tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64414992024-03-28T21:39:38.897-07:00blog of the vortexMore thoughts about buildings and food.Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.comBlogger2763125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-62849859702171344312024-03-28T21:38:00.000-07:002024-03-28T21:38:53.544-07:00The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) ***<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000309/">Bowie</a> is perfect and perfectly cast in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001676/">Nic Roeg</a>'s typically disjointed and say-it-with-visuals-only stylized sci-fi flick. It needs to be trimmed by about 30 minutes or it would have been a classic.Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-86443723756816119962024-03-25T21:14:00.000-07:002024-03-25T21:14:26.394-07:00Fire Over England (1937) ***History as only Hollywood can do it, which means heavy handed Brit propaganda. <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0733460/">Ms. Robson</a> is so good though and the script has some dazzling moments.Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-76050966964170914272024-03-17T09:19:00.000-07:002024-03-17T09:19:10.928-07:00The Detective (1954) **<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000027/">Guinness</a> and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002075/">Finchy</a> are the standouts here. It's kind of dull otherwise but nicely made.Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-44231682370823757382024-03-10T10:55:00.000-07:002024-03-10T10:55:21.898-07:00Poor Things (2023) **Production design overwhelms the story. Proves you can get good photography with modern effects. Good cast, not up to <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0487166/">Lanthimos</a>'s high standards.Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-46479447261312358042024-03-04T21:29:00.000-08:002024-03-04T21:30:33.292-08:00Ruten no ôhi (The Wandering Princess) (1960) **Plays like a Japanese <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059113/">Zhivago</a> and as beautifully shot. Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-74596234202978332832024-02-22T11:48:00.000-08:002024-02-22T11:48:12.195-08:00Celebrity (1998) **Beautifully shot in b/w with a top star cast but disappoints in its dearth of funny one liners and in the glaring <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000110/">miscast</a> of the lead. <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000234/">Charlize</a> literally walks away with the picture.Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-86988148770057287672024-02-19T21:27:00.000-08:002024-02-19T21:27:55.645-08:00Warning Shot (1966) ***Terrific twist on the police procedural blends noir elements with a satisfying whodunit. Top notch cast and a tight, witty script. Only drawback is shoddy production values.Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-67856656556596848512024-02-16T20:44:00.000-08:002024-02-16T20:44:32.480-08:00The President's Analyst (1967) **Another attempt at satire on film has a number of terrific spots but too many heavy-handed unfunny ones as well. Very much of its time but with a lot of ideas that were unfortunately to come to pass.Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-3507503711587451522024-02-14T07:44:00.000-08:002024-02-14T07:44:25.981-08:00An Unlikely Life | David A. Bell | The New York Review of Books<i>A film like Gance’s, long and complex, would not do well at the box office today. Scott has said, “I couldn’t get through it, honestly.” But we need films that take history as seriously as Gance did. In the global culture wars of the twenty-first century, history has become a major battleground. Vladimir Putin’s Russia criminalizes criticism of the Red Army, British conservatives defend the legacy of the British Empire, Israelis and Palestinians duel over the events of 1948, American progressives cast 1619 as an alternate national origin story, and everyone squabbles over statuary. Historical films like Scott’s Napoleon make for reasonable entertainment, but they also represent an opportunity lost. Today, more than ever, we could use more translations of the past that engage seriously with it, rather than just riffing on it or reducing it to a colorful but empty spectacle.</i>Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-81104264891199731212024-02-13T21:08:00.000-08:002024-02-13T21:08:05.293-08:00The Limey (1999) ****Sensational neo-noir is a master class in modern movie making. <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000654/">Terry Stamp</a> nails the role of a lifetime. More proof you don't need 4 hours and $200 million to make a good film.Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-9761500053338557332024-02-09T21:15:00.000-08:002024-02-09T21:30:51.875-08:00Tangerine (2015) **A day in the life of some denizens of LA's underbelly is often harsh but also funny and heartfelt. The photography is terrible but it's fast paced and the leads are actually quite engaging. Unusual Christmas movie.Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-19814365084200533582024-02-06T21:56:00.000-08:002024-02-06T21:56:28.284-08:00You Hurt My Feelings (2023) **It's well made, watchable, entertaining even insightful and admirable. It just doesn't soar.Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-36456626046240958452024-02-02T20:51:00.000-08:002024-02-02T20:51:47.686-08:00El Conde (2023) **Beautifully photographed in stunning black and white and filled with eye popping visuals, it still disappoints because the script can't keep up.Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-69422770518228663432024-01-30T20:50:00.000-08:002024-01-30T20:50:34.460-08:00Highball (1997) ***A terrific ensemble cast elevates this endearingly funny look at 20-something friends over the course of a year. Proof that you don't need $200 million to make a good movie. Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-63104443623178939972024-01-23T10:26:00.000-08:002024-01-23T10:26:38.123-08:00Wuthering Heights (1970) **Gorgeously produced and photographed but never rises above overwrought melo unlike some <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104181/">previous</a> <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032145/">verions</a>.Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-53922055094270484012024-01-19T06:32:00.000-08:002024-01-19T06:32:12.119-08:00May December (2023) ***<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000204/">Natalie Portman</a> is the standout in this thoughtful, interestingly shot melo.Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-69376290033078834022024-01-17T08:25:00.000-08:002024-01-17T08:25:14.793-08:00Waiting for Guffman (1996) ***Hilarious send up of small town bumpkins and the let's-put-on-a-show mockumentary genre. Stellar cast.Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-77264680999916915942024-01-12T21:44:00.000-08:002024-01-14T10:40:32.742-08:00A Night at the Opera (1935) ***Probably <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2580347/">their</a> best flick. If only they could avoid those piano and harp solos that bring the festivities to a screeching halt.Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-9939310776967662862024-01-12T19:45:00.000-08:002024-01-12T19:45:41.898-08:00Maestro (2023) **Very well crafted biopic with stellar <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0177896/">lead</a> <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1659547/">performances</a> and one of the best makeup jobs I have ever seen, but the directorial gimmicks are annoying and the screenplay assumes you know and love <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Bernstein">the subject</a> already and that's a big mistake.Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-41844124989188685292024-01-09T21:04:00.000-08:002024-01-09T21:04:06.221-08:00Icarus XB 1 (1963) **Obvious influence on <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062622/">2001</a> and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060028/">Star Trek</a>, this imaginative space opera's interior design and photography make up for what it lacks in special effects, and that's quite a bit. Not much of a story, but so well and earnestly done it doesn't matter.Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-17004013312089863292024-01-02T19:58:00.000-08:002024-01-02T19:58:03.456-08:002023 In Review: Movies *** Asteroid City<BR>
*** Barbie<BR>
*** The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar<BR>
** Bottoms<BR>
** Killers of the Flower Moon<BR>
** Priscilla<BR>
** The Holdovers<BR>
* Heart of Stone<BR>
Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-27541506762202759392023-12-26T21:19:00.000-08:002023-12-26T21:19:58.311-08:00My Favorite Wife (1940) *The film is premised on the audience being complete idiots. Not funny in the least.Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-56803255792926590192023-12-24T11:27:00.000-08:002023-12-24T11:27:59.768-08:002023 In Review: Music**** Albert Hammond Jr. - Melodies On Hiatus <BR>
**** Anna Hillburg - Tired Girls <BR>
**** New Pornographers, The - Continue As A Guest <BR>
**** Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Council Skies <BR>
<BR>
*** Bar Italia - Tracey Denim <BR>
*** Beach House - Become <BR>
*** Belle And Sebastian - Late Developers <BR>
*** Buddie - Agitator <BR>
*** Bully - Lucky For You <BR>
*** Clientele, The - I Am Not There Anymore <BR>
*** Diners - Domino <BR>
*** Frankie Rose - Love As Projection <BR>
*** Frankiie - Between Dreams <BR>
*** Guided By Voices - Welshpool Frillies <BR>
*** Jenny O - Spectra <BR>
*** Keeley - Floating Above Everything Else <BR>
*** Lightheaded - Good Good Great! <BR>
*** Locate S, 1 - Wicked Jaw <BR>
*** Marnie Stern - The Comeback Kid <BR>
*** No Ones, The - My Best Evil Friend <BR>
*** Paula Carino - Thundersnow b-w Fall Preview Issue <BR>
*** Pip Blom - Bobbie<BR>
*** Ratboys - The Window <BR>
*** Rolling Stones, The - Hackney Diamonds <BR>
*** Shonen Knife - Our Best Place <BR>
*** Tubs, The - Dead Meat <BR>
<BR>
** Barrie - 5K <BR>
** Dengue Fever - Ting Mong <BR>
** Emma Anderson - Pearlies <BR>
** Graham Parker - Last Chance to Learn the Twist<BR>
** Guided By Voices - La La Land <BR>
** Jenny Lewis - Joy'all <BR>
** Ladytron - Times Arrow <BR>
** Pretenders - Relentless <BR>
** Ringo Starr - Rewind Forward<BR>
** Sea Lemon - Stop at Nothing <BR>
** Speedy Ortiz - Rabbit Rabbit <BR>
** This Is The Kit - Careful of Your Keepers <BR>
** We Are Scientists - Lobes<BR>Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-34646022168452882422023-12-22T22:06:00.000-08:002023-12-22T22:06:55.606-08:00Brightwood (2022) **I'll allow for the over-reliance on close-ups given the miniscule budget of this absurdist relationship allegory. Good effort.Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6441499.post-43750685089893893852023-12-20T05:49:00.000-08:002023-12-20T05:49:19.699-08:00The Dead (1987) ***Lovingly crafted adaptation of the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004656/">Joyce</a> story.Buck Turgidsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18249673045052435629noreply@blogger.com0