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chrryblssmninjaSOLSTICE SPECIAL #5
There are so many reviews to write here. Forgive me for overusing certain words and phrases.
These reviews are mostly positive because I don't tend to finish anything I don't like.
The lack of a review doesn't mean I didn't like the work, just that I was tired and couldn't think up anything to write.
I probably don't mention the authors of forewords unless I actually read the foreword. I usually don't read the forewords of fiction because of plot spoilers.
I am pathetic. And whiny.
I really don't feel like writing all of these right now. My brain is dead and I can barely take my notes and put together a bulletpoint review right now; much less write a well-composed and comprehensive one.
So just look at the titles and links, and request a review. Or two. Or more.
I can probably write better when I know someone is going to read it.
I might add full reviews to this post later on, but I just want to post this now and not delay it any further
Dates mark when the item was finished. Sometimes it takes days or even months for me to finish something.
and now...
December 22, 2008
film: The Gleaners and I (Les glaneurs et la glaneuse) (2000, directed by Agnès Varda)
Varda's nonfiction video essay on the meanings of the word "glean."
It is propelled by association, though Varda keeps these tangents well-paced and under control. There is wit and the fresh feeling of discovery, as well as touching surprises and ramblings upon growing old. It's a thought adventure, which may irk viewers seeking for more structure or more rational jumping-off points.
December 31
film: The Last Laugh (Der letzte Mann) (1924, directed by F.W. Murnau)
An aging doorman soon finds both his livelihood and his dignity challenged.
Excellent editing - cutting flows very smoothly, especially considering that it was made in 1924. Some characters are a bit shrill, but one must consider that this is a melodrama, elevated by film technique and a great lead performance. It's a simple story told well, with a bittersweet ending that some might find deceptive and cruel. Classic themes of class, identity, and the old ways serving the new. The film is also very well-shot, blending realist and expressionist techniques in an appropriate manner.
January 3, 2009
film, in theater: Let the Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in) (2008, directed by Tomas Alfredson)
Pre-teen boy makes a friend who may be a vampire.
A stark tale of affection and emotional manipulation. This film is not afraid of ambiguity, nor of showing all the uglier implications of a relationship with a creature of the night. Manages to be sweet and sinister at the same time. The special effects are good but not perfect- especially obvious in one scene with cats. The violent acts in the film are brutal, but they occur either offscreen or in shadow. The real basis of this film is personal connection. Also something worth applauding: The two leads actually look and act like real twelve year olds! Interesting how the film hints at two complete story cycles by only showing the end of one and the beginning of another.
film: Brand Upon the Brain! (2006, directed by Guy Maddin)
I posted about it here
Damaged young man remembers life on an island where his domineering mother and mad scientist father ran an orphanage. He particularly recalls the events surrounding the appearance of a charming detective and the chaos that soon followed...
A modern silent film, narrated by your choice of narrator on the DVD. Bizarre but strangely compelling, tantalizing the viewer with the hazy desires of memory and imagination and secrets and forbidden love. It's a very sensual film, hooking with stabs of emotion to carry the viewer through the oddball plot. Like printed sequential art, it knows the power of the "gutter effect," the unseen space between comic book panels or frames of a movie. It's a melodrama of both hate and nostalgia for the past, and the actors for the man's sister (Maya Lawson) and the detective (Katharine E. Scharhon) are especially magnetic.
January 5
film: Brothers (Hing dai) (2007, directed by Sung Kee Chiu)
Mob boss hears a fortune saying that one of his sons will cause the death of the other. He tries to keep them apart, but...
Slick but solid Hong Kong gangster film. Nothing totally new or original, but the film's entertaining nonetheless. Well-shot, but overuse of the dolly and intercut scene method can get annoying. It's simple and sticks to the story. I liked how the main players emerged as people of interest. The enemies could have used more work in development, though. Andy Lau is a good presence as a policeman on the mob's trail, but his presence thankfully doesn't overpower that of the two leads.
