Blog Directory CineVerse: July 2012

Forget J.R. Ewing -- Who shot Liberty Valance?

Sunday, July 29, 2012


On August 1, CineVerse will reveal “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” (1962; 123 minutes), directed by John Ford, chosen by Brian Hansen. Join us for one of the greatest westerns of them all (starring, of course, The Duke and James Stewart).

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"Face" value

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Want to learn more about "A Face in the Crowd," our CineVerse spotlight film last evening? Read on for discussion talking points and other elements we explored.

WHAT CAUGHT YOU BY SURPRISE ABOUT THIS FILM? HOW WOULD IT HAVE BEEN EYE-OPENING FOR 1957?
  • Andy Griffith’s range as an actor, beyond just a TV comedian
  • In 1957, this would have been somewhat controversial for its criticism of the media, Hollywood, and the relatively new medium of television and how they fool the masses
  • There are several long takes, purposely reminiscent of John Ford’s directorial style, as director Elia Kazan admired Ford
  • Thematically, the film feels far ahead of its time and prescient, as if it predicted the phenomenon of the overnight sensation/instant celebrity and the power of the media over guillable audiences
  • The film plays as a sort of political horror movie
  • It can be argued that it’s a bit too long, especially for a 1950s movie
THEMES TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS PICTURE
  • The dangers of the unchecked power of celebrity and the media
  • Don’t be fooled by appearances; value substance and don’t be afraid to ask questions
LONESOME RHODES THE CHARACTER WAS DRAWN FROM MANY CELEBRITIES AND FAMOUS NAMES OF THE DAY. CAN YOU CITE ANY POSSIBLE INFLUENCES ON THIS CHARACTER?
  • Arthur Godfrey, the radio/TV star and talent scout
  • Will Rogers, with his charismatic, folksy charm on radio and in movies
  • John Henry Faulk, a country comedian
  • Ronald Reagan, whom the filmmakers said they were making a movie about
  • Uncle Don Carney, a 1950s TV personality who hosted a popular kids show
  • Billy Graham the preacher/televangelist
  • Huey Long
  • Elvis
CAN YOU SEE ANY LONESOME RHODES QUALITIES/COMPARISONS IN POLITICIANS AND TV PERSONALITIES OF THE LAST 20 YEARS?
  • Bill Clinton and Hillary (Patricia Neal’s character)
  • Lee Atwater
  • Ross Perot
  • Fred Thompson
  • Mike Huckabee
WHAT OTHER FILMS OR WORKS OF LITERATURE REMIND YOU OF “A FACE IN THE CROWD”?
  • Billy Wilder’s Ace in the Hole for its cynical view of America and the media
  • The Sweet Smell of Success for its equally acidic take on media manipulation
  • Frank Capra’s Meet John Doe, in which another character rises up out of nowhere to be manufactured as a media/political superstar
  • Wild in the Streets, which is somewhat of a remake
  • Nashville, which features similar characters and political situations
  • Pygmalion in reverse, in that the woman shapes the man
  • Frankenstein, in how a monster is created and unleashed and then must be destroyed
 OTHER FILMS BY ELIA KAZAN
  • A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
  • Gentleman’s Agreement
  • A Streetcar Named Desire
  • Viva Zapata!
  • On the Waterfront
  • East of Eden
  • Splendor in the Grass

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Not just another pretty "Face"

Sunday, July 22, 2012


Andy Griffith was more than just an affable sheriff in a podunk town. Witness his acting chops on July 25 when CineVerse explores “A Face in the Crowd” (1957; 126 minutes), directed by Elia Kazan, chosen by Dan Quenzel.

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Take a bigger bite from "Delicatessen"

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Last evening, CineVerse unwrapped a sumptuous main course: "Delicatessen," a quirky film that defies categorization. For those who wish to better understand the ingredients that make this film so unique and enjoyable, here's a rundown of our discussion talking points:

HOW DOES "DELICATESSEN" DEFY YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND SURPRISE YOU AS A VIEWER?

