Thursday, February 24, 2022

ENG 281/282 Documentaries (Ongoing Archive)

13th (USA: Ava DuVernay, 2016) ["An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation’s history of racial inequality."]

Always in Season (USA: Jacqueline Olive, 2019) ["When 17-year-old Lennon Lacy is found hanging from a swing set in rural North Carolina in 2014, his mother’s search for justice and reconciliation begins while the trauma of more than a century of lynching African Americans bleeds into the present."]

Bisbee '17 (USA: Robert Greene, 2018) ["It’s 2017 in Bisbee, Arizona, an old copper-mining town just miles from the Mexican border. The town’s close-knit community prepares to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Bisbee’s darkest hour: the infamous Bisbee Deportation of 1917, during which 1,200 striking miners were violently taken from their homes, banished to the middle of the desert, and left to die. Townspeople confront this violent, misunderstood past by staging dramatic recreations of the escalating strike. These dramatized scenes are based on subjective versions of the story and “directed,” in a sense, by residents with conflicting views of the event. Deeply personal segments torn from family history build toward a massive restaging of the deportation itself on the exact day of its 100th anniversary."]

Blood On the Mountain (USA: Mari-Lynn C. Evans and Jordan Freeman, 2016) ["Documentary focusing on the environmental and economic injustice and corporate control in West Virginia and its rippling effect on all American workers. This film tells the story of a hard-working people who have historically had limited choices and have never benefited fairly from the rich natural resources of their land. The failure to diversify the economy has insured control by outside, unrestricted corporations with the support of politicians kept in their positions by these very same companies."]

Cameraperson (USA: Kirsten Johnson, 2016) ["As a visually radical memoir, CAMERAPERSON draws on the remarkable footage that filmmaker Kirsten Johnson has shot and reframes it in ways that illuminate moments and situations that have personally affected her. What emerges is an elegant meditation on the relationship between truth and the camera frame, as Johnson transforms scenes that have been presented on Festival screens as one kind of truth into another kind of story—one about personal journey, craft, and direct human connection."]

Cries From Syria (USA/Czech Republic: Evgeny Afineevsky, 2018) ["An attempt to re-contextualize the European migrant crisis and ongoing hostilities in Syria, through eyewitness and participant testimony. Children and parents recount the revolution, civil war, air strikes, atrocities and ongoing humanitarian aid crises, in a portrait of recent history and the consequences of violence."]

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (USA: Nicole Newnham and James Lebrecht, 2020) ["Down the road from Woodstock in the early 1970s, a revolution blossomed in a ramshackle summer camp for disabled teenagers, transforming their young lives and igniting a landmark movement."]

De Palma (USA: Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow, 2015) ["An intimate conversation between filmmakers, chronicling De Palma’s 55-year career, his life, and his filmmaking process, with revealing anecdotes and, of course, a wealth of film clips."]

Dick Johnson is Dead (USA: Kirsten Johnson, 2020) ["With this inventive portrait, director Kirsten Johnson seeks a way to keep her 86-year-old father alive forever. Utilizing moviemaking magic and her family’s dark humor, she celebrates Dr. Dick Johnson’s last years by staging fantasies of death and beyond. Together, dad and daughter confront the great inevitability awaiting us all."]

Do Not Resist (USA: Craig Atkinson, 2016) ["Do Not Resist is an exploration of the rapid militarization of the police in the United States. Opening on startling on-the-scene footage in Ferguson, Missouri, the film then broadens its scope to present scenes from across the country."]

Don't Blink: Robert Frank (Canada/France/USA: Laura Israel, 2015) ["The life and work of Robert Frank—as a photographer and a filmmaker—are so intertwined that they’re one in the same, and the vast amount of territory he’s covered, from The Americans in 1958 up to the present, is intimately registered in his now-formidable body of artistic gestures. From the early ’90s on, Frank has been making his films and videos with the brilliant editor Laura Israel, who has helped him to keep things homemade and preserve the illuminating spark of first contact between camera and people/places. Don’t Blink is Israel’s like-minded portrait of her friend and collaborator, a lively rummage sale of images and sounds and recollected passages and unfathomable losses and friendships that leaves us a fast and fleeting imprint of the life of the Swiss-born man who reinvented himself the American way, and is still standing on ground of his own making at the age of 90."]

Gimme Danger (USA: Jim Jarmusch, 2016) ["No other band in rock’n’roll history has rivaled The Stooges’ combination of heavy primal throb, spiked psychedelia, blues-a-billy grind, complete with succinct angst-ridden lyrics, and a snarling, preening leopard of a frontman who somehow embodies Nijinsky, Bruce Lee, Harpo Marx, and Arthur Rimbaud all rolled into one. There is no precedent for The Stooges, while those inspired by them are now legion. The film will present the context of their emergence musically, culturally, politically, historically, and relate their adventures and misadventures while charting their inspirations and the reasons behind their initial commercial challenges, as well as their long-lasting legacy."]

Hail Satan? (USA: Penny Lane, 2019) ["A look at the intersection of religion and activism, tracing the rise of The Satanic Temple: only six years old and already one of the most controversial religious movements in American history. The Temple is calling for a Satanic revolution to save the nation’s soul. But are they for real?"]

Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror (USA: Xavier Burgin, 2019) ["Delving into a century of genre films that by turns utilized, caricatured, exploited, sidelined, and finally embraced them, this is the untold history of black Americans in Hollywood through their connection to the horror genre."]

I Am Not Your Negro (France/USA: Raoul Peck, 2016) [MB: A great film on many levels: 1) an incredible completion of an artwork lost due to the death of an artist by another artist in a different medium 2) a masterpiece documentary/essay film 3) a revival of an important American voice for a new generation through his words then and a connection to their importance to our our present time/issues 4) a powerful examination of race in America. It was a perfect intellectual/poetic storm: James Baldwin’s communication style – he speaks directly to his audience and doesn’t do it in an aggressive accusatory manner, more of a probing poetic questioning of where do we actually stand (and while it may not be aggressive/accusatory, it is insistent that we declare our stance); Raoul Peck’s reproduction/reconstruction of that style in the essay film/documentary on Baldwin’s last project and the way in which he uses the film to realize/finish Baldwin’s book; the historical process of both Baldwin/Peck (I really appreciate the intertwining of their personal perspectives with larger historical processes) and the way in which one cannot ignore or walk away untouched (even if not moved or convinced) from the realities they are (re)presenting. It is as much the method as the content (although don’t get me wrong, the content/history is vitally important).]

Lo Sound Desert (USA: Joerg Steineck, 2015) ["Lo Sound Desert is a documentary about the Californian Desert music scene, which gave birth to bands like Kyuss and Queens Of The Stone Age. What basically started by revolving punk rock kids - hidden from narrow-minded authorities of suburban desert communities in the early 80s, became a vibe over the years. The film provides a unique insight into the history of the Coachella Valley music scene: From never-ending jams in the middle of the desert to headlining huge European stages - Desert Rock, often misinterpreted as musical genre continued its underground spread and became international treasure. Lo Sound Desert is narrated by Josh Homme, Brant Bjork, Mario Lalli and many others from bands like Queens Of The Stone Age, Kyuss, Fatso Jetson, Dalis Llama, Hornss, Fu Manchu etc."]

My Octopus Teacher (South Africa: Philippa Ehrlich and James Reed, 2021) [MB: Introduced to a unique worldview and shown aspects of life that I was completely unaware of (and I grew up on an ocean and snorkled/skin dived). The redemption of an individual completely burnt out, through the exploration of a unique piece of nature, and in a daily engagement/interaction with an octopus who proves to be one of the most innovative & creative beings I have witnessed. I was left breathless and eager to know more about our wondrous planet/existence! Movie Description: "After years of swimming every day in the freezing ocean at the tip of Africa, Craig Foster meets an unlikely teacher: a young octopus who displays remarkable curiosity. Visiting her den and tracking her movements for months on end he eventually wins the animal’s trust and they develop a never-before-seen bond between human and wild animal."]

Seaspiracy (USA: Ali Tabrizi, 2021) ["Passionate about ocean life, a filmmaker sets out to document the harm that humans do to marine species — and uncovers an alarming global conspiracy."]

The Social Dilemma (USA: Jeff Orlowski, 2020) ["This documentary-drama hybrid explores the dangerous human impact of social networking, with tech experts sounding the alarm on their own creations." MB: Easily the best documentary on this problem. Check out The Consilience Project consilienceproject.org/ and Your Undivided Attention www.humanetech.com/podcast for more from the people involved.]

Vita Activa: The Spirit of Hannah Arendt (Israel/Canada/Germany: Ada Ushpiz, 2015) ["A documentary about the life and work of Hannah Arendt, the prolific and unclassifiable thinker, political theorist, moral philosopher and polemicist, and her encounter with the trial of Adolf Eichmann, a high-ranking NAZI."]

 Voir (USA: David Prior, et al, 2021: all 6 episodes - 102 mins total) ["Film lovers examine the cinematic moments that thrilled, perplexed, challenged and forever changed them in this collection of visual essays."]

Won't You Be My Neighbor? (USA: Morgan Neville, 2018) ["Fred Rogers used puppets and play to explore complex social issues: race, disability, equality and tragedy, helping form the American concept of childhood. He spoke directly to children and they responded enthusiastically. Yet today, his impact is unclear. Have we lived up to Fred’s ideal of good neighbors?"]

The Work (USA: Jairus McLeary and Gethin Aldus, 2018) ["Set entirely inside Folsom Prison, The Work follows three men during four days of intensive group therapy with convicts, revealing an intimate and powerful portrait of authentic human transformation that transcends what we think of as rehabilitation."]

Zappa (USA: Alex Winter, 2020) ["With the help of more than 10,000 dedicated Zappa fans, this is the long-awaited definitive documentary project of Alex Winter documenting the life and career of enigmatic groundbreaking rock star Frank Zappa. Alex also utilizes in this picture thousands of hours of painstakingly digitized videos, photos, audio, writing, and everything in between from Zappa’s private archives. These chronicles have never been brought to a public audience before, until now."]