January 13
film: The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934, directed by Alfred Hitchcock)
So it may not be a totally fluid, evenly controlled Hitchcock movie. Whatever, I still liked it. There are some really brilliant scenes here though. Too bad the transfer and audio were poor on the DVD I borrrowed. Peter Lorre gives a terrific performance as the villain - it's hard to figure out, sincee he was not fluent in English at the time, that he only learned his lines phonetically. The female characters are also refreshingly strong, witty, and active participants in the plot. There are nice bits of quirk and humor, and some very interesting side characters. The dentist's chair and Royal Albert Hall scenes are particularly great to watch.
January 14
film: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962, directed by John Ford)
based on the short story by Dorothy M. Johnson.
The outlaw Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin) holds the town of Shinbone in terror until a lawyer (James Stewart) and a local rancher (John Wayne) decide to stand up to him.
Though at times too earnest and broad, this film is a quietly revolutionary Western, questioning the creation of myth. The control over suspense and mood is especially well-done, and some of the credit should be given to Ford's choice to shoot in black-and-white on very tight sets. There's ambiguity tinting the sense of idealism here, and the film presents the conflict of cowboy ways vs. law vs. hired gun. Ford definitely knows how to use his stars, and Vera Miles also gives a notable performance as the sensible yet feisty love interest.
I was pointed to this movie as a basis for the plot of The Dark Knight. Yes, that Dark Knight. The similarities are striking.
January 20
film: Pickup on South Street (1953, directed by Samuel Fuller)
A secret message for Communist spies unexpectedly falls into the hands of a pickpocket (Richard Widmark).
The cinematography here is something to watch - a sort of transition between the studio-prescribed grammar of particular close-ups, wide shots, etc. to a more modern grammar of close-ups and zooms. The movie as a whole is good too. It's a tense noir with vivid characters. Having the main characters be lowlifes adds some shades of gray to the main America vs. Communists conflict. Both the director and the main character display a good amount of wit and skill. The film opens with a near silent opener, dedicated to the pocket-picking act. The accents and voices of the characters read as "street" without being too shrill or fake-sounding. The femme fatale, Candy (Jean Peters) thankfully possesses somes street-smarts, which makes some slightly misogynistic scenes less painful to stomach. There's a strong urgency to the film that overrides any faults.
In the DVD booklet, there's a quote from Martin Scorsese: "If you don't like the films of Sam Fuller, then you just don't like cinema."
January 21
comic book trade paperback: Fables, Vol 10: The Good Prince words by Bill Willingham, art by Mark Buckingham
with Steve Leialoha, Aaron Alexovich, and Andrew Pepoy
Vertigo, 2008.
Flycatcher's the focus in this chapter of the epic Fables saga. And EPIC is definitely appropriate for this volume. There are some aspects borrowed from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, but the unexpected scope of Flycatcher's tale is amazing. Alexovich's art for one chapter is too cute, though, but Willingham's art is as solid as always, with the background pictures still adding their brilliant touch.
January 24
film: Freaks (1932, directed by Tod Browning)
Beautiful circus performer (Olga Baclanova) supposedly falls for the dwarf Hans (Harry Earles). But then the circus' group of "freaks" decide to take action when they find that one of their own is being exploited.
Simple plot, dramatic end. Soap opera set in an unconventional setting. Poses interesting questions of exploitation about the characters and the film itself. Satisfying overall, but the sequence in the rain is stunning.
January 25
novel: The Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari) by Lady Murasaki Shikibu, translated by Edward G. Seidensticker
Alfred A. Knopf, 1976. Eigth printing, May 1985.
The loves and losses of popular courtier Genji, and of various personages before and after his life.
To this American, 21st-century reader, this novel seems both old-fashioned and modern. There are quite a few brilliant scenes, with some bursts of emotional sincerity that pierce through the somewhat gossipy tone. Since this story is set in a "decadent" age, the overload of sensory detail (even scent!) is key to understanding characters and communication. All of the characters are thankfully flawed, even the "shining Genji," though the author sometimes verbally admonishes herself for praising him too much. There is more a chain of consequences rather than an overall theme or plot, faint connections and somewhat parallel lives.
this needs to be bolded: There are some really fantastic insults in this book. It's amazing. Helps balance out some of the elements more disturbing to modern readers - like the Pygmalion-like development of the character Murasaki.
