Alone in the Dark

The Contrarian in the Dark: The Anti-Oscar Nominations of 2012: Best Supporting Actor

2012-02-12T17:32:00.000-07:00

The Contrarian in the Dark: The Anti-Oscar Nominations of 2012: Best Supporting Actor

Alone in the Dark Film Blog's annual film nomination list derived entirely from the brilliant, yet under-appreciated performances overlooked by the Academy Award nomination committee. We select the year's most compelling and brilliant performances and films NOT on the official ballot. You won't find the usual cloying, middle-America, Studio-padded Oscar-fodder here- only the best of the year in American cinema.

John Hawkes for Martha Marcy Mae Marlene

Mesmerizing, seductive, and understated; John Hawkes is riveting in his raw portrayal of the cult-leader Patrick in Sean Durkin's astonishingly assured debut. The reliably brilliant Hawkes plays it like Bergman directing Charles Manson in a chilling masterstroke- and yet again makes his case as America's greatest- and most underrated- character actor.

Albert Brooks for Drive

Perhaps the most infamous Academy snub since Gene Hackman failed to garner a nod for the Royal Tenenbaums- Albert Brooks seething undercurrent of "viciousness with a whisper" in Drive was captivating and terrifying. While Nicolas Refn's film may have been overrated, his stoic use of Albert Brooks was anything but.

Armie Hammer for J. Edgar

Armie Hammer may just be the best thing in Clint Eastwood's ambitious biopic. Mr. Hammer brings a quiet dignity and tender nuance to the alleged love interest of the title character in a simply (and subtlety) beautiful performance.

Noah Taylor for Submarine

A darkly comic and brilliantly subversive turn by the beloved Noah Taylor in one of the great under-watched and over-appreciated films of the year. Can a film with the line "My mum gave a handjob to a mystic" NOT be amazing?

Patton Oswalt for Young Adult

Playing a steadfast and wounded Hephaestus to Charlize Theron's promiscuous and icy Aphrodite, Oswalt fearlessly adorns the mantle of raw vulnerability and scarring honesty in his best turn since Big Fan. (See Oswalt's glorious snub rant HERE!)

Terry Gilliam on the Genius of Kubrick and Why Spielberg's Films Are Meaningless Drivel

2012-02-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

Terry Gilliam on the Genius of Kubrick and Why Spielberg's Films Are Meaningless Drivel

Our friends at Tuner Classic Movies shared this gem from an interview with director Terry Gilliam which included, among other topics, a passionate defense of his open disdain for Hollywood and the American Studio System. We could comment, but Terry says it best. Enjoy, learn, and share.

"It (Hollywood) is an abominable place...if there was an Old Testament God, he would do his job and wipe the place out..." - Terry Gilliam, excerpt from interview with New York Times, 2005.

The Contrarian: The Anti-Oscars Nominations 2012- Best Actress

2012-02-07T16:19:00.000-07:00

The Contrarian in the Dark: The Anti-Oscar Nominations of 2012: Best Actress

Alone in the Dark Film Blog's annual film nomination list derived entirely from the brilliant, yet under-appreciated performances overlooked by the Academy Award nomination committee. We select the year's most compelling and brilliant performances and films NOT on the official ballot. You won't find the usual cloying, middle-America, Studio-padded Oscar-fodder here- only the best of the year in American cinema.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture:

Kirsten Dunst for Melancholia

Dunst's staggeringly poignant and understated examination of nihilism in the wake of depression is heartbreaking, courageous, and triumphant.

Rachael Harris for Natural Selection

It may be unexpected, but it shouldn't be- Rachael Harris manages to defy the cliche of the "beautiful performance" simply because it is.

Jessica Chastain for Tree of Life / Take Shelter / Coriolanus

You saw her in the Help...you should love her for Tree of Life, Take Shelter, and Coriolanus. Those fearing a void in the wake of the Streep era, take heart- America, get used to Jessica Chastain.

Charlize Theron for Young Adult

Theron's Mavis proves more terrifying, evil, and dysfunctional than Aileen Wuornos in perhaps the most entertaining and subversive role of the year.

Elizabeth Olsen for Martha Marcy May Marlene

The breakout performance of the year. Brilliant. Daring. Captivating. In one fell swoop, Ms. Olsen manages to restore the family name from years of abuse...

The Trailer Park: A First Look At Wes Anderson's New Film Moonrise Kingdom!

2012-01-13T06:51:00.000-07:00

The Trailer Park: A First Look At Wes Anderson's New Film Moonrise Kingdom!

Wes Anderson's return. No comment, just love.

Local Spotlight: FREE Screening TONIGHT of Selected Short Films of Stan Brakhage

2012-01-12T09:37:00.000-07:00

Local Spotlight: FREE Screening Tonight of Selected Short Films of Stan Brakhage at the Boulder Public Library

Selected Shorts by Stan Brakhage
Thursday, Jan. 12th at 6:30pm
Boulder Public Library, Main Library-Canyon Theater

This free retrospective honors the legendary CU Film Professor and innovative "Father of American Experimental Cinema" Stan Brakhage. Noted for his mostly non-narrative and lyrical examinations of the themes of sexuality, innocence, and mythology, Brakhage was a pioneer of experimental film whose then-revolutionary techniques included jump-cutting, painting onto film, scratching/manipulating the celluloid surface, and hand-held takes.

The prolific director served as a professor of film studies at the University of Colorado Boulder from 1981-2002. Revered as one of the most influential American filmmakers of the 20th century, this free screening celebrates a sampling of his rarest work.

For a full screening listing, visit the Library Cinema Program's website HERE.

Mothlight (1963)- Dir. Stan Brakhage

Short Film Showcase: Birdboy (2011) Spain

2012-01-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

Short Film Showcase: Birdboy (2011) Spain, 12 mins. Directed by Alberto Vazquez and Pedro Rivero.

Based on Alberto Vazquez's groundbreaking 2007 Spanish graphic novel Psiconautas, Birdboy teams the author with filmmaker Pedro Rivero to present a darkly fascinating post-modern fable. Toying with themes of totalitarianism, isolationism, and the struggle for dignity and freedom from repression.

Special thanks to our friends at YOUTUBE!

Visit the official site HERE.

Exclusive! Legendary Animator Bill Plympton Does "The 11" at The Alone in the Dark Film Blog!

2012-01-07T15:25:00.000-07:00

Legendary Animator Bill Plympton Does "The 11" at The Alone in the Dark Film Blog!

The 11 is the Alone in the Dark Film Blog's newest interview series, featuring exclusive discussions with our favorite cinematic cultural icons. One icon- eleven questions- unfiltered and without commentary. Join us for "the 11".

Season 1, Episode 1
"Bill Plympton Does the 11"

Bill Plympton joins Jack Hanley for "the 11".

Legendary animator Bill Plympton is an icon of American animation whose amazing work includes the feature Idiots and Angels (2008) as well as over 25 animated shorts. From the Academy-Award nominated short Your Face, to his collaboration with Kanye West, to his recent submission to the Academy's Best Animated Short category, The Cow Who Wanted to Be A Hamburger, Plympton has personally hand-drawn every single frame of his amazing canon of clever and innovative work. Bill's genius can soon be seen in the upcoming feature documentary Adventures in Plymptoons and he recently joined the Alone in the Dark Film Blog to discuss his influences, animation blogs, Disney vs Avery, French cinema, and his place in the new Canon of American Animators.

Learn more about the brilliant Bill Plympton:

Bill Plympton Studios

Scribble Junkies: The Animation Blog of Patrick Smith and Bill Plympton

Bill's animated music video for Kanye West- Heard 'Em Say

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

2012-01-05T07:26:00.000-07:00

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

A.K.A. "Why I watch the Independent Spirit Awards"- A Cinephile's examination of the most egregious errors in judgement by the Academy Awards.

#5. Life is Like a Box of Chocolates- Pulp Fiction Loses Best Picture to Forrest Gump

More Hallmark Television special than provocative cinema, the schmaltzy and cloying Forrest Gump proved a nice showcase for the talented former half of "Bosom Buddies"- it was NOT, however, the Best Picture of 1994. In a field that boasted the engaging Shawshank Redemption, the vastly under-appreciated Quiz Show and the groundbreaking Pulp Fiction, the saccharine-soaked Forrest Gump's unusually populist victory seemed only to prove that the "voting Members of the Academy" were indeed made up of the screenwriters of Lifetime Network, your Grandmother, and the Republican National Convention. Despite winning the Palm d'Or at Cannes and a slew of national and international Critic's Awards for Best Picture, in the States Pulp had to settle for the lesser known (and ironically more reliable) Best Original Screenplay Oscar- slyly known in film circles as the "Actual Best Picture That Was Not Safe For Rural America" award.

(See the hilarious Presentation of the Best Original Screenplay Award HERE)

Pulp Fiction was not merely the best film of the year- it proved to be a cinematic game-changer, forever altering our cinematic ideas about celluloid postmodernism, neo-noir, and stylistic dynamism. Pulsing, brilliant, innovative and magnificent, the French at Cannes certainly appreciated Pulp for what it really was- the most influential and groundbreaking film not only of 1994- but of the entire decade.

Don't Blame Me...I Voted For Pulp Fiction.

The Trailer Park: First Look At Jiro Dreams of Sushi

2012-01-03T19:32:00.000-07:00

The Trailer Park: First Look At Jiro Dreams of Sushi

The debut film of David Gelb follows the extraordinary life of perhaps the world's greatest sushi chef, the legendary Jiro Ono. This touching and funny masterpiece centers on the trials and travails of navigating art, life, passion, tradition, legacy, and the daily pursuit of perfection.

Official Site

TCM Remembers: 2011

2011-12-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

TCM Remembers: 2011

Our friends at Turner Classic Movies remember those in Cinema whom we lost this year. Background music provided by OK Sweetheart with the amazing song Before You Go.

Gotham Kicks Off Award Season With Indie Awards

2011-11-29T06:44:00.000-07:00

Gotham Kicks Off Award Season

New York's best kept little indie secret officially launched the cinematic award season last night at the Gotham Independent Film Awards. While admittedly no indicator of the larger award venues, the Gotham has proved a reliable precursor to exposing alternative and independent films to alternative and independent audiences before the likes of the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards do their best to snuff out cinematic innovation. Boasting a mere seven categories, the Gothams (brainchild of the Independent Filmmaker's Project) managed to out indie the indie award show genre with the besting of several of this year's independent favorites (Martha Marcy May Marline, Descendants Director Alexander Payne, and actors Elizabeth Olsen and Michael Shannon) by relative newcomers. Visit the Gotham Awards site HERE for a complete list of winners and nominees.

Winners of the 2011 Gotham Film Awards By Category:

Audience Choice Award:

Girlfriend: Directed by Justin Lerner

Best Film NOT Playing At A Theater Near You:

Scenes of a Crime: Directed by Blue Hadaegh & Grover Babcock

Breakthrough Actor:

Felicity Jones for Like Crazy

Breakthrough Director:

Dee Rees for Pariah

Best Ensemble Performance:

The Cast of Beginners

Best Documentary:

Better This World: Directed by Kelly Duane and Katie Galloway

Best Feature:

TIE: Tree of Life: Directed by Terrance Malick and Beginners: Directed by Mike Mills

The Trailer Park: First Look At Sergei Loznitsa's My Joy

2011-11-25T13:17:00.001-07:00

The Trailer Park: First Look At Sergei Loznitsa's My Joy

Legendary Ukrainian documentation Sergei Loznitsa collaborates with master cinematographer Oleg Mutu in his first fiction outing that follows a traveler into a Dantean descent through the terrifying (and hilarious) bowels of the remote Russian countryside. Described by Sight and Sound as "...the Ukrainian answer to Deliverance..", My Joy is the first Ukrainian film ever to compete for the Palm d'Or.