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Sean Baker (Ongoing Archive)


Takeout (2004)

Prince of Broadway (2008)

Starlet (2012)

Tangerine (2015)

The Florida Project (2017)

Red Rocket (2021)

The Florida Project (USA: Sean Baker, 2017)

 





The Florida Project (USA: Sean Baker, 2017: 115 mins)

Arceneaux, Bill. "The Florida Project." Film Threat (November 3, 2017)

Baker, Sean, Chris Bergoch and Samantha Quan. "The Florida Project." The Close-Up #151 (October 12, 2017)

Brody, Richard. "The Florida Project Is the Cinematic Antidote to Helicopter Parenting." The New Yorker (October 5, 2017)

Cassidy, Brendan and J.D. Duran. "The Florida Project, Top 3 Coming of Age Movies (21st Century), Wonderstruck." InSession Film (November 13, 2017)

Herron, Christopher. "The Underground Economy: Sean Baker Interview (The Florida Project)." The 7th Art (October 13, 2017)


Lazic, Manuela. "Sean Baker's World of Outcasts."  The Ringer (December 8, 2021) ["The director of ‘Tangerine,’ ‘The Florida Project,’ and most recently ‘Red Rocket’ trains his lens on people who are often overlooked by Hollywood. And most of the time, he casts those people too."]

Nelson, Geoff. "The Grotesque Aesthetic Morality of The Florida Project." The Los Angeles Review of Books (November 15, 2017) 

O'Falt, Chris. "The Best Cast Films of 2017, According to Top Casting Directors." IndieWire (December 4, 2017) ["15 casting directors explain the brilliance behind their peers’ work in “Lady Bird,” “Get Out,” “The Post,” "The Shape of Water," and more."]

Pitre, Jack. "The Florida Project provocatively depicts poverty with respect." The Seventh Row (December 7, 2017)

Taylor, Josh. "The Florida Project." The Forgetful Film Critic (October 27, 2017)

Vacche, Angela Dalle. "American Neorealism? Sean Baker’s The Florida Project." Cinergie #13 (2018)

































"The Florida Project" Video Essay from Anna Mellett on Vimeo.




The colors of The Florida Project from Niklas Kattwinkel on Vimeo.


Monday, February 21, 2022

ENG 281 & 282: Recommended Films by Year

 This is a list of the top films I have seen by the year that they were released. This list is limited by many things. 1) I live in Lexington, KY, not a mecca for film festivals or a major center for world cinema releases in the theater. Thus, these lists are kind of like fine wines or cheese, as they age, they become more complex. As I am able to access a broader range of films when they are released on DVD the range of my cinematic experiences/knowledge will deepen, but no doubt I will still be limited by the politics of US dvd distribution and available streaming services, but I am addressing that by seeking out DVDs from other regions. 2) My personal experiences, perspective, aesthetics, politics and background no doubt influence what are on the lists. 3) These lists will change over time as I change and also as I revisit older films. Please, feel free to offer suggestions and critiques. I believe fully in the power of dialogic interaction.




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2019

2020






Thursday, February 17, 2022

Tangerine (USA: Sean Baker, 2015)

 



Tangerine (USA: Scott Baker, 2015: 88 mins)

Capper, Beth. "Otherwise Reproductions: Visualizing Black Trans Labour and Kinship in Sean Baker’s Tangerine." Pyriscence (November 20, 2021)

Dargis, Manohla. "Tangerine, a Madcap Buddy Picture About Transgender Prostitutes." The New York Times (July 9, 2015)

Gardner, Caden Mark. "Disclosure and Pursuing the Trans Film Image." Reverse Shot (June 19, 2020)

Lazic, Manuela. "Sean Baker's World of Outcasts."  The Ringer (December 8, 2021) ["The director of ‘Tangerine,’ ‘The Florida Project,’ and most recently ‘Red Rocket’ trains his lens on people who are often overlooked by Hollywood. And most of the time, he casts those people too."]

Renee, V. "How Sean Baker's Tangerine Shines a Light on Hollywood's Diversity Problems." No Film School (February 27, 2016)

Schonig, Jordan. "The Other Side of Digital Cinema: Tangerine and Digital Realism." (Posted on Youtube: September 6, 2021) ["This video essay examines what Nicholas Rombes's" in his book Cinema in the Digital Age "calls the "double logic of digital cinema," an emerging trend toward realism in a medium that is often associated with fantasy. The video examines the Dogme 95 movement as well as the film Tangerine (Baker, 2015)."]

Seitz, Matt Zoller. "Tangerine."Roger Ebert (July 10, 2015)

Sneider, Jeff. "‘Tangerine’ Director on Why the Movie’s Transgender Stars Deserve Recognition." The Wrap (December 22, 2015)

Turner, Kyle. "Sean Baker on Bringing Comedy to Tangerine, Identity, the American Dream, and More." The Film Stage (November 12, 2015)

Wong, Carmen. "Breaking Down the Kaleidoscope: ​Tangerine [2015] - Video Essay." (Posted on Youtube: November 16, 2015)


















 Tangerine: A Video Essay from Read More Movies on Vimeo.