January 27
film: Le doulos (1962, directed by Jean-Pierre Melville)
manga: Mu Shi Shi, Volume 1 by Yuki Urushibara
January 31
comic book trade paperback, bought from store: Fables, Volume 11: War and Pieces
film: Psycho (1960, directed by Alfred Hitchcock)
February 2
film: What to Do In Case of Fire (Was tun, wenn's brennt?) (2001, directed by Gregor Schnitzler)
February 3
film: Blast of Silence (1961, directed by Allen Baron)
February 4
film: A Tale of Two Sisters (Janghwa, Hongryeon) (2003, directed by Ji-woon Kim)
February 6
manga: Mu Shi Shi Vol 2
February 9
film: Diary of the Dead (2007, directed by George A. Romero)
February 16
comic book trade paperback: Wormwood Vol 1
graphic novel: Zombies Calling
February 24
book: The Haiku Seasons: Poetry of the Natural World by William J. Higginson
February 27
film: Son of Rambow (2007, directed by Garth Jennings)
March 1
film: Umberto D. (1952, directed by Vittorio De Sica)
March 4
graphic novel: The Nightmare Factory
March 7
film: The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976, directed by John Cassavetes)
March 8
comic book trade paperback: Astonishing X-men, Vol 4: Unstoppable
March 9
short story collection: The Turn of the Screw and other Short Stories by Henry James
March 13
film: Audition (Ôdishon) (1999, directed by Takashi Miike)
March 17
graphic novel: The Arrival by Shaun Tan
One of the most amazing and beautiful things you will ever see.
March 20
film: Ravenous (1999, directed by Antonia Bird)
March 25
short story collection: My Work Is Not Yet Done by Thomas Ligotti
copypasta from an earlier post:
internet description: The title tale, a short novel, begins as the morbidly amusing narrative of Frank Dominio, a Dilbert type driven to psychotic paranoia by the seemingly senseless boardroom protocols enforced by his fellow supervisors and their superior. It soon morphs into a bizarre pas de deux between Frank and a department head nicknamed "The Doctor," who come to represent cosmic forces in a collision that draws the business and its employees into their vortex.
Destined to be a cult classic, this tale of corporate horror and demonic retribution will strike a chord with anyone who has ever been disgruntled at work.
I don't want to give it away, but it starts out as a well-observed tale of ordinary workplace persecution and paranoia, and then turns into supernatural revenge horror. Ligotti's usual clear prose becomes more wordy through this protagonist's voice. It's unsettling but also contains some quietly funny observations. But when it gets grotesque, boy does it get grotesque. whoa shoot.
March 27
short film: La jetée (1962, directed by Chris Marker)
I usually don't post reviews of short films here, but this came in the DVD with Sans Soleil,
April 5
film: Sans Soleil (1983, directed by Chris Marker)
April 11
novel: Suspects by David Thomson
posted about it in the second half of this post.
Also, the author ships Rick/Louis from Casablanca.
April 17
film: Un flic (1972, directed by Jean-Pierre Melville)
May 13
film: Ugetsu (Ugetsu monogatari) (1953, directed by Kenji Mizoguchi)
May 16
film, seen in theater: Star Trek (Star Trek XI) (2009, directed by J.J. Abrams)
May 19
novel: The Antigua Stamp, by Robert Graves
May 23
book: Soccer in Sun and Shadow by Eduardo Galeano
film: Gaslight (1940, directed by Thorold Dickinson)
May 25
text: Tales of Ise, translated by Jay Harris
film: Le deuxième souffle (The Second Breath/Wind) (1966, directed by Jean-Pierre Melville)
2007 remake with Daniel Auteuil and Monica Bellucci
Based on the novel Un Reglement de Comptes by Jose Giovanni
May 26
film: Sisters of the Gion (Gion no shimai) (1936, directed by Kenji Mizoguchi)
May 27
documentary: The Slanted Screen (2006, directed by Jeff Adachi)
posted about it here
May 28
film: I Walked With a Zombie (1943, directed by Jacques Torneur)
based on Wuthering Heights
remake coming soon
May 29
film, seen in theater: Terminator: Salvation (2009, directed by McG)
June 1
film: Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954, directed by Jack Arnold)
remake for 2011
June 4
film: Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008, directed by Guillermo del Toro)
June 5
film: Gaslight (1944, directed by George Cukor)
film: The Taste of Tea (Cha no aji) (2004, directed by Katsuhito Ishii)
June 9
film: Open City (Roma, città aperta) (1945, directed by Roberto Rossellini)
novel: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
June 10
film: Ace in the Hole (1951, directed by Billy Wilder)
June 11
film: Two-Lane Blacktop (1971, directed by Monte Hellman)
film: Duck, You Sucker (Giù la testa, or A Fistful of Dynamite) (1971, directed by Sergio Leone)
June 12
novel: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
June 13
novel: True Grit by Charles Portis
June 14
film: 13 Tzameti (2005, directed by Géla Babluani)
remake slated for 2010
June 17
film: In Bruges (2008, directed by Martin McDonagh)
I don't know if it's fair to review this; I had a killer migraine when watching it
manga: Death Note, Volume 1 by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata
film: There Will Be Blood (2007, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
June 18
manga: Dororo, Volume 1 by Osamu Tezuka
June 19
novel: The Stranger by Albert Camus, translated by Matthew Ward
June 20
film: The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964, directed by Michael Carreras)
These reviews are mostly positive because I don't tend to finish anything I don't like.