Learn More About Loznitsa HERE.
Official Site

The Essential Top 5: Essential Thanksgiving Films NOT Featuring John Candy

2011-11-23T17:21:00.001-07:00

The Essential Top 5: The Top 5 Thanksgiving Films Not Featuring John Candy

The good and proper Thursday celebration of our systematic genocide of the Wampanoag peoples should rightfully include three vital elements of the tradition: the dejected shuffle of the defeated Detroit Lions; awkward (and inebriated) familial maneuverings; and the post-poultry, tryptophaned recline into Thanksgiving Day cinema.
If Alone in the Dark had its way, there would be a mandatory scheduled run of the brilliant "first-contact" Terrance Malick epic The New World to serve as a beautifully crafted, post-colonialist digestif.

Our Essential Top Five list denotes a clear objective: firstly, that the films must be a selection of the best American cinema that uniquely blends this most American of holidays into the narrative or theme; and secondly, no easy deferrals to the most nostalgically saccharin of the Turkey-canon fluff films- no matter how poignant we find Del Griffith's subway bench pathos.

Indeed, a great Thanksgiving film should mirror the Day itself in an examination and rumination of our most basic human tragedy- the careful negotiations round the pitfalls and precipices of towering familial dysfunction. With alcohol.

#5: House of Yes (1997) Dir. Mark Waters

This quirky and sharp adaptation of Wendy MacLeod's more quirky and sharp play clearly succeeds better on the stage- yet this charming cautionary tale of American suburban dysfunction is worth viewing if only for the stand-alone bravado of Parker Posey's singularly daring and splendid performance.

#4: Pieces of April (2003) Dir. Peter Hedges

Screenwriter and novelist Peter Hedges took the Sundance chic by storm with his amazingly modern and fresh take on the oldest of Thanksgiving cliches- the reunion of the long-absent and dysfunctional family. His amazing film debut proved a thought-provoking and expertly acted template for the other legion of quietly underrated indie darling hits to follow. Pieces of April proved two inescapable facts- that a film without a budget can be amazingly effective if the script and performance are of the highest order, and, perhaps most surprisingly, that Katie Holmes really can act.

#3: Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) Dir. Woody Allen

A masterpiece of humanity, family, and the complexity of the construction of our relationships. This literate and eloquent comedy never feels coerced or constructed- it is (like love and family) all to heart-wrenchingly real.

#2: The Ice Storm (1997) Dir. Ang Lee

Ang Lee's hauntingly disturbing take of Rick Moody's brilliant novel of the same name transposes Shakespearean tragedy to the wealthy Connecticut clans who, despite a most noble facade, teeter perilously near ruin. This film is a subtle masterpiece of superior acting with shockingly nuanced performances. Moody's novel treads familial tragedies of Updikean proportions, with the stillness and muted undertones of dignity that only Lee seems best to portray.

#1: Nobody's Fool (1994) Dir. Robert Benton

The meditations on family, life, and growing old never seemed so gritty, authentic, or quietly subdued than the endearing adaptation of Richard Russo's novel. Less a film than a nuanced character study, Paul Newman delivers perhaps his finest performance amid a score of equally amazing turns by Bruce Willis, Phillip Hoffman, Jessica Tandy, and the surprising Pruitt Taylor Vince. Simply a Masterpiece.

Cinema Challenge #3: Ten Best American Snow Films

2011-11-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

Cinema Challenge #3: Ten Best American Snow Films

It all started with coffee and pie after the fantastically campy Norwegian horror film "Dod Sno"- (Dead Snow)- featuring a group of med students winter vacationing in Norway who find themselves fighting Nazi Zombies looking for their stolen gold. Allow me to repeat...NAZI ZOMBIES and SNOW. Does it get any better? Our post-film debate spawned the newest challenge- choose the 10 best American snow films. Thus- here are Alone In the Dark's ten greatest films incorporating the best use of snow. Now before the comments start, I enforced a strict rule that winter/snow must make up the majority of the film. There were plenty of GREAT films with sparse snow scenes (Citizen Kane, Groundhog Day, Empire Strikes Back) and plenty of mediocre films with great use of snow (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger and 30 Days of Night). These are 10 Great Films in which snow might just well be considered not only a backdrop- but a minor character. Pull up your parka and enjoy.

#1. Fargo

The best picture of 1996 and perhaps the best snow picture ever made with perhaps the greatest modern American feminist heroine of all time. Fargo is dark, daring, and deliciously dangerous. Satirically icy and macabre, the Coen Brothers take a snow day in the Scandinavian auteur tradition to deftly deconstruct the devolution of the American value system. Is snow the new rain in Red-state Neo-Noir? Yah, you betcha!

Silent Film Sundays: FULL SCREENING of The Kid (1921) by Charlie Chaplin

2011-11-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

Silent Film Sundays: The Kid (1921) by Charlie Chaplin

Enjoy this free, full screening of Charles Chaplin's first full-length feature film.
Brought to you courtesy of our friends at Viso Cinema and You Tube!

The Celluloid Canon: Philip Seymour Hoffman

2011-10-06T13:31:00.001-06:00

The Celluloid Canon: Philip Seymour Hoffman

Philip Seymour Hoffman
American Actor

Breakout Film:

Boogie Nights (1997)

Troika- Essential Viewing:

Happiness (1998); Capote (2005); Doubt (2008)

Underrated Masterwork:

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

Hallmarks:

Misfits; The Powerless; Outcasts

Scene of Distinction:

Frequent Collaborators:

Paul Thomas Anderson; David Mamet

Hoffman on Hoffman:

"People actually live with their id exposed. They're not good at concealing what's going on inside."

The 20 Worst Mistakes In Academy Award History

2011-10-04T07:08:00.000-06:00

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

A.K.A. "Why I Watch the Independent Spirit Awards"
A Cinephile’s examination of the most egregious errors in judgment by the Academy Awards.

#6: Oscar Gets Nauseous Due To "Vertigo".

Could it be that 1950's America was simply not ready for an acrophobic protagonist consumed with erotic obsession, misogynistic fetishism, and a penchant for necrophilic proclivities? Despite a universal modern cinematic re-evaluation that guarantees it a spot on every cinematic top-ten list (and mandatory inclusion in every film program curriculum), Vertigo opened in 1958 to only tepid reviews and the creeped-out expressions of an audience not particularly amused to witness the poster-boy of "aw-shucks" headlining a surrealist Hitchcockian departure into experimentalism, sexual politics and erotic identity issues. (Not to mention the Nabokovian labyrinth of a 50 year old Stewart pawing at a 25 year old Novak.)

Hitch's masterpiece went conspicuously AWOL from the 31st Academy Awards with mercy nods in Best Sound and Best Art Direction (Black and White); and while it is improbable that Stewart failed to garner a Best Actor nomination in a field led by David Niven, it is simply inconceivable that Vertigo was deemed a lesser picture than Auntie Mame, Separate Tables, The Defiant Ones, and the eventual winner of Best Picture, Gigi. The next time you get the urge to go all Mad-men nostalgic, don't forget that "the greatest generation" torpedoed arguably the greatest American film ever made for a musical rip-off of My Fair Lady.

Toasting the American Cultural Void!

SHORT FILM SHOWCASE: Hotel Chevalier (2007)

2011-10-01T10:38:00.000-06:00

Hotel Chevalier (USA) 2007
Directed by Wes Anderson

Brought to you by our friends at Youtube!

Learn more about director Wes Anderson at arguably the greatest of his fan sites: The Rushmore Academy

The Trailer Park: A First Look at Lars von Trier's Melancholia

2011-09-23T06:56:00.000-06:00

The Trailer Park: A First Look at Lars von Trier's Melancholia

A first glimpse at Lars von Trier's upcoming masterpiece centered on the excruciatingly meditative deconstruction of one family on the verge of both a metaphorical- and literal- Apocalypse. A brilliant showpiece of artistic cinema teemed with a performance by Kirsten Dunst that should prove legendary.

www.melancholiathemovie.com/

Local Spotlight: Life and Death Matters Film Festival

2011-08-31T12:12:00.001-06:00

Boulder's LaD Matters Film Festival September 1-4!


"Undertow" Dir. Javier Fuentes-Leon

The elusive comprehensions of life, death, and the journeys between them are beautifully examined at the first annual LAD Matters Film Festival in Boulder. Running from September 1st-4th at the legendary Nomad Theatre, this innovative fest is a celebration of the moments- and magic- that punctuate that journey.

Festival founders Karen van Vuuren and Erin Kelly launched LaD with the goal of celebrating cinema in a showcase that is "...provocative, educational, and inspirational, promoting a more conscious approach to how we live and how we die."

Blessedly free of Hollywood commercialism this cinematic deconstruction of life and death boasts an international cache of submissions spanning several genres and mediums.

In the Short Film Competition, notable gems include the awarding winning animated Australian short Mary and Max; the brilliant and innovative short documentary My Mother Said (Kuna Ni Nanang); and the subversive animated short about fame, 5 Minutes Each.

Feature highlights from the Feature Length Competition include the harrowing Mid-East documentary Little Town of Bethlehem and the Sundance Film Festival darling Undertow (Contracorriente).


"Little Town of Bethlehem" Dir. Jim Hanon

The addition of live theater, seminars, educational workshops and filmmaker panels sets the LAD Fest apart from the traditional festival format. Special guests include an appearance by bestselling author, professor, and autism advocate Temple Grandin.

You can view the entire Festival Schedule HERE.

Join Alone in the Dark as we bring you daily coverage of the entire festival, including reviews and filmmaker profiles!

The LaD Matter Film Festival is located at the Nomad Theatre at 1410 Quince Ave in Boulder.
For directions and maps, click HERE

Visit the Festival Website at www.ladmatters.com

The Trailer Park: First look at Alex de la Iglesia's The Last Circus

2011-08-25T11:56:00.000-06:00

The Trailer Park: First look at Alex de la Iglesia's The Last Circus

First look at The Last Circus, the latest film by Spanish cult-film legend Alex de la Iglesia. Set in a circus during the Spanish Civil War, the film is a grotesquely beautiful and surrealist love letter to the absurdity of life under Franco. This stunningly shot opus was the toast of the Venice Film Festival.
Be sure to bone-up on your de la Iglesia film primer with the 1995 cult masterpiece The Day of the Beast.

www.thelastcircusmovie.com/

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

2011-08-24T06:40:00.000-06:00

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

A.K.A. "Why I Watch the Independent Spirit Awards"
A Cinephile’s examination of the most egregious errors in judgment by the Academy Awards.

#7. Oscar Snubs Auteurs

We cannot muster more than to point out- Three 6 Mafia and Sandra Bullock: 1 Oscar Each.

Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick: 0 Combined.

Stay hopeful, Tommy Wiseau...this IS Hollywood.

Local Spotlight: Boulder Screening of El Bulli: Cooking in Progress

2011-08-22T06:48:00.000-06:00

Boulder Theater Screening of El Bulli: Cooking in Progress Tuesday Night!

Boulder Theater presents an intimate portrait of the world's finest restaurant- and the creative genius behind it's menu- in El Bulli: Cooking in Progress. Filmmaker Gereon Wetzel takes you behind the seasonally closed doors of the world renown Catalonian landmark to witness the witchcraft of arguably the world's most innovate head chef Ferran Adria as he labors to deliver he next season's menu.

