Wet Powder, Powerful Powder This little disaster probably resulted from 9-11. I get the impression that the project was halted halfway through and was just shoved out in this form. No great loss. But it does have two interesting elements. The first is Lena Olin. I think she is one of the most interesting woman… Continue reading Ignition (2001)
Month: May 2022
If I Had a Million (1932)
Two Leers The thirties had more experiments in exploring genres than any other time. One of those was the episode genre. It has become only a curiosity in later years because a great many films (and most comedies) are just a series of episodes loosely connected. In this case, the connection is a millionaire who… Continue reading If I Had a Million (1932)
Idiot’s Delight (1939)
Marooned Movies from this era often fade into incomprehensibility when we take them away from the context in which they were made. These were after all intended as a disposable product, to live for only a few weeks. In this particular case, the movie follows a play that had some persistence before and afterward, so… Continue reading Idiot’s Delight (1939)
Identity (2003)
10 Conversations about One Thing About half of all films today are of the type that directly tinker with the narrative in some way. Usually the game is intended to play with the role of the viewer, tricking him into being a co-creator of the story. Sometimes it is simpler, where the writer takes the… Continue reading Identity (2003)
Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (2006)
Two Paths Full feature animation has settled into two paths which will never again pass. One is the long form narrative which makes animated films no different than most other movies, real movies. The other is a collection of jokes. Now there are lots of non-animated movies that have adopted this strategy as well, but… Continue reading Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (2006)
D-Tox (2002)
Ten Little Cops in Intensive Care I tracked this down because of Polly Walker, someone whose early film career was really impressive, and I got caught up in this rather interesting project. It attempts an awful lot, starting with an Agatha Christie mystery foundation, “Ten Little Indians” except in this case the ten are all… Continue reading D-Tox (2002)
I-Be Area (2007)
Gen R You should know that I have a great deal of patience for extreme films. I watched “The Falls” twice in one day. I dug through Matthew Barney, and patiently dug out some gems. I see merit in the early Jarman stuff. Korrine interests me. I presume that most things I encounter deserve to… Continue reading I-Be Area (2007)
I Remember Mama (1948)
Dismembered There are a few things to like about this: the framing and staging is extraordinary, as if George Stevens wanted to reinvent the eye after his war experiences. Some choreography is worth seeing over and over. I have recalled that bit about the window falling down for decades. The acting is generally very good… Continue reading I Remember Mama (1948)
I Married a Witch (1942)
Sullivan’s Possession Lake was a rising star when this was made, and it is clear that the story was engineered to highlight the charm of whoever starred. The previous year she did well in “Sullivan’s Travels”, something of a touchstone in film history. It was a so-called “folded” film, one that had a movie within… Continue reading I Married a Witch (1942)
I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958)
Watching Them Watching Us I suppose there are many ways of watching movies as there are of eating, a lot. But most folks seem to do it quickly, without savour. So from time to time it is worth watching an old movie with little merit just to see if you can escape the furrow plowed… Continue reading I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958)