  • When cannibalism is introduced as a subplot/theme, you perhaps expect the movie to delve into dark horror conventions and be more gory and graphic, but it isn't: the film can be very lighthearted and sweet at times
  • It's a distinctive study in contrasts, blending romance with horror, laughs with suspense
  • It relies more on clever sound design than a proper traditional musical score
  • It employs an oversaturated color scheme of earth tones like brown, yellow, green and orange for a unique atmosphere and look
  • While the compositions, colors and overall visuals of the movie capture our attention, this is a movie that relies on strong, interesting characters to capture our imaginations
  • Tonally, it feels very postmodern, despite its 1950s setting, as if it often attempts to be "weird" for the sake of being weird
IF YOU WERE TO PLACE THIS FILM ON A VIDEO SHELF UNDER A CERTAIN CATEGORY (BESIDES "FOREIGN"), WHAT CATEGORY WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
  • It's hard to classify this film within any specific genre: it works as a comedy, drama, fantasy, horror film, science-fiction movie, and romance
WHAT ARE THE MOVIE'S GREATEST STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES?
  • Arguably, it benefits from interesting characters, an intriguing setup and escape plot, and bravura editing and sound design
  • It could be criticized for being too disparate in tone and mood, for being "too quirky" and eclectic, and for possibly lacking a predominant theme or "moral to the story."
CAN YOU CONJECTURE ANY INFLUENCES IN FILM OR LITERATURE THAT POSSIBLY INSPIRED "DELICATESSEN"?
  • The dystopian, oddly fantastical movies of Terry Gilliam, such as "Brazil" and "Time Bandits"
  • The cruel humor of Grimm's fairy tales
  • Sweeney Todd and the Danish comedy The Green Butcher (both stories of cannibalism)
  • The successful silent comedy and slapstick formula evidenced in films by Laurel and Hardy and Buster Keaton
  • The films of Alfred Hitchcock, also known for their wry black comedy leanings and dark themes without relying on blood or gore
  • Mission Impossible
  • The works of surrealist masters like Luis Buneul and Salvador Dali, as well as filmmakers Marcel Carne and Jacques Prevert, all of whom the directors of "Delicatessen" cited as influences
  • The cartoonist and inventor Rube Goldberg
OTHER FILMS BY CO-DIRECTORS JEAN-PIERRE JEUNET AND MARC CARO
  • The City of Lost Children
  • Alien: Resurrection (Jeunet)
  • Amelie (Jeunet)
  • A Very Long Engagement (Jeunet)

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Enjoy dinnertime at the "Delicatessen"

Sunday, July 15, 2012


On July 18, CineVerse will offer World Cinema Wednesday, with a special import from France: “Delicatessen” (1991; 99 minutes), directed by Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, chosen by Gail Bingenheimer.

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Everything you ever wanted to know about Annie Hall

Thursday, July 12, 2012

If you enjoyed last evening's exploration of "Annie Hall," or want to better understand how and why this film works, here is a summary of our CineVerse discussion talking points:

WHAT IS INNOVATIVE, DIFFERENT AND REFRESHING ABOUT ANNIE HALL, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT WAS RELEASED IN 1977?