Wetzel's character study is a loving portrait of the culinary juggernaut, as masterfully crafted and carefully prepared as one of Adria's own creations. The filmmaker's lack of artistic flourish and cinematic innovation may dull the palate- but what Wetzel lacks in the avant-garde sensibilities of his subject, he more than makes up for in his ambition to document the hauntingly obsessive quest of a man in constant pursuit of culinary perfection.

El Bulli: Cooking in Progress screens at the Boulder Theater on Tuesday, August 23rd at 8pm. Doors open at 7; the film is rated for all ages. Tickets are 12.50.

CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS TO THE BOULDER THEATER

Learn more about the film at El Bulli the Movie and check out the Boulder Theater HERE.

Cinema Challenge #3: Ten Best American Snow Films

2011-08-13T11:34:00.000-06:00

Cinema Challenge #3: The Ten Best American Snow Films

It all started with coffee and pie after the fantastically campy Norwegian horror film "Dod Sno"- (Dead Snow)- featuring a group of med students winter vacationing in Norway who find themselves fighting Nazi Zombies looking for their stolen gold. Allow me to repeat...NAZI ZOMBIES and SNOW. Does it get any better? Our post-film debate spawned the newest challenge- choose the 10 best American snow films. Thus- here are Alone In the Dark's ten greatest films incorporating the best use of snow. Now before the comments start, I enforced a strict rule that winter/snow must make up the majority of the film. There were plenty of GREAT films with sparse snow scenes (Citizen Kane, Groundhog Day, Empire Strikes Back) and plenty of mediocre films with great use of snow (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger and 30 Days of Night). These are 10 Great Films in which snow might just well be considered not only a backdrop- but a minor character. Pull up your parka and enjoy.

#2. It's A Wonderful Life

Capra...Stewart...Christmas...Regret...Supernatural Intervention...Family...Redemption. Perfect.

FREE FILM FRIDAYS! Now Screening: City Lights (1931)

2011-08-12T06:47:00.000-06:00

FREE FILM FRIDAYS! Now Screening: City Lights (1931)

City Lights (1931) Directed by Charles Chaplin (USA)

Brought to you by our friends at You Tube!

Local Spotlight: Screening of White Material at the Boedecker TONIGHT!

2011-08-03T12:48:00.000-06:00

Local Spotlight: Claire Denis' White Material Screens Tonight At The Boedecker Theater In Boulder At 4:30.

Acclaimed French filmmaker Claire Denis' staggeringly beautiful film White Material screens this evening at the Boedecker Theater in Boulder. Released in 2009, the film is a triumph for both Denis' extraordinary auteur cinematic stylings and the mesmerizing performance of the great Isabelle Huppert.
Set in an unnamed African nation on the brink of civil war, White Material follows a white coffee plantation owner who refuses to abandon both her obligations and her coffee fields despite the constant threat of the violent repatriation of the African landscape.

White Material is a harrowing examination of the the ghosts of post-colonialist geopolitics. Claire Denis crafts each shot with passion and poetry, subtly blending her protagonist between the intimacy of the landscape and the potency of atrocity. Highly Recommended.

The Boedecker Theater is the cinematic extension of the Dairy Center for the Arts.
Screening begins at 4:30. Tickets are 10.00
The Dairy Center for the Arts | 2590 Walnut Street, Boulder, CO 80302
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BOEDECKER HERE.

SHORT FILM SHOWCASE: Jean-François (France) 2010

2011-08-02T20:11:00.000-06:00

Jean-François (France) 2010
Directed by Bruno Mangyoku and Tom Haugomat

Brought to you by Shortoftheweek.com and our friends at Vimeo

Jean-François (2009) from tom haugomat & bruno mangyoku on Vimeo.

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

2011-07-28T12:59:00.000-06:00

Despite topping 10 critic's "Best Film of 2008" lists and winning "Best Film" at the London Film Critic's Circle Awards, the Venice Film Festival, and the Independent Spirit Awards, Darren Aronofsky's dark masterpiece failed to even garner a nomination at the 81st Academy Awards. While the well-deserved Frost/Nixon and The Reader got due appreciation, the Academy chose (rather mystifyingly) to honor the insipid Milk, the "Curious Case of the Hollywood-System-Forrest-Gump-Plagiarization", and a Dickensian, saccharine-soaked Bollywood soap-opera. While the studio system (and Satan) laughed with delight, the Best Picture of 2008 was not even invited.

Je recommanderais - Week of July 25th

2011-07-26T19:45:00.000-06:00

Je recommanderais - Week of July 25th

Je recommanderais- Cinema

Tabloid- Director Errol Morris

Je recommanderais- DVD

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives- Dir. A Weerasethakul

Je recommanderais- Special Editions

50 Years of Janus Films: 50 DVD Boxed Set- Buy HERE

Je recommanderais- Classic Films on Television

The Exiles (1966) Directed by Kent MacKenzie on TCM, Friday July 29th at 3:15 AM (EST)

Je recommanderais- Film Event

Screening of 2001: A Space Odyssey @ the Denver Museum of Nature & Science on Wednesday, July 27th at 7pm. Buy Tickets HERE

FREE FILM FRIDAYS! Now Screening: Plan 9 From Outer Space

2011-07-15T19:40:00.000-06:00

Now Screening: Plan 9 From Outer Space (USA)

Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959) USA
Directed by Ed Wood

Brought to you by our friends at Internet Archive and Open Culture

COCO Takes On TCM TONIGHT!

2011-07-04T14:26:00.001-06:00

Conan O'Brien Is Guest Programmer Tonight on Turner Classic Movies

Tune in tonight to Turner Classic Movies as late-night legend Conan O'Brien joins TCM host Robert Osborne as guest programmer. As reported by TCM.com, long-time cinephile O'Brien has selected four films for the series relevant to his personal love-affair with film. "When I come home at night, I don't want to watch another talk show," he noted to Osborne. "...I want to watch you talking about classic movies". Join America's favorite late-night host as he waxes nostalgic about classic film, classic comedy, and his personal comedic influences.

Tune in tonight at 8pm ET/ 6pm MT to see Conan's selections:

Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) Directed by Michael Curtiz

"This is probably the movie that made me want to go into show business..."- Conan O'Brien

The Roaring Twenties (1939) Directed by Raoul Walsh

"It was his (Cagney) stock in trade, playing gangsters...but he does it with such a light touch."- Conan O'Brien

Network (1976) Directed by Sidney Lumet

On the relevance of "Network" to today's television milieu: "We're there- we're really there- right now!"- Conan O'Brien

Duck Soup (1933) Directed by Leo McCarey

(On Duck Soup) "...the best movie by the best comedians who ever lived."- Conan O'Brien

Check out future guest programmers at Turner Classic Movies and tune in nightly to TBS to watch Conan O'Brien. Chekc out COCO here!

FREE FILM FRIDAYS! Now Screening: Bob Le Flambeur

2011-07-01T07:10:00.000-06:00

Now Screening: Bob Le Flambeur (France)

Bob Le Flambeur (1956) France
Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville

Brought to you by hulu.com

SHORT FILM SHOWCASE: The Black Hole (UK) 2008

2011-06-30T16:47:00.000-06:00

The Black Hole- UK (2008)
Directed by Phil Sansom and Olly Williams

Brought to you by Furture Shorts (Click Here!)

Cinema Challenge #3: The Ten Best American Snow Films

2011-06-29T12:31:00.000-06:00

It started with the fantastically campy trailer for the Norwegian horror film "Dod Sno"- Dead Snow- featuring a group of med students winter vacationing in Norway who find themselves fighting Nazi Zombies looking for their stolen gold. NAZI ZOMBIES and SNOW. Does it get any fucking better? Our post-viewing debate spawned the newest challenge- choose the 10 best American snow films. Thus- here are my ten best films incorporating the best use of snow. Now before the comments start, I enforced a strict rule that winter/snow must make up the majority of the film. There were plenty of GREAT films with sparse snow scenes (Citizen Kane, Groundhog Day, Empire Strikes Back) and plenty of mediocre films with great use of snow (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger and 30 Days of Night). These are 10 Great Films in which snow might just well be considered not only a backdrop- but a minor character. Pull up your parka and enjoy...

#3: The Thing

The Thing (1982)
John Carpenter's Antarctic remake masterpiece of modern horror transcends mere FX on ice- it is a clever, conspiracy-driven Jungian examination of human nature that subtlety blends themes of isolation, claustrophobia, paranoia, and the unreal duality of the evolved and the primal. The Thing is witty, sharp and remains the definitive text of "Horror Film 101"- plus it has Kurt Russell (in all his bearded badassery) fucking up aliens in the snow. Winning!

Local Spotlight: Cinema Program Screening of Black Orpheus

2011-06-28T07:09:00.001-06:00

Local Spotlight: Screening of Orfeu Negro - June 30th at the Boulder Library Cinema Program

The 1959 Palm d'Or winner Black Orpheus screens at the Boulder Public Library's Cinema Program this Thursday, June 30th, at 6:30 at the Canyon Main Theater Library Screening Auditorium. Directed by the enigmatic French director Marcel Camus, this modern adaptation of the Greek legend also went on to win both the Academy Award and Golden Globe for the best Foreign Film of 1960.

Adapted from the brilliant play by the legendary Vinicius de Moraes, Black Orpheus juxtaposes the iconic legends of Orpheus and Eurydice into the modern lyrical context of Rio de Janeiro's Carnaval.

Shot primarily in Morro de Babilonia, the film is a dazzling saturation of sunlight, sensuality, and Samba. Boasting a mostly amateur cast and the groundbreaking soundtrack by the Brazilian greats Antônio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfá, Orpheus manages to transcend the deconstructionist confines of the art-house genre to a dazzling, rapturous homage to the lives- and loves- of the people of Rio de Janeiro. Under the directorial vision of Camus and through the cinematic eye of the brilliant cinematographer Jean Bourgoin, Orpheus, like a Carnaval, is an exotic, swirling, and mesmerizing feast of the senses.

Black Orpheus (1959) Directed by Marcel Camus
100 minutes. In Portuguese with English Subtitles
Thursday, June 30th at 6:30 PM.
FREE

Boulder Public Library Cinema Program Screenings are at Canyon Main Library Theater at 1000 Canyon Blvd.

For more information about the Boulder Public Library Cinema Program, contact Joel Haertling, Film Program Coordinator, at 303-441-3197 or email haertlingj@boulderlibrary.org.

Local Spotlight: "King of Indie Animation" Bill Plympton Book Signing at Borders at Flatirons Mall

2011-05-17T19:40:00.001-06:00

Local Spotlight: "King of Indie Animation" Bill Plympton Book Signing at Borders at Flatirons Mall

Meet the man critics and filmmakers call "The King of Indie Animation" and who Simpson's creator Matt Groening calls "God" this Thursday evening for a signing of his latest book, "“Independently Animated: Bill Plympton, the Life and Art of the King of Indie Animation.”

Plympton has been nominated for two Academy Awards for his short animated pieces, and his illustrations and cartoons have been featured in a host of notable publications, including The New York Times, Vogue, Rolling Stone, and Vanity Fair.

Plympton holds the distinction of being the only animator ever to illustrate every single frame of an animated feature entirely by himself. His new book details his amazing skill and vision, while offering insight into the vital importance of championing and supporting the Independent Film movement.

This book signing is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. You do NOT need to purchase a copy of the book to get a complementary sketch from this legendary illustrator.

