Monthly Archives: August 2012

Walkabout (1971)

Posted on August 12, 2012 by

If you recall from “Crocodile Dundee,” a “walkabout” is when an Aborigine goes out on his own for awhile, learning about life and seeking a spiritual awakening. In “Walkabout,” there is an Aboriginal youth (David Gulpilil) who is out on … Continue reading →

Posted in Coming of Age Film, Films, Films 2012, Foreign | Tagged | 5 Comments

The Blue Angel (1930)

Posted on August 11, 2012 by

Yep. 1930. This is widely considered to be the first, major German “talkie,” as the kids back then called them, and a lot of the photography and physical movements still echo the silent era. The film follows the life of … Continue reading →

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The Naked City (1948)

Posted on August 8, 2012 by

“There are eight million stories in the naked city. This has been one of them.” That’s the last line in “The Naked City,” a 1948 precursor to the police procedural genre. This is a neat little movie. It was filmed … Continue reading →

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Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai Du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)

Posted on August 7, 2012 by

If you’d asked me a week ago whether I’d be working my way through Chantal Akerman’s films, I’d probably have laughed and asked, “Chantal Akerman? Who’s that?” This has been a rewarding journey, and this film is widely considered to … Continue reading →

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Les Rendez-Vous d'Anna (Anna's Meetings) — 1978

Posted on August 6, 2012 by

There’s a scene in Chantal Akerman’s “Les Rendez-Vous d’Anna” where Anna (Aurore Clement) is riding a train to Brussels. She’s standing by the corridor window, just gazing into the distance, watching the lights move by slowly. All at once, a … Continue reading →

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Tom and "Mary and Max" (2009)

Posted on August 5, 2012 by

“Mary and Max” is an Australian claymation film about a spunky yet lonely young girl, Mary Daisy Dinkle, who randomly tears a piece out of a Manhattan phone book she was reading in a post office, and writes to a … Continue reading →

Posted in Films 2012 | 7 Comments

My Dinner With Andre (1981)

Posted on August 4, 2012 by

Here’s the plot: two old friends meet for dinner at a posh New York restaurant and talk. That’s really it. Yet somehow, it becomes this amazing film, probably one of my 10 favorites ever. The film starts with playwright/actor Wallace … Continue reading →

Posted in Films, Films 2012 | Tagged | 8 Comments