The lack of a review doesn't mean I didn't like the work, just that I was tired and couldn't think up anything to write.
I probably don't mention the authors of forewords unless I actually read the foreword. I usually don't read the forewords of fiction because of plot spoilers.
I am pathetic. And whiny.
I really don't feel like writing all of these right now. My brain is dead and I can barely take my notes and put together a bulletpoint review right now; much less write a well-composed and comprehensive one.
So just look at the titles and links, and request a review. Or two. Or more.
I can probably write better when I know someone is going to read it.
I might add full reviews to this post later on, but I just want to post this now and not delay it any further
Dates mark when the item was finished. Sometimes it takes days or even months for me to finish something.
and now...
December 22, 2008
film: The Gleaners and I (Les glaneurs et la glaneuse) (2000, directed by Agnès Varda)
Varda's nonfiction video essay on the meanings of the word "glean."
It is propelled by association, though Varda keeps these tangents well-paced and under control. There is wit and the fresh feeling of discovery, as well as touching surprises and ramblings upon growing old. It's a thought adventure, which may irk viewers seeking for more structure or more rational jumping-off points.
December 31
film: The Last Laugh (Der letzte Mann) (1924, directed by F.W. Murnau)
An aging doorman soon finds both his livelihood and his dignity challenged.
Excellent editing - cutting flows very smoothly, especially considering that it was made in 1924. Some characters are a bit shrill, but one must consider that this is a melodrama, elevated by film technique and a great lead performance. It's a simple story told well, with a bittersweet ending that some might find deceptive and cruel. Classic themes of class, identity, and the old ways serving the new. The film is also very well-shot, blending realist and expressionist techniques in an appropriate manner.
January 3, 2009
film, in theater: Let the Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in) (2008, directed by Tomas Alfredson)
Pre-teen boy makes a friend who may be a vampire.
A stark tale of affection and emotional manipulation. This film is not afraid of ambiguity, nor of showing all the uglier implications of a relationship with a creature of the night. Manages to be sweet and sinister at the same time. The special effects are good but not perfect- especially obvious in one scene with cats. The violent acts in the film are brutal, but they occur either offscreen or in shadow. The real basis of this film is personal connection. Also something worth applauding: The two leads actually look and act like real twelve year olds! Interesting how the film hints at two complete story cycles by only showing the end of one and the beginning of another.
film: Brand Upon the Brain! (2006, directed by Guy Maddin)
I posted about it here
Damaged young man remembers life on an island where his domineering mother and mad scientist father ran an orphanage. He particularly recalls the events surrounding the appearance of a charming detective and the chaos that soon followed...
A modern silent film, narrated by your choice of narrator on the DVD. Bizarre but strangely compelling, tantalizing the viewer with the hazy desires of memory and imagination and secrets and forbidden love. It's a very sensual film, hooking with stabs of emotion to carry the viewer through the oddball plot. Like printed sequential art, it knows the power of the "gutter effect," the unseen space between comic book panels or frames of a movie. It's a melodrama of both hate and nostalgia for the past, and the actors for the man's sister (Maya Lawson) and the detective (Katharine E. Scharhon) are especially magnetic.
