squirm

Guy Maddin Unbound

letter from a deadman

"I'm a guy that likes to get his mail..."

horror head goes cold turkey

when the future was still shiny and new

cyclemaniacs assaulting and killing for thrills!

 

in celebration of the biker movie blowout currently on offer at the otto mannix report, the united provinces of ivanlandia, toestubber, and american national standard. gentlemen, start your engines!

The Cold Weekend

seems just a bit more sufferable now that I've discovered European Film Treasures, a partnership between a few dozen film archives around the continent dedicated to preserving the early history of European cinema. Browse their listings, watch the films online and read about their creation. Thus far I've thrilled to the exploits of Danish stuntwoman Emilie Sannom, witnessed Kaiser Wilhelm II pop by the neighbors, and dreamed of summer afternoons frolicking at the Wannsee. And that's just in the first ten minutes!

Raise the Red Lantern

finally some good news

crumpets

and coffee saturday at a villa in berlin-dahlem. here i would meet my first actual anglicans - they seemed almost normal! of great interest was the vacant lot next door at number 24. a hillock of clay and a dozen small rosebushes huddled together providing the only evidence that the lot had once been the site of a luxurious villa, home to swedish chanson and film star zarah leander. the following day found us wandering through friedrichshagen, marvelling at the lakefront villas before venturing into the waterworks museum, which provided a look into the murky history of berlin's water systems. afterwards by tram and ferry to a late lunch in rahnsdorf where, at twilight, mosquitoes the size of small birds emerge from the pines.

i don't speak frog but

in an interview over at telerama director michael haneke criticizes the present state of american cinema stating that it makes

"violence a product for mass-consumption. ... [the] loss of standards gets a little worse everyday in the media orgy of brutal images: a real pornography of violence. with the development of communication in every direction, it's even more present today. and art has not been spared. for many filmmakers, exploiting the distracting qualities of violence has become the pinnacle of cool. ... violence has always profoundly revolted me ... how can we revel in the suffering of others, even on the screen? i don't understand. as long as this unhealthy fascination exists, i won't stop speaking out about it and opposing dominant cinema." (thank the goodly folk at euro|topics for the translation).

while i can appreciate his revulsion, it is a bit specious to argue that america's fascination with violence is novel. the nation was formed from and girded with violence from the very start and its ferocious proclivity has only accelerated as its capacity for violence has grown exponentially. it's as american as apple pie and carjacking!