Monday, February 14, 2022

Spirited Away (Japan: Hayao Miyazaki, 2001)







Spirited Away (Japan: Hayao Miyazaki, 2001: 125 mins)

Any-Mation. "Hayao Miyazaki: The Mind of a Master." (Posted on Youtube: July 16, 2020)

Bond, Lewis. Hayao Miyazaki: The Essence of Humanity. (Posted on Youtube: October 6, 2015)

Boyd, James W. and Tetsuya Nishimura. "Shinto Perspectives in Miyazaki's Anime Film 'Spirited Away.'" Journal of Religion and Film 8.3 (October 2004)

Ford, Phil, J.F. Martel, and Meredith Michael. "That Ain't Plot: On Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away." Weird Studies (February 15, 2023) ["Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away is one of those rare films that is both super popular and super weird. Rife with cinematic non sequiturs, unforgettable imagery, and moments of horror, it is an outstanding example of a story form that goes all the way back to the myth of Psyche and Eros from Apuleius's Golden Ass, if not earlier. In this type of story, a girl on the cusp of maturity steps into a magical realm where people and things from waking life reappear, draped in the gossamer of dream and nightmare. Musicologist and WS assistant Meredith Michael joins JF and Phil to discuss a strange jewel of Japanese animated cinema."]

Freiberg, Freda. "Miyazaki's Heroines." Senses of Cinema #40 (July 2006)

Haider, Arwa. "The Film That Captures Millennials' Greatest Fear." BBC Culture (April 21, 2021) ["As Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar-winning anime turns 20, Arwa Haider asks why the film's powerful magic still captivates today."]

"Imaginary and Fantastic: Hayao Miyazaki Studies." Film Studies for Free (November 25, 2009)

Napier, Susan Jolliffe. "Miyazakiworld: A Life in Art (Yale University Press, 2018)." New Books in Art (February 8, 2022) ["A thirtieth‑century toxic jungle, a bathhouse for tired gods, a red‑haired fish girl, and a furry woodland spirit—what do these have in common? They all spring from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki, one of the greatest living animators, known worldwide for films such as My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and The Wind Rises. In Miyazakiworld: A Life in Art (Yale UP, 2018), Japanese culture and animation scholar Susan Napier explores the life and art of this extraordinary Japanese filmmaker to provide a definitive account of his oeuvre. Napier insightfully illuminates the multiple themes crisscrossing his work, from empowered women to environmental nightmares to utopian dreams, creating an unforgettable portrait of a man whose art challenged Hollywood dominance and ushered in a new chapter of global popular culture."]

Odell, Colin and Michelle Le Blanc. "Directors of the Year: Miyazaki Hayao." International Film Guide: 2009. ed. Ian Hadyn Smith. London: Wallflower Press, 2009: 16-22. [Available in BCTC Library: PN1993.3 I544 2009]

Suzuki, Ayumi. "A nightmare of capitalist Japan: Spirited Away." Jump Cut #51 (Spring 2009)







Princess Mononoke (Japan: Hayao Miyazaki, 1997)





Princess Mononoke (Japan: Hayao Miyazaki, 1997: 134 mins)

Neil Gaiman recalls working on the English-language version of Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke (1997) and realizing that “everything in the film was about consequences of acts and actions: seemingly unrelated events are actually the consequences of other events or actions, and everyone in the film is acting according to what they believe to be their best interests without realizing that what they do affects everyone else.” - source

Any-Mation. "Hayao Miyazaki: The Mind of a Master." (Posted on Youtube: July 16, 2020)

Bond, Lewis. Hayao Miyazaki: The Essence of Humanity. (Posted on Youtube: October 6, 2015)

Freiberg, Freda. "Miyazaki's Heroines." Senses of Cinema #40 (July 2006)

"Imaginary and Fantastic: Hayao Miyazaki Studies." Film Studies for Free (November 25, 2009)

Kraemer, Christine Hoff. "Between the Worlds: Liminality and Self-Sacrifice in Princess Mononoke." Journal of Religion & Film 8.2 (2004)

Napier, Susan Jolliffe. "Miyazakiworld: A Life in Art (Yale University Press, 2018)." New Books in Art (February 8, 2022) ["A thirtieth‑century toxic jungle, a bathhouse for tired gods, a red‑haired fish girl, and a furry woodland spirit—what do these have in common? They all spring from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki, one of the greatest living animators, known worldwide for films such as My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and The Wind Rises. In Miyazakiworld: A Life in Art (Yale UP, 2018), Japanese culture and animation scholar Susan Napier explores the life and art of this extraordinary Japanese filmmaker to provide a definitive account of his oeuvre. Napier insightfully illuminates the multiple themes crisscrossing his work, from empowered women to environmental nightmares to utopian dreams, creating an unforgettable portrait of a man whose art challenged Hollywood dominance and ushered in a new chapter of global popular culture."]

Schnelbach, Leah. "Looking Back at Princess Mononoke after 20 Years." Tor (January 9, 2017)
























Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (Japan: Hayao Miyazaki, 1984)

 


Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (Japan: Hayao Miyazaki, 1984: 116 min)

Any-Mation. "Hayao Miyazaki: The Mind of a Master." (Posted on Youtube: July 16, 2020)

Bond, Lewis. "Hayao Miyazaki: The Essence of Humanity." (Posted on Youtube: October 6, 2015)

Bucsco, Gabe, Justine Smith and Josh Spiegel. "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind." Mousterpiece Theater (August 13, 2016) ["The film that led to the creation of Studio Ghibli, from director Hayao Miyazaki: it’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Josh and Gabe are joined by Justine Smith of Vague Visages to talk about this early Miyazaki effort, and whether or not it might be his very best film. Or is this movie not as emotionally engaging as films like Princess Mononoke or Kiki’s Delivery Service? Did this movie set the foundation or raise the bar so high nothing else could clear it?"]