WHAT:     An Evening with Bill Plympton- the "King of Indie Animation"
WHEN:    Thursday, May 19th at 5pm
WHERE: Borders Book Store, Flatirons Mall, Broomfield (1 West Flatiron Circle Village)
COST:    FREE!

Local Spotlight: Free Screening TONIGHT of "The Devil's Backbone" by the Bloody Celluloid Film Series

2011-05-13T13:43:00.000-06:00

FREE SCREENING TONIGHT of "The Devil's Backbone"
Hosted by the Bloody Celluloid Film Series

The Bloody Celluloid Film Series presents a free screening tonight of the 2001 Neo-Gothic , Spanish/Mexican cinematic masterpiece “El espinazo del Diablo” (The Devil’s Backbone) by director Guillermo del Toro TONIGHT (Friday, May 13th) at 7:30pm at the University of Colorado-Boulder, ATLAS Bldg. Room 100.

The Bloody Celluloid Film Series returns for its second season and remains Boulder’s ONLY free, international film series. Join series hosts Jack Hanley (of Stanczyk Productions and the Alone in the Dark
Film Blog) and Bryan and Baxter (of the Rocky Mtn. Paranormal Research Society) as they showcase both classic and contemporary Horror films from around the world.

The Devil’s Backbone was written and directed by Guillermo del Toro and independently produced by the great Pedro Almodóvar . This month’s moderated panel will feature a crash-course into the
Neo-Gothic Film Movement, a retrospective of the films of director Guillermo del Toro, trivia, door prizes, and the panel’s favorite “Ghost Movies” of all time.

All films are FREE and open to the public. The Bloody Celluloid Film Series screens at its home at the University of Colorado-Boulder in ATLAS Building, Room 100. Program begins at 7:30pm. The film has a
running time of 107 min and is in Spanish with English subtitles.

Any questions may be directed to Jack Hanley at jackhanleyco@gmail. OR
720-496-8809

Alone in the Dark Tribute: Krzysztof Komeda (1931-1969)

2011-04-27T19:42:00.000-06:00

Krzystof Komeda (1931-1969)
Polish Film Composer and Jazz Musician

On the 80th anniversary of his birth, Alone in the Dark remembers the prolific composer and jazz musician Krzystof Komeda. Born Krzystof Trzciński in Częstochowa, Poland, Krzystof assumed the pseudonym "Komeda" to evade the persecution of the Communist regime, who deemed the genre of Jazz as both imperialistic and subversive. From Warsaw's "catacomb" Romantic Jazz movement, Komeda quickly garnered the attention of Europe's rising directors- among them Roman Polanski and Andrzej Wajda.
Best known for his film scores and frequent collaborations with the Young Polish film movement, Komeda provided the scores for such cinematic masterpieces as Polanski's "Knife in the Water", "Cul-de-sac", and "Rosemary's Baby" as well as the Norwegian social-realist masterpiece "Hunger".

Despite his groundbreaking success in cinema, Komeda is best remembered as one of Eastern Europe's most innovative composers of the Modern Jazz movement. His critically acclaimed 1965 album Astigmatic, was immediately hailed among the most important European jazz albums of all time.

Tragically, at the height of his career, Komeda died under mysterious circumstances of a brain hemorrhage after a drinking binge with the legendary Polish writer Marek Hlasko. Today, on the anniversary of his birth, the "catacomb" bars and clubs of the Polish Jazz scene pay tribute to one of it's most gifted visionaries.

Inconnu XXV: The Top 25 Films You Haven't Watched- But Should.

2011-04-09T21:53:00.000-06:00

Inconnu XXV: The Top 25 Films You Haven't Watched- But Should.

#23. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

Cinephiles the world over mourn the death today of the legendary and visionary director Sidney Lumet. His astonishing Canon includes some of the most beautiful and prolific films of our- or any- generation. From the earth-shattering 12 Angry Men to the gritty realism of Serpico and Dog Day Afternoon, to the morally complex Network and the Verdict, Lumet's dedication to naturalism and the Neorealist tradition proved true the words of Academy of Motion Pictures President Frank Pierson- "Lumet is one of the most important film directors in the history of American cinema, and his work has left an indelible mark on both audiences and the history of film itself."

Ironically, Lumet's last feature film- Before the Devil Knows You're Dead- remains both his least viewed and under-appreciated. This non-linear morality tale of greed, compulsion, and familial dysfunction is not just a great film- it is a masterpiece. Despite cracking the top-ten film lists of 2007 by over 20 critics, the limited release barely grossed a profit. There are brilliant turns by Ethan Hawke and Albert Finney but it is the transcendent performances of Philip Seymour Hoffman and Marisa Tomei that elevate this clever heist film from amazing melodrama into a tragic morality play on order of the Euripidean.

Local Spotlight: IFS Screening of Woman in the Dunes TONIGHT!

2011-04-03T13:02:00.000-06:00

Hiroshi Teshigahara's haunting and stylized avant-garde allegory on societal oppression, primal eroticism and the human condition comes to Boulder's International Film Series at the University of Colorado-Boulder tonight for a special 7pm screening. Adapted from the acclaimed author Kobo Abe's work of the same name, Woman in the Dunes transcends the confines of the Art House cannon to the milieu of Essential Cinema. Lovingly shot by the brilliant cinematographer Hiroshi Segawa, Woman in the Dunes captivated the critical world, winning the Special Jury Prize at the 1964 Cannes Film Festival.

See Woman in the Dunes TONIGHT at 7pm ONLY at the IFS!

Japan, 1964, Japanese, B&W, 147 min., 35mm, 1.37:1, Not Rated

Films are shown in Muenzinger Auditorium on the C.U. Boulder campus west of Folsom Field. Admission: $6 general, $5 w/UCB student ID. Tickets go on sale 30 minutes before the show. Call 303 492 1531 for info.

SHORT FILM SHOWCASE: Madame Tutli-Putli (Canada)

2011-03-25T21:12:00.000-06:00

Short Film Showcase: Madame Tutli-Putli (Canada) 2007
Directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski

Je recommanderais - Week of March 14th

2011-03-16T12:11:00.000-06:00

Je recommanderais - Week of March 14th

Je recommanderais- Cinema

Jane Eyre (2011) Directed by Cary Funkunaga

Je recommanderais- DVD

Inside Job (2010) Directed by Charles H. Ferguson

Je recommanderais- Special Editions

AK 100 - 25 Films by Akira Kurosawa (The Criterion Collection)

GET AK 100 Boxed Set HERE

Short Film Showcase: Strangers (Israel)

2011-03-15T07:29:00.000-06:00

Short Film Showcase: Strangers (Israel)
2003 / Directed by Guy Nattiv and Erez Tadmor

To Learn More about the Filmmakers click HERE.

Inconnu XXV: The Top 25 Films You Haven't Watched- But Should.

2011-03-11T13:05:00.001-07:00

Inconnu XXV: The Top 25 Films You Haven't Watched- But Should.

#24. Paris, je t'aime (2006)

18 short films by 22 renown international directors, each focusing on various incarnations of Love set in the 18 different arrondissements of Paris. Always charming, often brilliant, and occasionally transcendant. Homeruns by the Coen Brothers, Walter Salles, Isabel Coixet, Oliver Schmitz, and Tom Tykwer more than make up for the lesser- but still poignant- outings. The ensamble cast includes dazzling cameos by Natalie Portman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Juliette Binoche, and Steve Buscemi. Simply amazing fare for connoisseurs of International Film in general- and love in particular.

Local Spotlight: IFS Screening of Marwencol TONIGHT!

2011-03-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

Local Spotlight: IFS Screening of Marwencol TONIGHT!

Indie-festival circuit documentary darling Marwencol screens tonight at 7 and 9 PM at Boulder's International Film Series. (SEE IFS SITE HERE!) Marwencol follows the fascinating psychological travails of photographer Mark Hogencamp who (following a vicious beating that rendered him brain-damaged) constructs, directs, and photographs a world- and life- of his own creation.

Marwencol is the debut feature of director Jeff Malmberg and has won multiple jury awards at various Independent Film Festivals.

MARWENCOL: USA, 2010, Color, 83 min., DP, 1.85:1, Not Rated
LEARN MORE HERE- OFFICAL SITE

IFS events take place in Muenzinger Auditorium (in the Muenzinger building), in the Film Studies Theater (in the ATLAS building), and elsewhere on the CU campus. Muenzinger is just west of Folsom stadium's south end, across the plaza and through the archway.

SHOWS TONIGHT (THUR. MARCH 10th) at 7pm and 9pm ONLY!

The Morning After: A Pictorial Report Card of the 2011 Academy Awards Pt. 1

2011-03-02T11:57:00.000-07:00

The Morning After: A Pictorial Report Card of the 2011 Academy Awards Pt. 1
(Note: Alone in the Dark's Picks are selected from among the Nominees available and do NOT reflect our personal choices amongst the entirety of films and performances of the year.) Look for the Alone in the Dark 2011 Awards blog for our selections of the best of the year.

Category: Best Supporting Actor

Who Won: Christian Bale (The Fighter)

Alone in the Dark's Pick:

John Hawkes for Winter's Bone

Category: Best Visual Effects

Who Won: Inception

Alone in the Dark's Pick:

Inception

Category: Best Film Editing

Who Won: The Social Network

Alone in the Dark's Pick:

The Social Network

Category: Best Costume Design

Who Won: Alice in Wonderland

Alone in the Dark's Pick:

The Tempest

Category: Best Makeup

Who Won: The Wolfman

Alone in the Dark's Pick:

The Wolfman

Category: Best Supporting Actress

Who Won: Melissa Leo (The Fighter)

Alone in the Dark's Pick:

Melissa Leo (The Fighter)

Category: Best Cinematography

Who Won: Wally Pfister (Inception)

Alone in the Dark's Pick:

Roger Deakins (True Grit)

Category: Best Original Song

Who Won: "We Belong Together" (Toy Story 3)

Alone in the Dark's Pick:

"If I Rise" (127 Hours)

Category: Best Animated Short

Who Won: The Lost Thing

Alone in the Dark's Pick:

The Lost Thing

Category: Best Live Action Short

Who Won: God of Love (USA)

Alone in the Dark's Pick:

Na Wewe (Belgium)

Category: Best Animated Feature

Who Won: Toy Story 3

Alone in the Dark's Pick:

The Illusionist

Category: Best Foreign Film

Who Won: In A Better World (Denmark)

Alone in the Dark's Pick:

Biutiful (Mexico)

Shots and Shorts- Reviews of the Academy Award Nominated Shorts

2011-02-27T18:07:00.003-07:00

Shots and Shorts with Guest Blogger Yo!sarrian
Reviews of the Academy Award Nominees for Best Animated Short and Best Live Action Short

Readers- I recently had the pleasure to attend the Boulder
International Film Series presentation of the Oscar Nominated Short Films (Live Action and Animated) with my dear friend, drinking companion and partner in crime Yo!sarrian- filmmaker, photojournalist, writer, and fellow cinephile. After 12 shorts, (and several shots of whiskey) I turned over the reins to one of the few
people I trust enough to hurl rants at the screen with.
Thanks Yo!sarrian. Enjoy!- Alone in the Dark.

Nominated Shorts: Animation

Madagascar- Bastien Dubois

The animation was beautiful, and the filmmakers employed various techniques, from traditional to stop motion, cell-shading to computer animation, giving it a very water-colored and scrap-booked appeal. I enjoyed some of the swooping POV shots parading the beauty of the land, but I was constantly waiting for the other side of the colorful postcard. It was all smiles and laughter and, as any of us who've traveled know, there is always another side to the prejudiced guidebook and vibrant airport postcards of the countries we enter, of which I never saw here.