January 5
film: Brothers (Hing dai) (2007, directed by Sung Kee Chiu)
Mob boss hears a fortune saying that one of his sons will cause the death of the other. He tries to keep them apart, but...
Slick but solid Hong Kong gangster film. Nothing totally new or original, but the film's entertaining nonetheless. Well-shot, but overuse of the dolly and intercut scene method can get annoying. It's simple and sticks to the story. I liked how the main players emerged as people of interest. The enemies could have used more work in development, though. Andy Lau is a good presence as a policeman on the mob's trail, but his presence thankfully doesn't overpower that of the two leads.
January 13
film: The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934, directed by Alfred Hitchcock)
So it may not be a totally fluid, evenly controlled Hitchcock movie. Whatever, I still liked it. There are some really brilliant scenes here though. Too bad the transfer and audio were poor on the DVD I borrrowed. Peter Lorre gives a terrific performance as the villain - it's hard to figure out, sincee he was not fluent in English at the time, that he only learned his lines phonetically. The female characters are also refreshingly strong, witty, and active participants in the plot. There are nice bits of quirk and humor, and some very interesting side characters. The dentist's chair and Royal Albert Hall scenes are particularly great to watch.
January 14
film: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962, directed by John Ford)
based on the short story by Dorothy M. Johnson.
The outlaw Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin) holds the town of Shinbone in terror until a lawyer (James Stewart) and a local rancher (John Wayne) decide to stand up to him.
Though at times too earnest and broad, this film is a quietly revolutionary Western, questioning the creation of myth. The control over suspense and mood is especially well-done, and some of the credit should be given to Ford's choice to shoot in black-and-white on very tight sets. There's ambiguity tinting the sense of idealism here, and the film presents the conflict of cowboy ways vs. law vs. hired gun. Ford definitely knows how to use his stars, and Vera Miles also gives a notable performance as the sensible yet feisty love interest.
I was pointed to this movie as a basis for the plot of The Dark Knight. Yes, that Dark Knight. The similarities are striking.
January 20
film: Pickup on South Street (1953, directed by Samuel Fuller)
A secret message for Communist spies unexpectedly falls into the hands of a pickpocket (Richard Widmark).
The cinematography here is something to watch - a sort of transition between the studio-prescribed grammar of particular close-ups, wide shots, etc. to a more modern grammar of close-ups and zooms. The movie as a whole is good too. It's a tense noir with vivid characters. Having the main characters be lowlifes adds some shades of gray to the main America vs. Communists conflict. Both the director and the main character display a good amount of wit and skill. The film opens with a near silent opener, dedicated to the pocket-picking act. The accents and voices of the characters read as "street" without being too shrill or fake-sounding. The femme fatale, Candy (Jean Peters) thankfully possesses somes street-smarts, which makes some slightly misogynistic scenes less painful to stomach. There's a strong urgency to the film that overrides any faults.
In the DVD booklet, there's a quote from Martin Scorsese: "If you don't like the films of Sam Fuller, then you just don't like cinema."
January 21
comic book trade paperback: Fables, Vol 10: The Good Prince words by Bill Willingham, art by Mark Buckingham
with Steve Leialoha, Aaron Alexovich, and Andrew Pepoy
Vertigo, 2008.
Flycatcher's the focus in this chapter of the epic Fables saga. And EPIC is definitely appropriate for this volume. There are some aspects borrowed from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, but the unexpected scope of Flycatcher's tale is amazing. Alexovich's art for one chapter is too cute, though, but Willingham's art is as solid as always, with the background pictures still adding their brilliant touch.
January 24
film: Freaks (1932, directed by Tod Browning)
Beautiful circus performer (Olga Baclanova) supposedly falls for the dwarf Hans (Harry Earles). But then the circus' group of "freaks" decide to take action when they find that one of their own is being exploited.
Simple plot, dramatic end. Soap opera set in an unconventional setting. Poses interesting questions of exploitation about the characters and the film itself. Satisfying overall, but the sequence in the rain is stunning.
January 25
novel: The Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari) by Lady Murasaki Shikibu, translated by Edward G. Seidensticker
Alfred A. Knopf, 1976. Eigth printing, May 1985.
The loves and losses of popular courtier Genji, and of various personages before and after his life.