Freiberg, Freda. "Miyazaki's Heroines." Senses of Cinema #40 (July 2006)

Monroe, William. "The Tao of Nausicaa." Foundation #103 (Summer 2008): 38-52. 

Napier, Susan Jolliffe. "Miyazakiworld: A Life in Art (Yale University Press, 2018)." New Books in Art (February 8, 2022) ["A thirtieth‑century toxic jungle, a bathhouse for tired gods, a red‑haired fish girl, and a furry woodland spirit—what do these have in common? They all spring from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki, one of the greatest living animators, known worldwide for films such as My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and The Wind Rises. In Miyazakiworld: A Life in Art (Yale UP, 2018), Japanese culture and animation scholar Susan Napier explores the life and art of this extraordinary Japanese filmmaker to provide a definitive account of his oeuvre. Napier insightfully illuminates the multiple themes crisscrossing his work, from empowered women to environmental nightmares to utopian dreams, creating an unforgettable portrait of a man whose art challenged Hollywood dominance and ushered in a new chapter of global popular culture."]

Odell, Colin and Michelle Le Blanc. "Directors of the Year: Miyazaki Hayao." International Film Guide: 2009. ed. Ian Hadyn Smith. London: Wallflower Press, 2009: 16-22. [Available in BCTC Library: PN1993.3 I544 2009]

Osmond, Andrew. "Nausicaa and the Fantasy of Hayao Miyazaki," Foundation #72 (Spring 1998): 57-81.


















Monday, February 7, 2022

Pedro Almodovar (Ongoing Archive)

 Marsh, Steven. "Great Directors: Pedro Almodóvar." Senses of Cinema #40 (July 2006)


Pepi, Luci, Bo (1980)

Labyrinth of Passion (1982)

Dark Habits (1983)

What Have I Done to Deserve This (1984)

Matador (1986)

Law of Desire (1987)

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988)

Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1989)

High Heels (1991)

Kika (1993)

The Flower of My Secret (1995)

Live Flesh (1997)

All About My Mother (1999)

Talk to Her (2002)

Bad Education (2004)

Volver (2006)

Broken Embraces (2009)

The Skin I Live In (2011)

I'm So Excited (2013)

Julieta (2016)

Pain and Glory (2019)

Parallel Mothers (2021) - Currently in local theaters, here is a guide initial reviews for the film https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/7520-pedro-almod-var-s-parallel-mothers   





Pain and Glory (Spain: Pedro Almodovar, 2019)





Pain and Glory (Spain: Pedro Almodovar, 2019: 113 mins)

Almodóvar, Pedro and Antonio Banderas. "Pain and Glory at NYFF57." Film at Lincoln Center Podcast #246 (September 27, 2019) ["... a conversation with Pedro Almodóvar and Antonio Banderas at the press conference for Pain and Glory as they discuss the creative process, mixing truth and fiction, and much more."]


Azevedo, Luis. "In the Kitchen with Pedro Almodóvar." (Posted on Youtube: March 10, 2020) 

Collins, K. Austin. "Pain and Glory Finds Pedro Almodovar Looking Inward." Vanity Fair (October 4, 2019)

Dargis, Manohla. "Pain and Glory: Almodóvar’s Dazzling Art of Self-Creation." The New York Times (October 3, 2019)

Eggert, Brian. "Pain and Glory." Deep Focus Review (November 10, 2019)

Flanagan, B.P. "Pain and Glory is a Knotty Self-Portrait." Seventh Row (October 24, 2019)

Glinis, Shawn. "Pain and Glory and the Art of Pedro Almodóvar’s World." The Film Stage (October 15, 2019)

Hernandez, Eugene, Michael Koresky and Nicolas Rapold. "Pedro Almodóvar and Pain and Glory." Film Comment Podcast (September 18, 2019) ["Koresky writes, “There has been no clearer onscreen representation of the filmmaker’s essence than the main character of Pain and Glory, played with exquisite middle-aged restraint by Almodóvar’s longtime muse, Antonio Banderas.”"]

Hudson, David. "Antonio Banderas and Pain and Glory." Current (September 19, 2019)

Jeitler, Morgan. "Cinematic Memory in ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ and ‘Pain and Glory.'" The Best Picture Project (April 5, 2021)

Koresky, Michael. "Lost and Found." Film Comment (September-October 2019) ["Pedro Almodóvar taps into both the anguish and the eroticism of memory in Pain and Glory, his most personal film yet"]

Lane, Anthony. "Pain and Glory Tells Autumnal Truths." The New Yorker (October 4, 2019)

 Marsh, Steven. "Great Directors: Pedro Almodóvar." Senses of Cinema #40 (July 2006)

Pasternack, Jesse. "Cinema of a Self: Pedro Almodóvar’s Pain and Glory." A Place for Film (February 6, 2020)

Samir, Aya. "The ghosts of Almodóvar’s Pain and Glory." Egypt Today (November 11, 2019)

Tallerico, Brian. "Pain and Glory." Roger Ebert (October 3, 2019)




















Julieta (Spain: Pedro Almodovar, 2016)





 Julieta (Spain: Pedro Almodovar, 2016: 99 mins)

Azevedo, Luis. "In the Kitchen with Pedro Almodóvar." (Posted on Youtube: March 10, 2020) 