** (2 out of 4 stars)

Let's Pollute - Geefwee Boedoe

This blatant propaganda piece could have been done by the animators who created the segment in Fahrenheit 9/11 about the discovery of America, tinged with The Jetsons and Ren and Stimpy on a Leave it to Beaver score. It was supposed to be sarcastic, yet another reminder that it's bad to waste things, cynically promoting us to buy twice, use once, and never think twice. "You can always, care less." From the audience's reaction, I guess I should have been laughing, but all I could think of was that if I saw this with my mother, she'd lean over during the end credits and whisper how clever it was. I'd see it coming, roll my eyes, but say nothing since I've yet to create anything of my own and would hate to come across as a hater to dear mama. But really, where's the subtlety?

* 1/2 (1 and 1/2 out of 4 stars)

The Gruffalo - A Magic Light Pictures Production

Did this need to be 29 minutes long? I like Robbie Coltrane and the other actors who lent their voices to this piece, but for 27 minutes I was waiting for something to happen. Maybe I'm just too old to appreciate the cliched parable and lackluster rhymes. This was like a too easy video game, that you buy and beat all in the same hour. I really didn't see the point to this. Waste of energy and talent.

* (1 out of 4 stars)

The Lost Thing - Andrew Ruhemann and Shaun Tan

Nice looking animated kid's piece that easily impressionable adults will find amusing. In a dystopian world, where everything and everyone is confined by conformity, a boy finds a lost thing, a thing that's different than everything else, but one which no one notices since "they're too busy doing other stuff." It was like "this is drugs," by someone who's never done them.

** (2 out of 4 stars)

Day and Night - Pixar

As much as I wanted to not like this Disney piece, I couldn't hold back. Two amorphous folks, one full of day, one full of night, want what the other has got to offer, pirouetting and waltzing around, mickey moused to the sound. It was cute and creative and reminded me of old Walt at his earliest best with a touch of Blake Edwards splashed in.

** + (2.75 out of 4 Stars)

URS - Moritz Mayerhofer

This stark German piece was very strong, and didn't use dialogue to get its point across. A man living with his mother sees a light over the mountain, and yearns for it. He fastens her to his back and climbs to it, chasing the light. It's about a generation trying to push forward, seek out new horizons and break the shackles of origin, but about one that is weighed down by its history.

**** (4 out of 4 Stars)

The Cow Who Wanted To Be A Hamburger - Bill Plympton

I've always loved Plympton's ability to cater to a broad audience. You can enjoy it for what it is, or take it as a statement on celebrity adulation. Either way, it's good.

*** 1/2 (3 1/2 out of 4 Stars)

Nominated Shorts: Live Action

The Confession (Ireland)

It seemed the filmmakers used the children as a medium to voice their own ideas about repressed guilt, which is fine, but I was too conscious of the direction and camerawork in this one. I appreciated the varied shot repetition to emphasize the periodic confessions in Catholicism and certain shots like the rows of maize (crop cycles,yields, etc) juxtaposed against the rows of church pews, but I just couldn't get into it.

** (2 out of 4 Stars)

Wish 143 - (UK)

A terminally ill boy with cancer has one last wish: to lose his virginity. He's asked by the vicar, "What do you expect to gain with what you lose?" and in his defense, has no clue. It's funny and sad and a good short film and no, Gar Neville isn't in it.

*** (3 out of 4 Stars)

Na Wewe (Belgium)

This Flemish film takes place in Burundi in 1994, and centers around a group of Hutus that hijack a bus looking for Tutsis. It was gritty, intense, and perfectly acted. Oh, and U2 rhymes with Hutu.

**** (4 out of 4 Stars)

The Crush (Ireland)

A cute child has a crush on his teacher and gives her a ring. He's serious about it and wants to marry her when he grows up. However, he finds out that a Bret Michaels type, who can satisfy her financial needs, has beaten him to it, so he, armed with Western movies and a gun, aims to prove he loves her more.

** + (2.75 out of 4 Stars)

God of Love (USA)

It's like a New York hipster Napoleon Dynamite co-directed by Jim
Jarmusch and Woody Allen. A singer has a crush on his drummer, but
she's taken to the bassist, who happens to be his best friend. At the
end of the gig, he gets a package from the Olympus Foundation, and
sees that it's a bunch of cupids' arrows in the forms of darts. He
tries to use them for personal gain, but realizes they're not meant
for him, as he is The God of Love!

*** (3 out of 4 Stars)

Cinema Challenge #3: The Ten Best Snow Films

2011-02-16T20:57:00.000-07:00

Cinema Challenge #3: The Ten Best Snow Films

It all started with coffee and pie after the fantastically campy Norwegian horror film "Dod Sno"- (Dead Snow)- featuring a group of med students winter vacationing in Norway who find themselves fighting Nazi Zombies looking for their stolen gold. Allow me to repeat...NAZI ZOMBIES and SNOW. Does it get any better? Our post-film debate spawned the newest challenge- choose the 10 best American snow films. Thus- here are Alone In the Dark's ten greatest films incorporating the best use of snow. Now before the comments start, I enforced a strict rule that winter/snow must make up the majority of the film. There were plenty of GREAT films with sparse snow scenes (Citizen Kane, Groundhog Day, Empire Strikes Back) and plenty of mediocre films with great use of snow (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger and 30 Days of Night). These are 10 Great Films in which snow might just well be considered not only a backdrop- but a minor character. Pull up your parka and enjoy.

#4: The Shining (1980) Directed by Stanley Kubrick

At the end of the day (and despite Stephen King's misdirected prattling) the Shining remains not only the best King film-adaptation ever made, but is now a bonafide horror cult classic. Initially panned by critics (and holding the dubious honor of being one the only Kubrick films NOT to receive Academy recognition) the Shining has managed to do the nearly impossible- forcing critics and audiences alike to change their initial assessment. Kubrick's use of snowstorms, Steadicam, and space to convey isolation, desolation, and the maddening quiet proved the perfect storm to backdrop three people variously descending into madness. King may have had the story, but only Kubrick had the vision to integrate the merciless wrath of nature, the passion of spirits, the silent scream of empty spaces and the Big Bad Wolf into the same frame.

SHORT FILM SHOWCASE: Logorama (2009) France

2011-02-15T21:02:00.000-07:00

SHORT FILM SHOWCASE
Logorama (2009) France

Directed by: H5, François Alaux, Hervé de Crécy, and Ludovic Houplain
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Short (2010)

Logorama from Marc Altshuler - Human Music on Vimeo.

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT: Touch of Evil Tonight at the International Film Series!

2011-02-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

Boulder's original Arthouse Film Series returns tonight at Muenzinger Auditorium. The Spring 2011 schedule kicks off TONIGHT at 7pm (Feb. 13th) with a screening of Orsen Welles' Film Noir Masterpiece Touch of Evil. Restored in 1998 by Universal, Touch of Evil remains one of the great underrated examples of the genre with exemplary performances by the triumvirate of Welles, Charleston Heston and Janet Leigh and featuring the brilliant cinematography of Russell Metty.

Don't miss this "...stark, perverse story of murder, kidnapping, and police corruption in a Mexican border town." that opens with perhaps one of the greatest long takes in cinematic history!

The Boulder International Film Series presents Touch of Evil
Showtime: 7pm, Sunday, Feb. 13th
Directed by Orson Welles / USA / 1958 / B&W / 111 mins / 35mm

Films are shown in Muenzinger Auditorium on the CU Boulder Campus west of Folsom Field.

Learn more about the International Films Series HERE.

Alone in the Dark Remembers: Peter Yates (1928-2011)

2011-01-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

Alone in the Dark Remembers: Peter Yates (1928-2011)

The Associated Press has reported the passing of esteemed British director Peter Yates. Yates, perhaps best known for his direction of Steve McQueen's iconic car chase in the 1968 police classic Bullitt.
Yates broke into the British film industry in the 1950's- quickly rising from a dubbing assistant to an assistant director to Tony Richardson. His first feature, Summer Holiday, quickly garnered the attention of Hollywood- Warner Brothers soon recruited him to helm the gritty crime thriller Bullitt as a vehicle for Steve McQueen. Yates collaboration with his fast-driving star on the direction of a chase scene through the streets of San Francisco resulted in arguably film's most iconic chase scene of all time.

Yates illustrious career garnered him four Academy Award nominations for such cinematic classics as Breaking Away, The Dresser, and Suspect. Mr. Yates passed away at age 82 after battling a long illness at his home in London.

Breaking Away (1979)

Alone in the Dark Top 5: Weight Gain Performance for a Film Role

2011-01-09T17:52:00.001-07:00

Alone in the Dark Top 5: Weight Gain Performance for a Film Role

"Let me have men about me that are fat..." - William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar

Ah, the second week of January- that magical time of year when your gym is clearing of the multitudes who have fallen off their New Year's resolution wagon in a glorious affirmation of America's Manifest Destiny of Girth. Did we really expect more from the nation who originated the all-you-can-eat buffet, the lazy-boy, and the Monster Thickburger? Fear not, Falstaffian Republic... this week's most popular search engine term - "celebrity diet secrets"- serves to reiterate the American zeitgeist of Hollywood as the new Delphi (which makes sense, given the brilliant track record of our beautiful oracles in the fields of geopolitics, elections, and science.) I mean, after all- hasn't Christian Bale forever made caloric-counting cowards of us all?

Fuck Dr. Atkins- I NEED a fucking muffin!

Yet celebrity weight loss has always been tethered to the albatross of skepticism- who couldn't stay skinny with round-the-clock nutritionists, gym instructors and ungodly financial incentives to remain waif-like?

No, our true celluloid inspirations should be those tinsel-town mavericks who dare to do the unthinkable- those who purposely disfigure the temple in the noble pursuit of role authenticity. In the age of green-screen technology and fat suit aplomb, we must celebrate those actors so dedicated to the craft that they bravely solicit the In-and-Out without impunity and willfully neglect Beyonce's maple-syrup prognostications. In celebration of "Falling Off Week", Alone in the Dark pays homage to actors and actresses with the stones to add a stone or two for their craft- knowing full well that they had better be back in top form by award season.
Here are our favorite performances by actors who have gained weight for a specific role- we hope you are reading this from the couch.

#5. Sylvester Stallone for Copland (1997)

Pounds packed for performance: 45

History has demonstrated that Sly knows three things- screenwriting, film-franchises and staying in ab-scrubbing shape. (Yes kids- there was "cut" before Brad Pitt in Fight Club) In 1997, Sly temporarily abandoned the body that made him famous to play a paunchy, handicapped local sheriff in James Mangold's brilliant ensemble-piece allegory on corruption and conviction- and his tender and poetic performance reminded us of why we cheered for his films before the Roman numerals came.

# 4. Renee Zellweger for Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

Pounds packed for performance: 29

Screw you, Britain...while your actress Leigh stole our Scarlett O'Hara, our authentic Southern belle Renee OWNS your chain-smoking, man-chasing heroine of the urban age. A relative unknown, Zellweger anticipated the nationalistic outcry of a skinny Texan taking on England's most popular and endearing cultural icon since James Bond- and gained both weight and a flawless accent for the role. Zellweger quietly moved to London to work undercover as an office temp for several months to authenticate her performance- which proved so convincing that both Grant and Firth admitted they didn't realize she wasn't English until after the shooting wrapped. Make no mistake- Renee is a genuine acting talent, and dammit if she has never been sexier than as the vulnerable, endearing, and plus-sized Bridget Jones.

