciation month... I have three books to give away.

"Enter to win a copy of Jack Kerouac's ON THE ROAD autographed by the film's director, Walter Salles! IFC Films and Sundance Selects Presents ON THE ROAD A film by Walter Salles Based on Jack Kerouac's classic novel Starring Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund and Kristen Stewart

Check your local listings!"

It's okay if you're a little (okay, a lot) surprised that the movie has finally been released. In fact, just last night at a screening I was telling a friend it had come out and they were like "nope, it came out in December". But no... t'was a one week Oscar qualifier, that. So it opened Friday and will be expanding to more markets in April. Better late than never I suppose but hiding Kristen Stewart's only performance that can hold a candle to her Joan Jett work and keeping Garrett Hedlund's explosive sexiness from the world is a shame. It'll prove the turning point of his career if the right people (i.e. auteurs and casting directors) see it. Oscar traction was always going to be hard to come by since the Academy doesn't at all value youth and sexuality in men the same way they obsess over those qualities in actresses.

If you haven't read "On the Road" it's worth a read. Good for cultural literacy given it's iconic place in history.

I think of Dean Moriarty..."

To enter the contest - I have three autographed books to give away - shoot me an email with name, addy, and a sentence on the longest road trip you ever took... where'd you go?  

The Dirty Secret of Spring Breakers

Hi everyone, Tim here; you may know me from my film review blog Antagony & Ecstasy, from my dogged commitment to the Film Experience’s own Hit Me with Your Best Shot or you may not have the damnedest idea who I am and don’t care. But I’m going to be with you on Thursdays for at least a little while now, with a weekly column, where we’ll talk about… well, that’s the trick, isn’t it? Movie stuff. Whatever seems to be interesting about the new movies poking their heads around that particular week: something particular about the way a movie was put together, or conceived, or, in this case, sold.

The dirty secret of the film industry is that it exists to be profitable. It actually does good to be reminded of that, because even in the case of the costliest, sprawlingest tentpole movies, we tend to act like that the filmmakers are our buddies, or some such; but it’s true of even the most independent-minded, anti-commercial cinema that it’s actually supposed to make some sort of money. Sad as it is to think, even microbudget indies that cost fractions of pennies by movie budget standards are still wildly expensive by actual human being standards, and if they constantly hemorrhage money, then it would be impossible to keep making them.

All of which is to say: I truly don’t begrudge Annapurna Pictures the right to turn a profit on Spring Breakers, more...

Click to read more ...

Les Miz *WINNERS*

It's Reader Appreciation Month so I'm playing Santa with gifts.

I'm so sorry I didn't announce this sooner! I do get backed up here. I know those of you who entered the Les Miz contest are dying to just buy the new blu-ray/dvd combo pack if you didn't win. This contest had a great response. I asked interested Red & Black revolutionaries to answer three questions:

• Which kind of bread would you bake Valjean so he doesn't steal another loaf?
• Which movie hooker other than Fantine should've had a death bed song?
• Bring Him Home: Jackman, Redmayne, Tveit or Crowe?

I had much fun reading the often creative answers. But the three winners, chosen randomly, are...

ROB S in Palm Springs who writes:

1. BREAD: Pain de campagne, which I hope Hugh will stick around to enjoy as pain perdu.
2. HOOKER: Mildred, from Of Human Bondage....Bette Davis croaking it out as she croaks.
3. MAN TO TAKE HOME: Eddie Redmayne for sure. IMO the MVP of Les Misérables

'pain perdu'. teehee. Although I just realized that Rob is basically announcing with his answers that he's taking both Jackman and Redmayne home. Greedy!

JEREMY E in New York who writes:

1. BREAD: Gotta be pumpernickel for Hugh.  Hard on the pump, light on the nickel
2. HOOKER: Hands down, "Kit de Luca", Julia Roberts best friend in Pretty Woman---if only to hear her sing "Cinder-fucken-rella" in a tenor voice.
3. MAN TO TAKE HOME: Hugh

ROBERTA L in New Jersey who writes: 

1. BREAD: I would bake Hugh Jackman Sweet Buns, of course. Although Fruitcake is a strong contender. Because hello, he plays on your team, not mine. I don't care who his wife is.
2. HOOKER: So difficult! Barely-a-teen Brooke Shields? Jon Voight? What's-her-head in Risky Business? Nahh, it's obvious. Barbra Streisand in Nuts. 
3. MAN TO TAKE HOME: Fine. Jackman. I mean that's my type, isn't it?  

Roberta was one of only two contestants brave enough to sing her heart out for extra contest entries. So here she is in this audio clip doing her best Eponine for "On My Own". Nice job!

Roberta sings !