  • It was a different take on the romantic comedy, a movie about the breakup and what led to it, as opposed to the "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back" boring formula or a romcom that ends up in marriage
  • It is non-chronological in structure, bouncing around in time and space with flashbacks, breaking the fourth wall by addressing the audience, stream-of-consciousness scenes, etc.
  • It's a semi-autobiographical picture, in that Alvy is like Allen--nervous, paranoid, nebbish, and Allen also had a real-life relationship with Keaton
  • It uses a variety of interesting techniques to help tell its story:   
    •  direct addresses to the camera: Reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman films, and films such as Strange Interlude (1932), or Alfie (1966) with Michael Caine  
    • memory-flashbacks and other flashbacks: Influenced, in part, by Citizen Kane (1941)
    • adult time-travel back to childhood: Reminiscent of Bergman's Wild Strawberries (1957)
    • interjections into the scene (unseen by others): Reminiscent of Bergman's Persona (1960) 
    •  the sudden production of a real-life character ( "Boy, if life were only like this"): Author Marshall McLuhan appears, to conveniently settle an argument 
    •  split screens, and conversations across the two screens: The dual psychiatrist scene, and the conversation between the two families 
    •  transformations: Alvy becomes a bearded Hasidic Jew while visiting Annie's anti-Semitic family 
    •  double-exposed action: Annie's ghost scene 
    •  subtitles that contradict the action: The famous balcony scene 
    •  voice-over commentary and asides to the camera or to complete strangers about the events of the film 
    •  dialogue between two introspective voice-overs 
    • animation: The Snow White cartoon
  • It influenced fashion design in the way Keaton dressed
  • It was a marked departure from Allen's previous 5 films, which were more exercises in absurd, irreverent, anarchic comedy that seemed to spoof various genres, such as "Bananas" satirizing war films; Annie Hall demonstrated a greater focus and blending of comedic and dramatic elements from Allen
  •  It isn't afraid to be a "zeitgeist" movie of its time: it's very centered in its specific time and place in 1977 New York, which runs the risk of dating the film, yet imbues it with a timeless time-capsule sheen
  • Allen lingers on characters and scenes longer than typical filmmakers of the day: his average shot length is about 15 seconds a shot vs an average of 4 seconds per shot for other 1977 movies
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE IMPORTANT THEMES EXPLORED IN "ANNIE HALL"?
  • The paradox of love: how it's both necessary and absurd
  • How most relationships usually fail and are reliant on factors that are primarily random and arbitrary to succeed
  • Intellectual elitism and pomposity
  • Life has a lot of limitations, but art (including film and writing) has the transformative power to shape reality and offer some degree of control: Alvy (and Allen) uses cinema to revisit the past, obtain more control over reality and better understand his problems and his failed relationships.
  • The power to transform: Alvy changes into an Hasidic Jew; Annie changes, from a shy wallflower to an active, energetic artist; Rob relocates to L.A. and accepts its lifestyle
  • How geographical location shapes one's identity: Alvy is associated with New York, a gloomy, socially cold and claustrophobic place, like himself; those from California are depicted as shallow, vapid and superficial.
  • The importance of performance: sexual performance, professional performance (Alvy is a comedian, Rob is an actor, Annie is a singer), etc.
ANNIE HALL IS FILLED WITH PARADOXES AND IRONIES. CAN YOU CITE ANY EXAMPLES?
  •  Alvy criticizes and is irritated by the very group (intellectual and artistic New Yorkers) he wants to be accepted by
  • Alvy is amazed by Annie's cultural background, but ridicules her for it
  • Alvy urges Annie to better herself and keep singing, but when she has success, he is unsupportive and controlling. In this way, Annie Hall is like Pygmalion--Alvy wants to shape Annie to his mold until she discovers the independence and self-confidence to go on her on.
  • Alvy uses the famous Groucho line about he wouldn't want to belong to any club that would have him as a member
IS THE FILM TOO SET IN ITS TIME AND PLACE (1977 NEW YORK) TO BE RELEVANT TODAY? IS IT TOO DATED?

OTHER FILMS AND WORKS THAT ANNIE HALL BRINGS TO MIND:
  • The Marx Brothers' movies
  • When Harry Met Sally
  • Forget Paris
  • The films of Ingmar Bergman
  • Pygmalion and My Fair Lady

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Annie Hall calls

Sunday, July 8, 2012


On July 11, CineVerse will shine the spotlight on Woody Allen, with “Annie Hall” (1977; 93 minutes), directed by Woody Allen, chosen by Danealle Kueltzo.

Note: we will feature a different film from Allen once a month over the next few months. OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS

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No CineVerse meeting on July 4

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Just a reminder that CineVerse will not meet on July 4 due to the Independence Day holiday. We will reconvene on July 11 with "Annie Hall." Hope to see you then!

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