SCREENING LOG -6/20-6/27, 2004

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Vibrator (2002, Hiroki Ryuchi)

Japanese version of your typical disturbed von Trier heroine leaves a 7-11 when she lays eyes on Ichi-the-former-Killer, now an affable truck driver who isn't afraid of doing the bump and grind in the front seat, as long as the shades are down. They drive through much of autumnal rural Japan in a series of digressive scenes filled with a far-ranging sense of freshness, self-discovery and wonder, from expansive long-shots to some of the most intimate renderings of female insecurity put to voice-over AND silent intertitles. Whimsical, sad and considerably schizo, this is the best new Japanese film I've seen in years. #2 for 2003 between DOGVILLE and CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS #2 for new films seen in 2004 between BEFORE SUNSET and ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND

The Story of the Weeping Camel (2003, Byambasuren Davaa, Luigi Falorni)

Pseudo-doc about desert farmers -- one of their working pets is mysteriously rejecting her newborn -- in order to reconcile them the family enlists the aid of the Mongolian Isaac Stern, as music soothes the savage beast (esp. if it's duo-tonal). More than just the umpteenth National Geographic remake of NANOOK OF THE NORTH, it emerges as a neo-Howard Hawks meditation on teamwork and community: as Leslie Cahmhi writes in the Voice, it "conveys a sense of an indigenous culture whose relationship to the earth and to nature is shaped not by conquest but by collaboration." yes (#13 for new films seen in 2004 between JAMES' JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM and THE SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD)

Mikey and Nicky (1976, Elaine May)

Two of the three cavalier numbskulls from HUSBANDS are back doing a 2 hour improvisational ping pong match with embattled boyhood loyalty being the contested ball. Watchable throughout though it never quite took off for me; Dave Kehr calls this "a profound, unsentimental portrait of male friendship--and of its ultimate impossibility--" which sounds wonderful; I guess if the characters had grated on me less I'd be more inclined to see the heartache behind the bawdy bickering. yes (#8 for 1976 between MR. KLEIN and ROCKY

The Mother and the Whore (1973, Jean Eustache)

More inherently unlikeable characters living life to the excess, and yet their existences and internal states are conveyed with such directness that their self-serving posturing monologues on every little detail of life blossom into a far-ranging four-hour fresco of life, back when the liberating idealism of the Sixties was experiencing its death throes in decadence. Now I see why the French loved Woody Allen, as he was the closest they could find (though not very close at all) to this brutally open epic of metropolitan anomie. YES YES YES (#1 for 1973)

The Text of Light (1974, Stan Brakhage)

74 minutes of everything you can possibly do with a movie camera, an ashtray, and light (which is a lot more than one would think). yes (#10 for 1974 between THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and THE MYSTERY OF KASPAR HAUSER)

The Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes (1971, Stan Brakhage)

For those who have trouble with experimental cinema in general and this filmmaker in particuar, I think this movie may be the quintessential metaphor for his art: a series of human bodies [read: movies] are wheeled in and methodically dissected, piece by piece, so all that remains are pieces of flesh, almost devoid of representing anything other than flesh itself, sinewy, bloody, pale, all texture and color. Are these humans still humans? Are his movies still movies? Do either of them still breathe life? For me the answer, lying in a heap of compellingly visceral pulp, is a resounding yes. #8 for 1971 between THE LAST PICTURE SHOW and HAROLD AND MAUDE

Heat (1973, Paul Morrissey)

The most fascinating meathead of the late 60s/early 70s is back for a third time -- he's now in Hollywood with a host of other hangers-on, trying to sleep his way through a washed-up actress while avoiding her horny daughter and get a recording deal. It takes a while for the humanity to emerge in this utterly fake SoCal milieu, but the cast of characters prove to be as endearing as they are kooky. Consider this the point where Andy Warhol points the way for John Waters. yes (#8 for 1973 between ENTER THE DRAGON and DAY FOR NIGHT)

Fahrenheit 9-11 (2004, Michael Moore)

Can a movie not be a masterpiece, and yet be essential viewing for everyone? The short answer, yes. #4 for 2004 between SOUTH OF THE CLOUDS and THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST #6 for new films seen in 2004 between MY ARCHITECT and SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE

Cat's Cradle (1959, Stan Brakhage)

Stan the man gets busy with his wife; cat serves as aphrodisiac. mixed

Window Water Baby Moving (1962, Stan Brakhage)

Nine months later, an ode to incipient motherhood (and father's moritifcation thereof), with some of the best head-coming-out-of-vagina shots you'll find in the Criterion catalog. yes

Mothlight (1963, Stan Brakhage)

Resourceful filmmaker's tip #23: If you have a reel of film but don't know how to shoot a camera, you can always paste pieces of little bugs and other dead things you can find around the house -- the results can be phenomenal. yes (#8 for 1963 between THE BIRDS and LE PETIT SOLDAT)

Eye Myth (1967, Stan Brakhage)

A nine-second film, a year in the making, a big whoop. Splashy colors but didn't mean anything to me in particular. mixed

The Wold Shadow (1972, Stan Brakhage)

Trees are nice. So you can shoot them at different exposure levels. That doesn't make them any more or less nice. mixed

The Garden of Earthly Delights (1981, Stan Brakhage).

A one-strip triptych of blacks, lines and greens, a lushly abstract rendition of swervy, curvy nature. Hieronymous Bosch, eat your heart out. yes (#4 for 1981 between CHARIOTS OF FIRE and ON GOLDEN POND)

The Stars Are Beautiful (1974, Stan Brakhage)

Chicken's wings clipped, and lots of voiceover ruminations on the origin of the universe. Can't say I'm a fan of this artist's pseudo-mythical gibberish phase. mixed

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