Betancourt, Manuel. "Understanding the Women of Pedro Almodóvar’s Movies." The Atlantic (December 29, 2016)

Chang, Justin. "Pedro Almodóvar’s radiant melodrama ‘Julieta’ is a work of subdued mastery." Los Angeles Times (December 20, 2016)

Cheshire, Godfrey. "Julieta." Roger Ebert (December 22, 2016)

Flores, Steven. "The Auteurs: Pedro Almodovar (Part 1)." Cinema Axis (September 29, 2014)

---. "The Auteurs: Pedro Almodovar (Part 2)." Cinema Axis (October 6, 2014)

Keeler, Emily M. "Julieta by Pedro Almodóvar." Brick #99 (May 24, 2017)

Kermode, Mark. "Julieta review – Almodóvar’s five-star return to form." The Guardian (August 28, 2016)

 Marsh, Steven. "Great Directors: Pedro Almodóvar." Senses of Cinema #40 (July 2006)

Romney, Jonathan. "Film of the Week: Julieta." British Film Institute (June 22, 2018)

Scott, A.O. "Another Woman on the Verge in Almodóvar’s Julieta." The New York Times (December 20, 2016)

Tsang, Cian. "Director on the Verge of Change: The Controlled Chaos of Pedro Almodóvar’s Julieta." Vague Visages (February 22, 2021)








The Skin I Live In (Spain: Pedro Almodovar, 2011)

 


The Skin I Live In (Spain: Pedro Almodovar, 2011: 117 mins)

Biles, Jeremy. "The Skin I Live In." The Journal of Religion and Film 16.1 (April 2012)

Blackie, Andrew. "The Skin I Live In: Ideas on Gender and Power." Pop Matters (October 14, 2011)

Boshier, Rosa. "Masculinity and Fatal Desire in The Skin I Live In." The Rumpus (August 7, 2019)

Brayton, Tim. "Behind the Mask: The Skin I Live In." Cinematheque (October 25, 2017)

Dargis, Manohla. "The Skin I Live In: A Beautiful Prisoner Lost in Almodóvar’s Labyrinth." The New York Times (October 13, 2011)

Ebert, Roger. "A glossy, smooth, luxurious, snaky horror film." Chicago Sun-Times (October 19, 2011)

Flores, Steven. "The Auteurs: Pedro Almodovar (Part 1)." Cinema Axis (September 29, 2014)

---. "The Auteurs: Pedro Almodovar (Part 2)." Cinema Axis (October 6, 2014)

Fox, Jeremy C. "Un Maricon Brillante: The Films of Pedro Almodovar." Pajiba (July 12, 2006)

Guild, Mhairi. "The Skin We Live In: The Mad, Bad World of Pedro Almodóvar." The F Word (November 30, 2011)

Laine, Tarja. "Art as a Guaranty of Sanity: The Skin I Live In." Alphaville #7 (Summer 2014) [Warning - this essay contains major spoilers throughout and is therefore best read only after having seen the film.]

 Marsh, Steven. "Great Directors: Pedro Almodóvar." Senses of Cinema #40 (July 2006)

Oppenheimer, Jean. "Bad Medicine." American Cinematographer 92.10 (October 2011)

Smith, Paul Julian and Robert White. "Escape Artistry: Debating The Skin I Live In." Film Quarterly (October 2011)

Teodoro, José. "The Skin I Live In." Film Comment (November-December, 2011)

Thomas, Ande. "10 Years After The Skin I Live In: Abject, Object, and Gender." What Sleeps Beneath? (May 23, 2021)




Saturday, February 5, 2022

Volver (Spain: Pedro Almodóvar, 2006)





Volver (Spain: Pedro Almodóvar, 2006: 121 mins)


Azevedo, Luis. "In the Kitchen with Pedro Almodóvar." (Posted on Youtube: March 10, 2020) 

Bochenski, Matt. "Volver." Little White Lies (August 24, 2006)

Ebert, Roger. "Ghost, Murder Are All In the Family." Chicago Sun-Times (November 21, 2006)

Eggert, Brian. "Volver." Deep Focus Review (November 28, 2021)

Flores, Steven. "The Auteurs: Pedro Almodovar (Part 1)." Cinema Axis (September 29, 2014)

---. "The Auteurs: Pedro Almodovar (Part 2)." Cinema Axis (October 6, 2014)

Grant, Catherine. "Almodóvar Studies for Free." Film Studies for Free (August 24, 2016)

Holland, Norman N. "Pedro Almodóvar, Volver, 2006." A Sharper Focus (ND)

 Marsh, Steven. "Great Directors: Pedro Almodóvar." Senses of Cinema #40 (July 2006)

Medak-Seguín, Bécquer. "Short-Circuiting Urban and Rural Spanish Society: A Parallax View of Volver."International Journal of Zizek Studies 5.1 (2016): 1-15.