#3. Jared Leto for Chapter 27 (2007)

Pounds packed for performance- 70

Not content to be a rock god, successful director, and that guy your girlfriend is imagining they are having sex with, polymath Jared Leto solidified his "foray" into acting with a startling- and brilliant- portrayal of Lennon assassin Mark David Chapman. Leto gained- and then dropped- an astonishing 70 pounds in mere months to allow him to keep his tour date commitment to croon in front of thousands of screaming, panty-throwing women- giving us yet another reason to FUCKING HATE Jared Leto...is it wrong to fantasize about destroying something beautiful?

#2. Vincent D'Onofrio for Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Pounds packed for performance: 70

Kubrick's great anti-war manifesto left us two inescapable truths- 1) that D'Onofrio will NEVER top his darkly nuanced portrayal of loner-turned-lunatic anti-hero Private "Gomer Pyle" Lawrence and 2) that his performance almost- but not quite- redeems his willing declination from feeding on the fair Kubrickian mountain to batten on the moor that is Law and Order.

#1. Robert Di Niro for Raging Bull (1980)

Pounds packed for performance: 75

To portray the rise and fall of famed palooka Jake La Motta in Scorsese's gritty biopic Raging Bull, Di Niro sculpted his body to fighting form perfection- and then rapidly allowed it to transform to post-ring La Motta for the SAME PICTURE, achieving both a 75 pound turnaround within the production schedule AND the Academy Award for Best Actor. This is how you do it, kids- a transcendent and iconic performance that achieves authenticity and nuance while simultaneously rendering the actor almost unrecognizable.


Sorry, Iceman- it doesn't count if you aren't in a production...

Cinema Challenge #3: The Ten Best Snow Films

2011-01-06T22:14:00.000-07:00

This minimalist take on domestic despair features souls as frozen as the St. Lawrence River and spirits as crushed as road salt on the tires of a Dodge Spirit. Melissa Leo transcends in this rigid epic that bluntly faces themes of the human condition and borders both real- and imagined- with genuine moments of pain as sharp and throbbing as your hand thawing in the living room.

SHORT FILM SHOWCASE: "At The End Of The Sentence" (Scotland) 2005

2011-01-02T19:44:00.000-07:00

Short Film Showcase- "At the End of the Sentence" (Scotland) 2005 - Directed by Marisa Zanotti

The Celluloid Canon: Barbara Stanwyck

2010-12-28T21:15:00.000-07:00

The Celluloid Canon: Barbara Stanwyck

Barbara Stanwyck
American Actress
(1907-1990)

BREAKOUT FILM:

Baby Face (USA) 1933

TROIKA- ESSENTIAL VIEWING:

Stella Dallas (1937); Ball of Fire (1942); Double Indemnity (1945)

UNDERRATED MASTERWORK:

The Lady Eve (1941)

HALLMARKS:

Strong, liberated seductress; morally ambiguous "fallen" woman: Femme Fatale

SCENE OF DISTINCTION:

FREQUENT COLLABORATORS:

Cecil B. DeMille; Frank Capra; William Holden

STANWYCK ON STANWYCK:

"My only problem is finding a way to play my fortieth fallen female in a different way from my thirty-ninth."

Short Film Showcase: Plastic Bag (2009)

2010-12-20T21:55:00.000-07:00

Plastic Bag (2009) Directed by Ramin Bahrani

Learn more about director Ramin Bahrani HERE.

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

2010-12-19T16:48:00.001-07:00

Once hailed as a child prodigy by Spielberg for his breakout role at 13 in Empire of the Sun, Bale almost drifted into obscurity in the 90's through a combination of forgettable films and an infamous (yet admirable) aversion to the Hollywood publicity machine. It eventually took a face peel and the musical musings of Phil Collins to rightfully bring Bale back into the American psyche- and through dedicated toils in various independent projects he finally seemed poised to live up to the hype of his salad years. Yet it was his mind-blowing (and form-wasting) dedication to the craft in 2004's The Machinist that garnered universal critical acclaim and the first industry mutterings that we may well be neglecting one of our generation's finest young actors. His amazing turns in Empire of the Sun, Harsh Times, Rescue Dawn, I'm Not There, and 3:10 to Yuma were all nomination worthy- and his recent turn in The Fighter is devastatingly brilliant and simply transcendent- and a fine opportunity for the Academy to finally right a most grievous wrong. In retrospect, is this epic failure perhaps part of a larger, more disturbing indictment of the Academy treatment of our finest character actors?

With 0 Academy nomination between them, Gary Oldman and Sam Rockwell contemplate Sandra Bullock's Academy Award...

The Ten Best Snow Films- #6: Beautiful Girls

2010-12-15T23:36:00.000-07:00

High-school nostalgia, male narcissism, and synchronicity collide on the Massachusetts February ice in one of the most underrated films of the 90s. Demme and screenwriter Scott Rosenberg make ambitious work of bleak and frozen small-town America; yet in Beautiful Girls the snow serves less as backdrop and more as character motivation...the immobilization of roads and the sanctuary of bars and ice shacks seemingly propel trysts, fuel revenge, spark romance and challenge love. Indeed, as Natalie Portman notes early on, true character is revealed through your snow shoveling technique.

Follow Alone in the Dark on Facebook!

2010-12-11T13:07:00.000-07:00

Join the Alone in the Dark Facebook Fanpage!

Click Here to Join Our Facebook Fanpage!

Alone in the Dark Film Blog: Your Daily Fix for your Cinematic Itch

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

2010-12-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

A.K.A. "Why I Watch the Independent Spirit Awards"
A Cinephile’s examination of the most egregious errors in judgment by the Academy Awards.

#10. The English Patient Knocks Off Fargo For Best Picture of 1996

We'll let Elaine Benes take this one...

Short Film Showcase: Foolishly Seeking True Love (2009)

2010-12-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

Foolishly Seeking True Love (2009) USA- Dir. Jarrett Lee Conaway

Learn more about award-winning filmmaker Jarrett Lee Conaway HERE.

Foolishly Seeking True Love from Jarrett Lee Conaway on Vimeo.

Je recommanderais - Week of Nov. 29th

2010-12-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

Je recommanderais - Week of Nov. 29th

Je recommanderais - Cinema

My Dog Tulip- Directed by Paul and Sandra Fierlinger

Je recommanderais - DVD

The Special Relationship- Directed by Richard Loncraine

Je recommanderais-Special DVD Release

Modern Times- Criterion Collection

2011 Spirit Award Nominations!

2010-11-30T11:40:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Lawerence in Winter's Bone

2011 Spirit Award Nominations Released!

CLICK HERE FOR THE COMPLETE LIST OF NOMINEES!

Be sure to follow Alone in the Dark's upcoming 2011 Spirit Awards Picks, and be sure to tune in on Saturday, Feb. 26th at 10e/8m only on IFC.

Cinema Challenge #3: The Ten Best Snow Films

2010-11-24T23:02:00.000-07:00

Rick Moody's staggeringly sharp take on blue-blood family geopolitics over a 1973 Thanksgiving ice storm translated into near-perfect cinema in the apt hands of Ang Lee. Set in the Connecticut winter, Lee introduces a most frightening villain- the Suburbs as Succubus. Perhaps the best use of ice as metaphor in relation to the human condition- from the distortion of perception through its imperfections, to the futility of forging heat from cold hearts- to amorous actions as perilous as New England black ice.

Cinema Challenge #1: Ten Sequels Better Than The Originals

2010-11-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

Cigarettes and coffee-soaked cinematic deconstruction sessions can often be a dangerous thing- especially with MY cinephile friends. Case in point- after a nasty and fanatical rant about movie sequels, we could agree that against all odds, there have been some pretty damn fine ones made- Godfather Part II, Last Crusade, Terminator 2. Good sequels, like a rare Flor de Pingus, can be pretty hard to come by- yet even more elusive is the Superior Sequel. Thus, the gauntlet was thrown (and I cannot walk away from thrown gauntlets)- name ten film sequels that were BETTER than their original. Here it is, you bastards...

Cinema Challenge #1: Ten Sequels Better Than The Originals.

#7- Aliens (1986)

Don't get me wrong- in the context of the "auteur" tradition I will take a Ridley Scott over a James Cameron in every instance. Indeed, Scott's 1979 sci-fi Alien IS a brilliant film whose stylistic imaginings of physical space and isolationism invoke a eerie Kubrickian sensibility. Yet Cameron's take on the "exploration gone wrong" motif (think Conrad in space) brilliantly fused the genres of sci-fi , horror and action into a blazing and seamless film that cleverly explores themes of Colonialism, isolation, and feminism while single-handedly redefining the cinematic heroine archetype for the post-Atomic age- a feminist coup not seen again till Margie would patrol the streets of Fargo.

Alone in the Dark Presents: The TCM 365 Project

2010-11-23T06:44:00.000-07:00

TCM 365 Project Day 33
To Kill A Mockingbird (1962) Dir. by Robert Mulligan

Alone in the Dark Presents: The TCM 365 Project

2010-11-17T09:38:00.000-07:00

TCM 365 Project Day 27
The Kid (1921) Directed by Charlie Chaplin

Je recommanderais - Week of Nov. 15th

2010-11-16T18:14:00.000-07:00

Je recommanderais - Week of Nov. 15th

Je recommanderais - Cinema


127 Hours- Directed by Danny Boyle

Je recommanderais - DVD

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World- Directed by Edgar Wright

Monday Short Film Showcase: The Lady and the Reaper (2009) Spain

2010-11-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

The Lady and the Reaper (2009) Directed by Javier Recio Garcia

Academy Award Nominee Animated Short 2010. Learn more about Javier Recio Garcia HERE.

Inconnu XXV: The Top 25 Films You Haven't Watched- But Should.

2010-11-11T20:03:00.000-07:00

Inconnu XXV: The Top 25 Films You Haven't Watched- But Should.

#25: Cop Land (1997)

This dark, allegorical throwback to 70's cop-noir and the Western parable hinges on the compelling and honest character studies of its brilliant ensemble. Great actors abound but make no mistake - Stallone anchors this picture. While DeNiro, Kitel and Liotta predictably chew up the screen, we are stuck on one, clear and inescapable truth- that although Rocky showed us that Stallone can be transcendant, Copland reminds us that he didn't forget how.

2010-11-09T06:59:00.000-07:00

Alone in the Dark Presents: The TCM 365 Project

TCM 365 Project Day 19
Dr. Strangelove (1964) Directed by Stanley Kubrick

Short Film Showcase: Peluca (2003) U.S.A.

2010-11-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

Peluca (2003) Directed by Jared Hess

Jared Hess 16mm student short that was the inspiration for Napoleon Dynamite.

Alone in the Dark Presents: The TCM 365 Project

2010-11-01T14:23:00.000-06:00

The TCM 365 Project

As my friend Roger Ebert once told me at the Central and East European Film Festival, "Great Cinema is not only necessary and important- great cinema can change your life". Roger is right- and in the context of our grand schemes of time and commitments, I couldn't imagine why anyone would not be willing to change their life at the small price of two hours a day. Here, then, is the Turner Classic Movies 365 Project- one great cinematic masterpiece a day for a year, as determined by the programming schedule of Turner Classic Movies. (Access the daily TCM schedule HERE ) Join me in the project- I will share with you one classic film from 1930-1970 each day for a full year that I select from the Turner broadcasting schedule with the hope that you will join me in a personal reflection of the film's cinematic, cultural and personal impact. No critiques, no commentary- just one life-changing film a day. I urge you all to join me in the Project and comment on any aspect you wish.
And thank you, Roger, for the advice.

