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December 2007 Archive

December 3, 2007

Kid You Not

Director Venditti on the craft and controversy of Billy the Kid

By S.T. VanAirsdale

The News: No Country Overkill is On

Also: More fabulous online viewing for you procrastinators; NYC's Chan does Godot in NO

December 4, 2007

Coppola's Youth Movement

Legendary director just wants you to enjoy his years-in-the-making mindfuck

By S.T. VanAirsdale

The Violin

Vargas drops a worthy calling card with a low-key study of Mexico's political underground

By Eric Kohn

Juno

Despite some tonal overkill, this teen pregnancy comedy's sweetness feels earned

By Michelle Orange

December 5, 2007

The News: Legend-ary Manhattan Explained

Also: Scott "the Hammer" Foundas gets pervy with Grace; NBR and Cody divorce hype pump sulphur into blogosphere

BAM Maxes Out

Seduced and Abandoned: Virtuosity on display at BAM during 12-film Ophüls retrospective

We Care This Much: NBR Honors No Country

Surprise picks Toots, Great World of Sound trigger brief reconsiderations of relevance

Smiley Face NYC Bound After All

Lost stoner sleeper headed for year-end run at IFC Center

December 6, 2007

The News: HBO Sweet on Sugar

Also: Funny Games trailer waiting to mortify you; Scarlett phones her lawyers

Scooperific Liz Smith Corners Mailer, Madonna

Gossip atones for media sins of Swept Away and misconstrued press releases

The Walker

Schrader's sex and politics ethical thriller gets caught -- and stuck -- in the wayback machine

By Vadim Rizov

Atonement

Wright's adaptation hits its tearjerking marks but misses the book's central idea

By Vadim Rizov

Everything to Lose

New doc charts the many rises and falls of NYC psychedelic rock heroes Holy Modal Rounders

By Mat Newman

Sundance Gets it Right, Reeler Gets to Eat

Most competitive shorts program ever takes Columbia gem

December 7, 2007

The News: All-Positive Friday!

Reeler and Scott, united in distaste; NYC doc all-stars getting their Freakonomics on

This Weekend in Blown Minds: Casshern!

Sci-fi epic screens free and uncut on Upper East Side

December 10, 2007

The News: Unleash the Superlatives

Also: Bacall reflects for the Post; Ethan Coen knows what's good

Sembène's Rainbow

Late filmmaker's political mystery-satire Guelwaar a scorching highlight of ongoing retrospective

Help Against Hype

The Reeler's handy year-end guide to unconventional wisdom

By S.T. VanAirsdale

Country Club: Coens Win Big with NYFCC

Day-Lewis, Christie take acting hardware; Lumet and Burnett honored as well

White Power

Armond chronicled in a pair of thorough -- and thoroughly staggering -- new features

December 11, 2007

The News: Strike News Now Predicted 5 Days in Advance

Also: More from the bloody festival trenches; no Legend for China this holiday

NYC Critics Put "Circle" in Circle Jerk

Parsing the Monday awards recaps so you don't have to

December 12, 2007

Nanking

Chronicle of an atrocity lacks insight into -- but not the relentless horror of -- its subject

By Vadim Rizov

Legend Has It

Will Smith and screenwriter Goldsman on reviving classic -- to mixed effect -- in NYC

By S.T. VanAirsdale

The News: Keeping Up with Jones

Also: Kino goes shopping; Corliss goes batshit

I Walked with Val Lewton

Seduced and Abandoned: Legendary producer draws tribute with double feature at Lincoln Center

December 13, 2007

Bahrani Opens Shop on W. Houston

Koch Lorber snags Chop Shop for late-winter release at Film Forum

The News: Push Comes to Shove

Also: Kehr has choice words for Coens and critics; Lyons messes diaper on live TV

Youth Without Youth

Coppola returns with a dense, intricately cinematic meditation on the limits of creative ambition

By Keith Uhlich

Blood Brother

Anderson's milestone just another day at the office for the unflappable Paul Dano

By John Lichman

The Kite Runner

Adaptation nails blandness of Hosseini's prose, but not the book's redeeming cultural engagement

By Michelle Orange

There Will Be Bruises

Real fights and other authentic depravity with Daniel Day-Lewis and P.T. Anderson

December 14, 2007

The News: All-Positive Friday!

Inside: Why Welles's unsold Oscar is a good thing; Blonsky, Foster get giddy over Globes

Satrapi Signs, Seals, Delivers

Persepolis author and co-director brings original graphic novel downtown tonight

Williams Walks into Theaters

Reeler Flashback: Director Robinson discusses doc about disappeared Factory stalwart

December 17, 2007

A Brooklyn Independent

Reeler Interview: Filmmaker Pacheco on Brooklyn's longest-running indie series and getting to know the Vietnamese secret police

By S.T. VanAirsdale

The News: Dargis Pans Awards Season

Also: RIP St. Clair Bourne; would you believe I Am Legend is fiction?

The Passion of Alex McQuilkin

Artist's take on Falconetti makes for scintillating read in Brooklyn Rail

December 18, 2007

The News: Better Late Than Never

Inside: The World Almanac works better than garlic; AICN Cloverfield review short-listed for Pulitzer

Times Magazine Slices, Dices Coppola

Slimming the answers -- and the man? -- down for publication

December 19, 2007

Neo-New York is About to E.X.P.L.O.D.E.

A beginner's guide to discovering anime culture in NYC

By John Lichman

The Blog Shall Soon Return...

...from its hostage situation 3,000 miles outside New York

December 20, 2007

NYC in Ink (and Pixels, and Paint, and...)

An online tour of local animation superstars, surprises and best-kept secrets

A Revolutionary Adaptation

The politics of bringing Persepolis from the page to the screen

By Vadim Rizov

There Will Be Blood

P.T. Anderson's monumental departure from form draws blood

By Vadim Rizov

Walk Hard

Biopic parody owes a debt to the Zuckers with comedy that's big, silly and very surreal

By Matt Singer

The News: The Blonde That Got Away

Also: A perverse animation extra; one degree of separation between Gravel and Warhol?

Charlie Wilson's War

Nichols and Co.'s foreign policy caper puts up a decent fight, but Hoffman wins the War

By Michelle Orange

Berlin by Way of Austin

Reed headed for SXSW keynote appearance, documentary premiere

December 21, 2007

Sweeney Todd

Hollywood's most consistent force serves up another slice of gothic heaven

By Eric Kohn

The News: All-Positive Friday!

Inside: Monk movies are where it's at; a list we can learn from (sort of)

Young Love: Anderson, Apitchatpong Get NYC Retros

30-something auteurs set for January showcases

December 24, 2007

The News: Holiday Haiku Edition!

Inside: The poetry of Harvey, Manohla, Goldstein and other holiday heavy hitters

December 26, 2007

Face Value

Reeler Interview: Gregg Araki on Smiley Face, Faris and the trouble with genre

By Ben Gold

December 28, 2007

The News: All-Positive Friday!

Inside: National Film Registry picks Lumet, Dassin, Jacobs; deep thoughts on trashing New York

Moving Pictures

NYT's Bhutto assassination photos perhaps most compelling horror film of the year

December 31, 2007

Spending the Day with PTA

One director, five films and 699 minutes of messy, meandering greatness

By S.T. VanAirsdale

The News: 2007, We Hardly Knew Ye

Inside: Visiting the multiplex from hell; Deutchman drops ball on Times square