"Pedro Almodóvar Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement." La Biennale di Venezia (June 14, 2019)

Scott, A.O. "Volver: The Darkest of Troubles in the Brightest of Colors." The New York Times (November 3, 2006)

Stevens, Dana. "Haunting Beauty: The richness of Almodóvar’s Volver." Slate (November 3, 2006)

Sullivan, Moira. "Women in the Films of Pedro Almodóvar." Film International (2009)










Thursday, February 3, 2022

Talk to Her (Spain: Pedro Almodovar, 2002)





Talk to Her (Spain: Pedro Almodovar, 2002: 112 mins)

Brunette, Peter. "The Postmodern Melodrama of Almodovar’s Talk to Her." IndieWire (November 19, 2002)

Ebert, Roger. "Talk to Her." Chicago Sun-Times (December 25, 2002)

Flores, Steven. "The Auteurs: Pedro Almodovar (Part 1)." Cinema Axis (September 29, 2014)

---. "The Auteurs: Pedro Almodovar (Part 2)." Cinema Axis (October 6, 2014)

Grant, Catherine. "Almodovar Studies for Free." Film Studies for Free (August 24, 2016)

Holland, Norman N. "Pedro Almodóvar, Talk to Her/Hable con ella, 2002) A Sharper Focus (ND)

Insdorf, Annette. Cinematic Overtures: How to Read Opening Scenes. Columbia University Press, 2017. ["Your professor has a copy of this book."]

 Marsh, Steven. "Great Directors: Pedro Almodóvar." Senses of Cinema #40 (July 2006)

"The Men of Talk to Her." Department of Philosophy at Yale University (ND)

"Pedro Almodóvar Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement." La Biennale di Venezia (June 14, 2019)






Wednesday, February 2, 2022

All About My Mother (Spain/France: Pedro Almodovar, 1999)





 All About My Mother (Spain/France: Pedro Almodovar, 1999: 101 mins) 

This Oscar-winning melodrama, one of Pedro Almodóvar’s most beloved films, provides a dizzying, moving exploration of the meaning of motherhood. In an instant, nurse Manuela (Cecilia Roth) loses the teenage son she raised on her own. Grief-stricken, she sets out to search for the boy’s long-lost father in Barcelona, where she reawakens into a new maternal role, at the head of a surrogate family that includes a pregnant, HIV-positive nun (Penélope Cruz); an illustrious star of the stage (Marisa Paredes); and a transgender sex worker (Antonia San Juan). Beautifully performed and bursting with cinematic references, All About My Mother is a vibrant tribute to female fortitude, a one-of-a-kind family portrait, and a work of boundless compassion. -- Criterion

Bodenheimer, Rebecca. "An Ode to Pedro Almodovar's All About My Mother on Its 20th Anniversary." Roger Ebert (March 6, 2020)

Ebert, Roger. "All About My Mother." Chicago Sun-Times (December 22, 1999)

Flores, Steven. "The Auteurs: Pedro Almodovar (Part 1)." Cinema Axis (September 29, 2014)

---. "The Auteurs: Pedro Almodovar (Part 2)." Cinema Axis (October 6, 2014)



Mariamidze, Magda. "The Roles We Play in Life: All About My Mother." 25 Years Later (2020)

 Marsh, Steven. "Great Directors: Pedro Almodóvar." Senses of Cinema #40 (July 2006)


Wilson, Emma. "All About My Mother: Matriarchal Society." The Current (January 28, 2020)









Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Spain: Pedro Almodovar, 1988)






 Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Spain: Pedro Almodovar, 1988: 88 mins)

Melding melodrama with screwball farce, this Academy Award–nominated black comedy was Pedro Almodóvar’s international breakthrough and secured his place at the vanguard of modern Spanish cinema. Continuing the auteur’s exploration of the female psyche, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown tells the story of Pepa—played by the director’s frequent collaborator Carmen Maura—who resolves to kill herself with a batch of sleeping-pill-laced gazpacho after her lover leaves her. Fortunately, she is interrupted by a deliciously chaotic series of events. The filmmaker channeled Hollywood inspiration into his own unique vision, arriving at the irreverent humor and vibrant visual sense that define his work today. With an exceptional ensemble cast that also includes Antonio Banderas and Rossy de Palma, this film shows an artist in total control of his craft. -- Criterion edition


Acevedo-Muñoz, Ernesto R.  "Melo-Thriller: Hitchcock, Genre, and Nationalism in Pedro Almodóvar’s Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown." After Hitchcock eds. David Boyd, and R. Barton Palmer. University of Texas Press, 2021: 173 - 194.

Azevedo, Luis. "In the Kitchen with Pedro Almodóvar." (Posted on Youtube: March 10, 2020) 

D'Lugo, Marvin. Pedro Almodóvar. University of Illinois Press, 2006.

D'Lugo, Marvin and Kathleen M. Vernon, eds. A Companion to Pedro Almodóvar. Wiley-Blackwell, 2013.

Dumazet, Mathilde. "Why I love Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown." Little White Lies (March 30, 2016)

Evans, Peter William. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. 2nd ed. British Film Institute, 2021.

Flores, Steven. "The Auteurs: Pedro Almodovar (Part 1)." Cinema Axis (September 29, 2014)

---. "The Auteurs: Pedro Almodovar (Part 2)." Cinema Axis (October 6, 2014)


"Laughing and Crying With Carmen Maura." The Current (February 21, 2017)

Lindo, Elvira. "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown: A Sweet New Style." The Current (February 23, 2017)

López, Cristina Álvarez and Adrian Martin. "Total Design | Almodóvar’s Law of Desire & Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown." (Posted on Youtube: September 19, 2019)

 Marsh, Steven. "Great Directors: Pedro Almodóvar." Senses of Cinema #40 (July 2006)

Tóibín, Colm. "Almodóvar, From Now to Then." The Current (July 17, 2019)






ENG 282: Extra Credit Films for Final Requirement

Playing in town - films available for extra credit response:
Drive My Car (Japan: Ryusuke Hamaguchi, 2021) - The Kentucky Theater
Licorice Pizza (USA: Paul Thomas Anderson, 2021) - The Kentucky Theater
The Tragedy of Macbeth (USA: Joel Coen, 2021) - The Kentucky Theater


Date is the last day you can turn in an extra credit response for the film.