Jack Hanley
Alone in the Dark.

TCM 365 Project Day 12
White Heat (1949) Directed by Raoul Walsh

Alone in the Dark Presents: The TCM 365 Project

2010-10-30T09:14:00.000-06:00

The TCM 365 Project

TCM 365 Project Day 11
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
Dir. William Dieterle

Alone in the Dark Presents: The TCM 365 Project

2010-10-29T13:38:00.000-06:00

The TCM 365 Project

TCM 365 Project Day 10
White Zombie (1932) Director Victor Halperin

Alone in the Dark Presents: The TCM 365 Project

2010-10-27T10:03:00.000-06:00

The TCM 365 Project

TCM 365 Project Day 8
The Lady Eve (1941) Director Preston Sturges

Je recommanderais - Week of Oct. 25th

2010-10-26T19:59:00.000-06:00

Je recommanderais - Week of Oct. 25th

Je recommanderais - Cinema

Jack Goes Boating- Dir. Philip Seymour Hoffman

Je recommanderais - DVD

Winter's Bone- Dir. Debra Granik

Je recommanderais-Special DVD Release

Back To The Future Trilogy 25th Anniversary Edition

Alone in the Dark Presents: The TCM 365 Project

2010-10-26T06:15:00.000-06:00

The TCM 365 Project

As my friend Roger Ebert once told me at the Central and East European Film Festival, "Great Cinema is not only necessary and important- great cinema can change your life". Roger is right- and in the context of our grand schemes of time and commitments, I couldn't imagine why anyone would not be willing to change their life at the small price of two hours a day. Here, then, is the Turner Classic Movies 365 Project- one great cinematic masterpiece a day for a year, as determined by the programming schedule of Turner Classic Movies. (Access the daily TCM schedule HERE ) Join me in the project- I will share with you one classic film from 1930-1970 each day for a full year that I select from the Turner broadcasting schedule with the hope that you will join me in a personal reflection of the film's cinematic, cultural and personal impact. No critiques, no commentary- just one life-changing film a day. I urge you all to join me in the Project and comment on any aspect you wish.
And thank you, Roger, for the advice.

Jack Hanley
Alone in the Dark.

TCM 365 Project Day 7
Inherit the Wind (1960) Dir. Stanley Kramer

Short Film Showcase: Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty (Ireland)

2010-10-25T19:52:00.000-06:00

Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty (Ireland) Directed by Nicky Phelan

Learn More About the Film and Filmmakers HERE

Alone in the Dark Presents: The TCM 365 Project

2010-10-25T12:04:00.000-06:00

The TCM 365 Project

As my friend Roger Ebert once told me at the Central and East European Film Festival, "Great Cinema is not only necessary and important- great cinema can change your life". Roger is right- and in the context of our grand schemes of time and commitments, I couldn't imagine why anyone would not be willing to change their life at the small price of two hours a day. Here, then, is the Turner Classic Movies 365 Project- one great cinematic masterpiece a day for a year, as determined by the programming schedule of Turner Classic Movies. (Access the daily TCM schedule HERE ) Join me in the project- I will share with you one classic film from 1930-1970 each day for a full year that I select from the Turner broadcasting schedule with the hope that you will join me in a personal reflection of the film's cinematic, cultural and personal impact. No critiques, no commentary- just one life-changing film a day. I urge you all to join me in the Project and comment on any aspect you wish.
And thank you, Roger, for the advice.

Jack Hanley
Alone in the Dark.

TCM 365 Project Day 6
Black Orpheus (1959) Dir. Marcel Camus

Alone in the Dark Presents: The TCM 365 Project

2010-10-24T10:15:00.000-06:00

The TCM 365 Project

As my friend Roger Ebert once told me at the Central and East European Film Festival, "Great Cinema is not only necessary and important- great cinema can change your life". Roger is right- and in the context of our grand schemes of time and commitments, I couldn't imagine why anyone would not be willing to change their life at the small price of two hours a day. Here, then, is the Turner Classic Movies 365 Project- one great cinematic masterpiece a day for a year, as determined by the programming schedule of Turner Classic Movies. (Access the daily TCM schedule HERE ) Join me in the project- I will share with you one classic film from 1930-1970 each day for a full year that I select from the Turner broadcasting schedule with the hope that you will join me in a personal reflection of the film's cinematic, cultural and personal impact. No critiques, no commentary- just one life-changing film a day. I urge you all to join me in the Project and comment on any aspect you wish.
And thank you, Roger, for the advice.

Jack Hanley
Alone in the Dark.

TCM 365 Project Day 5
Nosferatu (1922) Dir. F.W. Murnau

Alone in the Dark Presents: The TCM 365 Project

2010-10-23T13:17:00.000-06:00

The TCM 365 Project

As my friend Roger Ebert once told me at the Central and East European Film Festival, "Great Cinema is not only necessary and important- great cinema can change your life". Roger is right- and in the context of our grand schemes of time and commitments, I couldn't imagine why anyone would not be willing to change their life at the small price of two hours a day. Here, then, is the Turner Classic Movies 365 Project- one great cinematic masterpiece a day for a year, as determined by the programming schedule of Turner Classic Movies. (Access the daily TCM schedule HERE ) Join me in the project- I will share with you one classic film from 1930-1970 each day for a full year that I select from the Turner broadcasting schedule with the hope that you will join me in a personal reflection of the film's cinematic, cultural and personal impact. No critiques, no commentary- just one life-changing film a day. I urge you all to join me in the Project and comment on any aspect you wish.
And thank you, Roger, for the advice.

Jack Hanley
Alone in the Dark.

TCM 365 Project Day 4
To Have and Have Not (1944) Dir. Howard Hawks

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

2010-10-21T23:07:00.000-06:00

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

A.K.A. "Why I Watch the Independent Spirit Awards"
A Cinephile’s examination of the most egregious errors in judgment by the Academy Awards.

#11. The Greatest Show on Earth Wins Best Picture of 1952.

The competition? Only some little western by the name of High Noon.

Alone in the Dark Presents: The TCM 365 Project

2010-10-21T06:33:00.000-06:00

The TCM 365 Project

As my friend Roger Ebert once told me at the Central and East European Film Festival, "Great Cinema is not only necessary and important- great cinema can change your life". Roger is right- and in the context of our grand schemes of time and commitments, I couldn't imagine why anyone would not be willing to change their life at the small price of two hours a day. Here, then, is the Turner Classic Movies 365 Project- one great cinematic masterpiece a day for a year, as determined by the programming schedule of Turner Classic Movies. (Access the daily TCM schedule HERE ) Join me in the project- I will share with you one classic film from 1930-1970 each day for a full year that I select from the Turner broadcasting schedule with the hope that you will join me in a personal reflection of the film's cinematic, cultural and personal impact. No critiques, no commentary- just one life-changing film a day. I urge you all to join me in the Project and comment on any aspect you wish.
And thank you, Roger, for the advice.

Jack Hanley
Alone in the Dark.

TCM 365 Project Day 2
Algiers (1938) Dir. John Cromwell

Alone in the Dark Presents: The TCM 365 Project

2010-10-20T20:35:00.000-06:00

The TCM 365 Project

As my friend Roger Ebert once told me at the Central and East European Film Festival, "Great Cinema is not only necessary and important- great cinema can change your life". Roger is right- and in the context of our grand schemes of time and commitments, I couldn't imagine why anyone would not be willing to change their life at the small price of two hours a day. Here, then, is the Turner Classic Movies 365 Project- one great cinematic masterpiece a day for a year, as determined by the programming schedule of Turner Classic Movies. (Access the daily TCM schedule HERE ) Join me in the project- I will share with you one classic film from 1930-1970 each day for a full year that I select from the Turner broadcasting schedule with the hope that you will join me in a personal reflection of the film's cinematic, cultural and personal impact. No critiques, no commentary- just one life-changing film a day. I urge you all to join me in the Project and comment on any aspect you wish.
And thank you, Roger, for the advice.

Jack Hanley
Alone in the Dark.

TCM 365 Project Day 1
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) Dir. Frank Capra

Short Film Showcase: I Love Sarah Jane (2008) Australia

2010-10-16T17:49:00.000-06:00

I Love Sarah Jane (2008) Directed by Spencer Susser

Learn More About Spencer Susser Here

Ah, first love...too bad about the Zombie Apocalypse...

Local Spotlight: Big Lebowski Tonight @ Boulder Theater!

2010-10-13T10:57:00.000-06:00

Local Spotlight: Big Lebowski Tonight @ Boulder Theater!

The Coen Brother's cult classic returns to the Boulder Theater tonight for a special 8pm screening.
$8.50 gets you all the nihilism, nomenclature, White Russians, and marmots you can handle.

Buy Tickets Here at the Boulder Theater website!

The Boulder Theater is located at 2032 14th St., Boulder.
Box Office: 303-786-7030

Je recommanderais-Week of Oct. 11th

2010-10-12T19:26:00.000-06:00

Je recommanderais- Cinema


Never Let Me Go - Dir. Mark Romanek

Je recommanderais- DVD

I Am Love - Dir. Luca Guadagnino

Je recommanderais-Special DVD Release


The Darjeeling Limited Criterion Collection Edition

Cinema Challenge #3: The Ten Best Snow Films

2010-10-11T20:16:00.000-06:00

Does this snow covered Rockwellian homage to small town nostalgia really need any comment?

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

2010-10-09T16:41:00.000-06:00

The Casablanca omission is not quite as outrageously insidious as it first sounds- the Academy did recognize Bergman that year with her first nomination for her turn in the Hemmingway adaptation For Whom the Bell Tolls...but that was the wrong move for the wrong movie. Iconic and legendary as Ilsa Lund, the Academy chose instead to honor Jennifer Jones for the Song of Bernadette (which is the Award-show equivalent of getting on the plane with Victor Laszlo). Not everyone foresaw the legacy and impact of Casablanca upon the American cinematic and cultural landscape- including Ingrid herself , who publicly lamented "...I have made so many films which were more important, but the only one people ever want to talk about is that one with Bogart". Bergman recanted in her later years by acknowledging "I feel about Casablanca that it has a life of its own. There is something mystical about it. It seems to have filled a need, a need that was there before the film, a need that the film filled."
The Academy would go on to nominate Bergman another six times - but in hindsight I am betting they wish they had this one to do over again. Don't worry Ingrid...you didn't get the 1944 statue but we'll always have Paris.

AS TIME GOES BY.... from Ailen Roc on Vimeo.

2010-10-08T09:45:00.000-06:00

Remakes We Dare To Root For

TRUE GRIT (2010)

"There is a willful, lemming-like persistence in remaking past successes time after time. They can`t make them as good as they are in our memories, but they go on doing them and each time it`s a disaster. Why don`t we remake some of our bad pictures instead?"- John Huston

In most things cinematic, we defer to Mr. Huston. Yet for every atrocious and insipid Hollywood remake to suck a cinephile's soul, there occasionally comes along that rarest of things- a remake of distinction. Like the albino raven, the coelacanth, or a Cleveland Browns victory, the remake of distinction DOES exist- (we are looking at you, Mr. Carpenter) and despite the crippling odds of eventual disappointment there every so often comes along such an endeavor that for one brief shining moment gives us hope.

