What is ‘Side by Side’ All About?

St Clair Cinema Club is showing Side by Side (2012) tomorrow night (Saturday,  June 22). It’s a great look at the huge change happening in the movie industry right now, so if you like movies at all, and you’re in the Detroit area, we hope you’ll stop by Jam Handy (2900 East Grand Blvd.)

Cinema Detroit

In this short video, producer Keanu Reeves explains what the documentary SIDE BY SIDE is about. We’ll let Reeves do the talking, but the most important thing is that it’s for anyone who likes movies. SIDE BY SIDE has something for the casual moviegoer who’s curious about how movies – both film and digital – are made. And for the serious film geek, many of the best directors working today express their views on the change from film to digital – which is probably the biggest technical change in movie making since the change from silent movies to talkies.

So, come on out to JAM HANDY this Saturday at 8p.m. to see SIDE BY SIDE. We’ll have popcorn and beverages. See you then!

View original post

If it’s Springtime, Why Is It Still Cold Outside Movie Quiz

mcgonagall
Warning: this is no lightweight quiz. Extreme brainwracking may occur! Professor McGonagall approves.

My friend Michael of It Rains…You Get Wet answered this thought-provoking movie quiz earlier, it was actually devised by Dennis at Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule, under the name “MISS JEAN BRODIE’S MODESTLY MAGNIFICENT, MATRIARCHALLY MANIPULATIVE SPRINGTIME-FOR-MUSSOLINI MOVIE QUIZ.” I’m so late on this that Dennis has already compiled all the answers here, here, here and here, but I still had a lot of fun with this quiz so, at the risk of total redundancy, I’m posting my answers.

Lorre-Fontaine-Constant-Barf

1)      The classic movie moment everyone loves except me is:
Any of the 112 moments of The Constant Nymph (1943). Joan Fontaine was 25 and doesn’t seem 14 to me, just a little mental, but not as crazy as Charles Boyer’s character would be to leave Alexis Smith’s for a teenager. By the end of the film, I really felt they deserved each other.

 2)      Favorite line of dialogue from a film noir
“Baby, I don’t care.”

       
3)      Second favorite Hal Ashby film
The Last Detail. My number one is Harold and Maude. But have you ever seen 8 Million Ways To Die (1986)?
       
4)      Describe the moment when you first realized movies were directed as opposed to simply pieced together anonymously. *
I’m not really sure, but I have a pretty clear memory of my mother telling me how Atlanta burning in Gone with the Wind was actually the set from another film, and that they had filmed that first. Before that I thought they started with the first scene and went through it in the order of the finished film. I was maybe 10 or 11.
       
5)      Favorite film book 
Halliwell’s Film Guide. 
       
6)      Diana Sands or Vonetta McGee?
Vonetta McGee. Repo Man.

7)      Most egregious gap in your viewing of films made in the past 10 years
Children of Men. I know, I know!
       
8)      Favorite line of dialogue from a comedy
It is really difficult to choose one, but let’s go with: “All you need to start an asylum is an empty room and the right kind of people.”
       
EA02-crop

9) Second favorite Lloyd Bacon film
Espionage Agent (1939), with Joel McCrea and Brenda Marshall. Number one would be 42nd Street.

tumblr_mjiqvaE4xa1r3mh0to1_250
10)   Richard Burton or Roger Livesey?
Roger Livesey.       
11)   Is there a movie you staunchly refuse to consider seeing? If so, why?
A Clockwork Orange, because I don’t want anything to ruin Singin’ in the Rain. Killer Joe, because the description of that one is enough. Twilight, I guess just because I’m sick of hearing about it. There’s many others, probably hundreds.
       
12)   Favorite filmmaker collaboration
Orson Welles and Gregg Toland. Christopher Nolan and Wally Pfister. Quentin Tarantino and Sally Menke. Alfred and Alma Hitchcock.
       
13)   Most recently viewed movie on DVD/Blu-ray/theatrical?
The Guard (2011).
       
14)   Favorite line of dialogue from a horror movie
“If you want good product, you gotta buy American.”
        
15)   Second favorite Oliver Stone film
JFK. First favorite is still Platoon.
       
16)   Eva Mendes or Raquel Welch?
I don’t have strong feeling one way or the other. Let the flaming commence!

17)   Favorite religious satire
The Life of Brian. With runner up to Father Ted. It’s only runner-up because it’s not a movie, and it would have made a funny one.
       