2/16: First Man (USA/Japan: Damian Chazelle, 2018)
2/17: The Revenant (USA/Hong Kong/Taiwan: Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2015)
2/18: Fight Club (USA: David Fincher, 1999)
2/19: Da 5 Bloods (USA: Spike Lee, 2020)
2/20: The Last Black Man in San Francisco (USA: Ryan Talbot, 2019)
2/21: Inglourious Basterds (USA/Germany: Quentin Tarantino, 2009)
2/22: The Virgin Suicides (USA: Sofia Coppola, 1999)
2/23: The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium/Netherlands: Felix van Groeningen, 2012)
2/24: 20th Century Women (USA: Mike Mills, 2016)
2/25: Nocturnal Animals (USA: Tom Ford, 2016)
2/27: Sorry to Bother You (USA: Boots Riley, 2018)
2/28: Lady Macbeth (UK: William Oldroyd, 2016)
3/1: Uncut Gems (USA: The Safdie Brothers, 2019)
3/2: Nomadland (USA: Chloé Zhao, 2020)
3/3: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood  (USA/UK/China: Quentin Tarantino, 2019)
3/4: Columbus (USA: Kogonada, 2017)
3/5: A Hidden Life  (USA/UK/Germany: Terrence Malick, 2019)
3/6: The Visitor (USA: Tom McCarthy, 2007)
3/7: I Am Not Your Negro  (France/USA/Switzerland/Belgium: Raoul Peck, 2016)
3/8: The Endless (USA: Justin Benson and Aaron Morehead, 2017)
3/9: The Addiction (USA: Abel Ferrara, 1999)
3/10: Let the Right One In (Sweden: Tomas Alfredson, 2008)
3/11: American History X (USA: Tony Kaye, 1998)
3/12: Slam (USA: Marc Levin, 1998)
3/13: City of God (Brazil: Fernando Meirelles, 2002)
3/14: Apocalypse Now (USA: Francis Ford Coppola, 1979)
3/15: Jarhead (USA: Sam Mendes, 2005)
3/16: Three Kings (USA: David O. Russell, 1999)
3/17: Promising Young Woman (UK/USA: Emerald Fennell, 2020)
3/18: Pig (USA: Michael Sarnoski, 2021)
3/19: Annihilation (USA/UK: Alex Garland, 2018)
3/20: Under the Skin (UK/Switzerland: Jonathan Glazer, 2013)
3/21: The Invitation (USA: Karyn Kusama, 2015)
3/22: Promising Young Woman (UK/USA: Emerald Fennell, 2020)
3/23: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (USA: Martin McDonagh, 2017)
3/24: Wind River (USA: Taylor Sheridan, 2017)
3/25: Office Space (USA: Mike Judge, 1999)
3/26: Gone Girl (USA: David Fincher, 2014)
3/27: Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (USA: Angela Robinson, 2017)
3/28: Blackkklansman (USA: Spike Lee, 2018)
3/29: Ex Machina (UK: Alex Garland, 2015)
3/30: West Side Story (USA: Steven Spielberg, 2021)
3/31: Kimi (USA: Steven Soderbergh, 2022)
4/1: Barb and Star Go To Del Mar (USA: Josh Greenbaum, 2021)
4/2: Anna Karenina (UK: Joe Wright, 2012)
4/4: Last Night in Soho (UK: Edgar Wright, 2021)
4/5: Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (Romania: Radu Jude, 2021)
4/6: Election (USA: Alexander Payne, 1999)
4/7: Malignant (USA/China: James Wan, 2021)
4/8: Drive My Car (Japan: Ryusuke Hamaguchi, 2021)
4/9: First Cow (USA: Kelly Reichardt, 2021)
4/10: Zola (USA: Janicza Bravo, 2021)
4/11: Benedetta (France: Paul Verhoeven, 2021)
4/12: Cousins  (New Zealand: Ainsley Gardiner & Briar Grace-Smith, 2021)
4/13: The Tragedy of Macbeth (USA: Joel Coen, 2021)
4/15:  The Power of the Dog  (UK/Canada/Australia/New Zealand: Jane Campion, 2021)
4/16: Junior (France: Julia Ducournau, 2011)
4/17: Titane (France/Belgium: Julia Ducournau, 2021)
4/18: The Witch (USA: Robert Eggers, 2015)
4/19: Donnie Darko (USA: Richard Kelly, 2001)
4/20: The Nice Guys (USA: Shane Black, 2016)
4/21: CODA (USA: Sian Heder, 2021)
4/22: Bergman Island (France/Belgium: Mia Hansen-Løve, 2021)

4/25: Everything Everywhere All at Once (USA: Daniels, 2022)
4/26: The Northman (USA: Robert Eggers, 2022)