Given the Coen Brothers red-state noir pedigrees, a script adaptation finally faithful to the Charles Portis source material, turns by Jeff Bridges and Josh Brolin, and what is sure to be a breakout performance by newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit may just have the bloody chops for the job.

Check out the Theatrical Trailer for True Grit-

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

2010-09-25T14:54:00.000-06:00

Does anyone...ANYONE...actually believe that this soap-operatic and cliche-driven self-indulgent after-school special on race relations tripe is a more accomplished film than Brokeback Mountain, Munich, Capote or Good Night and Good Luck?

Short Film Showcase: Tyger (2006) Brazil

2010-09-24T20:06:00.000-06:00

Tyger (2006) directed by Guilherme Marcondes

Discover the World of Guilherme Marcondes Here

In the Shade of the Golden Palm: My Palme d'Or Year

2010-09-23T21:14:00.000-06:00

In the Shade of the Golden Palm: My Palme d'Or Year

Cinema, as Art, is not Hollywood; it is not the summer blockbuster; it is not your local cineplex. Cinema should not merely aspire to the mediocrity of escapism, technological bewilderment or box-office receipts. Cinema- great cinema- is transformative; it is international; it is geo-political; it is a reflection of the culmination of the shared human experience. The Palme d'Or is a celebration of International Cinema that transcends the inadequacy of our often-dulled Hollywood expectations.

My Palme d'Or Year Project is the antidote to the commonplace.

One Year. 63 Films. You won't find Avatar here- but you will find Fellini, Altman, Coppola, Scorsese,Kurosawa, Welles, Wajda, Kusturica, the Coen Brothers, Tarantino, Polanski, and Lynch. In this age of Netflix and Video Station there is no excuse for cowering in the moor of cinematic isolationism- carry the Palm and see the world.

Film 1: Dancer in the Dark (Palme d'Or Winner of 2000)

Film: Dancer in the Dark

Country: Denmark

Director: Lars von Trier

President of the Jury at
Cannes 2000: Luc Besson

Related: Lead Bjork wins
Best Actress at Cannes

"An moving examination of a Czech immigrant who embraces- at her own peril- the transitive power of cinematic fantasy to escape the poverty, misery and injustices of her daily life."

Dancer in the Dark at IMDB
Dancer in the Dark at Rotten Tomatoes
Explore the Festival de Cannes

Short Film Showcase: New Boy (2007) Ireland

2010-09-17T07:22:00.000-06:00

New Boy (2007) Republic of Ireland - directed by Steph Green

Learn more about director Steph Green at Comingsoon.net

Cinema Challenge #3: The Ten Best Snow Films

2010-09-15T20:40:00.000-06:00

While writer/director Paul Schrader got all the buzz, only the Independent Spirit Awards got it right by recognizing cinematographer Paul Sarossy's chilling use of winter landscape in the bitterly biting film Affliction. The premise is simple- as winter assaults a small New England town, its only cop (played with terrible precision by the oft' neglected Nick Nolte) tries desperately not to become his father.
Arrested souls snowbound and arrested development collide as nature punishes her inhabitants in snowdrifts of despair...this film renders you as vulnerable as the inhabitants desperately awaiting Spring. Affliction is the Inferno in winter- and like Dante's ice-bound inhabitants in the lowest level, a son finds himself trapped in the storm of his father. Critic Charles Taylor was never more correct- this film "... is about what happens when one of those frozen souls starts to thaw, and finds itself in hell "

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

2010-09-12T20:05:00.000-06:00

Can this category seriously get any more fucked? Each year the same commercially saccharin, Disney-themed garbage you never heard of makes the short list, while the Academy makes a point to overlook artistic merit and anything that cannot match a Fossey-esque award show dance number replete with flowing scarves and African drums. Case in point- Phil Collins Tarzan-Tango "You'll Be In My Heart" wins Best Original Song in a category with "Save Me" by Aimee Mann (Best Song) and "Save Canada" by those scamps at South Park (Most Original). Apparently, the Academy members rely on the same team that chose David Archuleta's American Idol repertoire by throwing the gold to a song worthy of the Hallmark Channel and Tipper Gore.

See the rightful winners here:

Aimee Mann "Save Me" from the Motion Picture Magnolia

"Blame Canada" from the Motion Picture South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut.

The Celluloid Canon: Mathieu Amalric

2010-09-10T21:56:00.000-06:00

The Celluloid Canon: Mathieu Amalric

Mathieu Amalric

French Actor and Director

BREAKOUT FILM:

Comment je me suis disputé... (ma vie sexuelle) France (1996)
(My Sex Life...Or How I Got Into An Argument)

TROIKA- ESSENTIAL VIEWING:

Rois et reine (Kings and Queen) 2004; The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007); Tournée (On Tour) 2010

UNDERRATED MASTERWORK:

Un conte de Noël (A Christmas Tale) 2008

HALLMARKS:

Themes of familial dysfunction; Anti-hero; Themes of alienation

SCENE OF DISTINCTION:

FREQUENT COLLABORATORS:

Anne Consigny; Catherine Deneuve; Emmanuelle Devos

AMALRIC ON AMALRIC:

"Acting is like a vengeance on adolescence, when you have spots, when you're too shy to invite a girl to dance. I need that sensation of getting away with something because it's exciting."

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

2010-09-09T19:27:00.000-06:00

Despite his Tiger-beat appeal and penchant for the sexual awaking of Tween America by dangling from ships and Juliet's balcony, Mr. DiCaprio (to the utter anguish of the Hollywood marketing system) pulled a Depp and abandoned the panty-lined path of Studio Hollywood Hunk for seriously dramatic and diverse roles- breaking out of the gate with the astonishing Gilbert Grape in 1993. Followed by solid turns in This Boy's Life, the Basketball Diaries, Celebrity, and Gangs of New York he has shown actual flashes of brilliance in Catch Me If You Can and the Departed and was simply Oscar worthy in the Aviator and Revolutionary Road. Yes Hollywood, he abandoned the films of your most coveted demographic - but for over two decades he has shown an astounding range, drawn accolades from foreign critics and festivals, and worked with the country's finest directors on some of our finest films. Hollywood- can you finally forgive and forget and turn your attention on Zach Efron now?

Short Film Showcase: Can't Stop Breathing (2004) U.K.

2010-09-06T08:39:00.000-06:00

Can't Stop Breathing (2004) United Kingdom- directed by Amy Neil

Learn More About Director Amy Neil at Shooting People

Alone in the Dark

The Contrarian in the Dark: The Anti-Oscar Nominations of 2012: Best Supporting Actor

Terry Gilliam on the Genius of Kubrick and Why Spielberg's Films Are Meaningless Drivel

The Contrarian: The Anti-Oscars Nominations 2012- Best Actress

The Trailer Park: A First Look At Wes Anderson's New Film Moonrise Kingdom!

Local Spotlight: FREE Screening TONIGHT of Selected Short Films of Stan Brakhage

Short Film Showcase: Birdboy (2011) Spain

Exclusive! Legendary Animator Bill Plympton Does "The 11" at The Alone in the Dark Film Blog!

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

The Trailer Park: First Look At Jiro Dreams of Sushi

TCM Remembers: 2011

Gotham Kicks Off Award Season With Indie Awards

The Trailer Park: First Look At Sergei Loznitsa's My Joy

The Essential Top 5: Essential Thanksgiving Films NOT Featuring John Candy

Cinema Challenge #3: Ten Best American Snow Films

Silent Film Sundays: FULL SCREENING of The Kid (1921) by Charlie Chaplin

The Celluloid Canon: Philip Seymour Hoffman

The 20 Worst Mistakes In Academy Award History

SHORT FILM SHOWCASE: Hotel Chevalier (2007)

The Trailer Park: A First Look at Lars von Trier's Melancholia

Local Spotlight: Life and Death Matters Film Festival

The Trailer Park: First look at Alex de la Iglesia's The Last Circus

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History A.K.A. "Why I Watch the Independent Spirit Awards"A Cinephile’s examination of the most egregious errors in judgment by the Academy Awards.

#7. Oscar Snubs Auteurs

We cannot muster more than to point out- Three 6 Mafia and Sandra Bullock: 1 Oscar Each.

Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick: 0 Combined.

Stay hopeful, Tommy Wiseau...this IS Hollywood.

Local Spotlight: Boulder Screening of El Bulli: Cooking in Progress

Cinema Challenge #3: Ten Best American Snow Films

FREE FILM FRIDAYS! Now Screening: City Lights (1931)

Local Spotlight: Screening of White Material at the Boedecker TONIGHT!

SHORT FILM SHOWCASE: Jean-François (France) 2010

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

Je recommanderais - Week of July 25th

FREE FILM FRIDAYS! Now Screening: Plan 9 From Outer Space

COCO Takes On TCM TONIGHT!

FREE FILM FRIDAYS! Now Screening: Bob Le Flambeur

SHORT FILM SHOWCASE: The Black Hole (UK) 2008

Cinema Challenge #3: The Ten Best American Snow Films

Local Spotlight: Cinema Program Screening of Black Orpheus

Local Spotlight: "King of Indie Animation" Bill Plympton Book Signing at Borders at Flatirons Mall

Local Spotlight: Free Screening TONIGHT of "The Devil's Backbone" by the Bloody Celluloid Film Series

Alone in the Dark Tribute: Krzysztof Komeda (1931-1969)

Inconnu XXV: The Top 25 Films You Haven't Watched- But Should.

Local Spotlight: IFS Screening of Woman in the Dunes TONIGHT!

SHORT FILM SHOWCASE: Madame Tutli-Putli (Canada)

Je recommanderais - Week of March 14th

Short Film Showcase: Strangers (Israel)

Inconnu XXV: The Top 25 Films You Haven't Watched- But Should.

Local Spotlight: IFS Screening of Marwencol TONIGHT!

The Morning After: A Pictorial Report Card of the 2011 Academy Awards Pt. 1

Shots and Shorts- Reviews of the Academy Award Nominated Shorts

Cinema Challenge #3: The Ten Best Snow Films

SHORT FILM SHOWCASE: Logorama (2009) France

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT: Touch of Evil Tonight at the International Film Series!

Alone in the Dark Remembers: Peter Yates (1928-2011)

Alone in the Dark Top 5: Weight Gain Performance for a Film Role

Cinema Challenge #3: The Ten Best Snow Films

SHORT FILM SHOWCASE: "At The End Of The Sentence" (Scotland) 2005

The Celluloid Canon: Barbara Stanwyck

Short Film Showcase: Plastic Bag (2009)

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

The Ten Best Snow Films- #6: Beautiful Girls

Follow Alone in the Dark on Facebook!

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

Short Film Showcase: Foolishly Seeking True Love (2009)

Je recommanderais - Week of Nov. 29th

2011 Spirit Award Nominations!

Cinema Challenge #3: The Ten Best Snow Films

Cinema Challenge #1: Ten Sequels Better Than The Originals

Alone in the Dark Presents: The TCM 365 Project

Alone in the Dark Presents: The TCM 365 Project

Je recommanderais - Week of Nov. 15th

Monday Short Film Showcase: The Lady and the Reaper (2009) Spain

Inconnu XXV: The Top 25 Films You Haven't Watched- But Should.

Short Film Showcase: Peluca (2003) U.S.A.

Alone in the Dark Presents: The TCM 365 Project

Alone in the Dark Presents: The TCM 365 Project

Alone in the Dark Presents: The TCM 365 Project

The 20 Worst Mistakes in Academy Award History

A.K.A. "Why I Watch the Independent Spirit Awards"
A Cinephile’s examination of the most egregious errors in judgment by the Academy Awards.