The Screengrab

Somewhat lost in the shuffle of the endless top ten lists that appeared at the end of 2008 was this curiosity:  Stanley Fish's list of the ten best American movies of all time.  Fish, a legal scholar, literary theorist, philosopher, and author, is well known for his irascible opinions, unique antifundamentalist arguments, and ability to make friends -- and, just as easily, enemies -- on both sides of the ideological spectrum.  He's also a somewhat legendary film books, and several of his many books are peppered with analogies from and references to his favorite movies.

Fish is definitely a product of his time and place (as he'd be the first to admit), and his list relies pretty heavily on films that would have made a big impression on an urban male of his particular age.  The few modern movies that make his list range from the predictable (Raging Bull) to the surprising (Groundhog Day), but his commentary on all the films is worth reading, as he excercises his rare gift to cut to the heart of moral poses and contradictions -- as in his review of Sunset Blvd.:  "When the movie begins, Gillis comes across as a nice guy, somewhat down on his luck, and Norma Desmond (Swanson) comes across as an egomaniacal monster who pressures him into becoming her boy-toy. But even before the final incredible scene of Desmond descending a staircase while the camera, empty of film, rolls, she has earned the sympathy we extend to the terribly needy, and he has revealed himself to be the true monster, a betrayer of Desmond, of the young girl (NancyOlson) who sees more in him than there is, and of himself."

Read More...

SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)



Long before Robert Altman gave three quarters of the Screen Actors Guild an opportunity to parody and celebrate themselves in The Player, Billy Wilder managed to corral a Golden Age Who’s Who (including Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim, Buster Keaton, Hedda Hopper and Cecil B. DeMille, playing funhouse mirror versions of themselves) for a project which, even had it failed, would still have been a worthwhile snapshot of an epochal changing of the guard at the crossroads of Old Hollywood and the dawn of the modern era. But, of course, Sunset Boulevard didn’t fail: this classic dance of death between Swanson’s desperate, deluded has-been and William Holden’s bitterly conflicted never-was received critical hosannas, eleven Academy Award nominations and three wins, a fairly secure spot on the AFI list of the greatest American movies and a mediocre musical adaptation (a sure sign of massive cultural penetration). Box office-wise, the movie failed to click with the hix in the stix upon its initial release, possibly contributing to the movie industry’s ongoing conviction that Middle America has little interest in movies about (A) the movie industry and/or (B) monkey funerals.

Read More...

One of the nice things about living in a big city is that there's always a lot of big corporations with money to throw around.  If you're an aspiring filmmaker, they might just throw some at you!  Such is the case with the Silent Film Festival, which, despite the name, is actually a competition.

Here's how it works:   You make a film (silent, but it can be accompanied by live music) under three minutes long.  It revolves around one of these themes:

-  What is New York?

-  What's your favorite emotion?

-  What emotion is New York?

-  Your favorite ghost story 

No explicity nudity or violence; otherwise, go nuts.  Submit your work on a DVD in .mpeg or QuickTime format by August 11th, along with your full name, phone number, e-mail, mailing address, and a description of your fim, category, and inspiration to:

ATTN:  Silent Film Festival

60 E. 42nd Street Ste. #659; NY, NY  10165 

The ten best films will be displayed in a prominent place in the city by the competition's sponsor, a major Manhattan real estate developer.  In addition to the free publicity, the sponsors will also pay your way into two major film festivals (your choice) you'd like to submit the film to.  You can with any questions.

Read More...