18)   Best Internet movie argument? (question contributed by Tom Block)
19)   Most pointless Internet movie argument? (question contributed by Tom Block)
I think a lot of the time, these are the same thing. Internet movie arguments are the best, because mostly they are fun, and they’re also pointless, because I’ve yet to have one change my mind about anything important. Any argument that turns personal or has people unfollowing and blocking each other is a big bummer, though.
       
20)   Charles McGraw or Robert Ryan?
Robert Ryan.
         
21)   Favorite line of dialogue from a western
“Old man, make three coffins.”
       
22)   Second favorite Roy Del Ruth film
Tail Spin. First choice is Topper Returns. The movie isn’t all that great, but Joan Blondell is in it.

23)   Relatively unknown film or filmmaker you’d most eagerly proselytize for
It used to be Rian Johnson, because I knew he was a genius about 5 minutes into Brick. Richard Linklater is hardly an unknown filmmaker, but his Bernie (2012) is mostly unknown, and that is the one I’ve probably yammered on about the most.
       
24)   Ewan McGregor or Gerard Butler?
With apologies to Ruth at Flix Chatter, Ewan McGregor.
ewan-mcgregor
       
25)   Is there such a thing as a perfect movie?
I don’t know. But there are some that are pretty darn close. Casablanca. Jane Eyre.
       
 26)   Favorite movie location you’ve most recently had the occasion to actually visit *
Da Stuzzi, the café they dressed for Café Debussy in Inception (2010).
inception location - Café Debussy
Pointe Hardware & Lumber, where they filmed Gran Torino (2008).
“Clint Eastwood’s Favorite Hardware Store”
Pointe-Hardware-Gran-Torino
Metro Airport (DTW), used for Up In The Air (2009).
Up-In-The-Air-DTW-low
       
27)   Second favorite Delmer Daves film
As a director, Destination Tokyo (1943). First is Dark Passage (1947). As a writer, An Affair to Remember (1957). First would be The Petrified Forest (1936). I know, it was an adaptation of a play.
        
28)   Name the one DVD commentary you wish you could hear that, for whatever reason, doesn’t actually exist *
Casablanca.
       
29)   Gloria Grahame or Marie Windsor? Gloria Grahame.
Gloria Grahame as Violet in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
       
30)   Name a filmmaker who never really lived up to the potential suggested by their early acclaim or success.
At the risk of incurring some major wrath…Orson Welles.
31)   Is there a movie-based disagreement serious enough that it might cause you to reevaluate the basis of a romantic relationship or a friendship? *
Not based on a certain actor, director or film. Twitter is basically an exercise in “to each his or her own.” However, I can’t be friends or more with anyone who enjoys rape scenes, i.e. clapping, cheering, wolf whistles.
* denotes a classic or, if you must, recycled question from quizzes past that Miss Brodie thought might be interesting to revisit.

Future Classic Movies: INCEPTION

By Julian Bond

Dreams Within Dreams Within Dreams…Fights in a Spinning Hotel Lobby…LEONARDO DICAPRIO!!

These are some of the many reasons why I believe that Inception will end up being a Future Classic Movie. When the movie first came out a couple of summers ago, everyone flocked to the theaters to catch it due to the super-mysterious plot at the time and mainly because of this being the first follow-up of director Chrstopher Nolan’s since this little old flick called The Dark Knight came. But once the dust settled at this film’s exciting conclusion (oh…darn you spinning top!), the conversations and endless debates on its plot details never seemed to stop.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Leonardo diCaprio in INCEPTION

Instead of being a one-note, too gimmick-ridden film, Inception proved to be a multi-layered film that still drives multiple repeat viewings (with no pun about its main dream plot intended). On top of this, its clever odes to the action, sci-fi, and psychological thriller genres help this go a long way in being a good long-term future classic movie that never seems to get old. Inception to me will definitely be one of those awesome flicks to turn on 10, 20 years from now and be a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Along with Inception playing on a future classic movie channel, the one person who I strangely see taking on hosting duties on movie marathons in the future  is actor/comedian Joel McHale of The Soup and Community fame. The man may not a super well-known respected actor and is currently just really known for drawing up goofy laughs, but I see that his years of being a good steady host on Soup could one day translate to a neat little side soundtrack for a nice afternoon movie marathon.