To this American, 21st-century reader, this novel seems both old-fashioned and modern. There are quite a few brilliant scenes, with some bursts of emotional sincerity that pierce through the somewhat gossipy tone. Since this story is set in a "decadent" age, the overload of sensory detail (even scent!) is key to understanding characters and communication. All of the characters are thankfully flawed, even the "shining Genji," though the author sometimes verbally admonishes herself for praising him too much. There is more a chain of consequences rather than an overall theme or plot, faint connections and somewhat parallel lives.
this needs to be bolded: There are some really fantastic insults in this book. It's amazing. Helps balance out some of the elements more disturbing to modern readers - like the Pygmalion-like development of the character Murasaki.
January 27
film: Le doulos (1962, directed by Jean-Pierre Melville)
manga: Mu Shi Shi, Volume 1 by Yuki Urushibara
January 31
comic book trade paperback, bought from store: Fables, Volume 11: War and Pieces
film: Psycho (1960, directed by Alfred Hitchcock)
February 2
film: What to Do In Case of Fire (Was tun, wenn's brennt?) (2001, directed by Gregor Schnitzler)
February 3
film: Blast of Silence (1961, directed by Allen Baron)
February 4
film: A Tale of Two Sisters (Janghwa, Hongryeon) (2003, directed by Ji-woon Kim)
February 6
manga: Mu Shi Shi Vol 2
February 9
film: Diary of the Dead (2007, directed by George A. Romero)
February 16
comic book trade paperback: Wormwood Vol 1
graphic novel: Zombies Calling
February 24
book: The Haiku Seasons: Poetry of the Natural World by William J. Higginson
February 27
film: Son of Rambow (2007, directed by Garth Jennings)
March 1
film: Umberto D. (1952, directed by Vittorio De Sica)
March 4
graphic novel: The Nightmare Factory
March 7
film: The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976, directed by John Cassavetes)
March 8
comic book trade paperback: Astonishing X-men, Vol 4: Unstoppable
March 9
short story collection: The Turn of the Screw and other Short Stories by Henry James
March 13
film: Audition (Ôdishon) (1999, directed by Takashi Miike)
March 17
graphic novel: The Arrival by Shaun Tan
One of the most amazing and beautiful things you will ever see.
March 20
film: Ravenous (1999, directed by Antonia Bird)
March 25
short story collection: My Work Is Not Yet Done by Thomas Ligotti
copypasta from an earlier post:
internet description: The title tale, a short novel, begins as the morbidly amusing narrative of Frank Dominio, a Dilbert type driven to psychotic paranoia by the seemingly senseless boardroom protocols enforced by his fellow supervisors and their superior. It soon morphs into a bizarre pas de deux between Frank and a department head nicknamed "The Doctor," who come to represent cosmic forces in a collision that draws the business and its employees into their vortex.
Destined to be a cult classic, this tale of corporate horror and demonic retribution will strike a chord with anyone who has ever been disgruntled at work.
I don't want to give it away, but it starts out as a well-observed tale of ordinary workplace persecution and paranoia, and then turns into supernatural revenge horror. Ligotti's usual clear prose becomes more wordy through this protagonist's voice. It's unsettling but also contains some quietly funny observations. But when it gets grotesque, boy does it get grotesque. whoa shoot.
March 27
short film: La jetée (1962, directed by Chris Marker)
I usually don't post reviews of short films here, but this came in the DVD with Sans Soleil,
April 5
film: Sans Soleil (1983, directed by Chris Marker)
April 11
novel: Suspects by David Thomson
posted about it in the second half of this post.
Also, the author ships Rick/Louis from Casablanca.
April 17
film: Un flic (1972, directed by Jean-Pierre Melville)
May 13
film: Ugetsu (Ugetsu monogatari) (1953, directed by Kenji Mizoguchi)
May 16
film, seen in theater: Star Trek (Star Trek XI) (2009, directed by J.J. Abrams)
May 19
novel: The Antigua Stamp, by Robert Graves
May 23
book: Soccer in Sun and Shadow by Eduardo Galeano
film: Gaslight (1940, directed by Thorold Dickinson)
May 25
text: Tales of Ise, translated by Jay Harris
film: Le deuxième souffle (The Second Breath/Wind) (1966, directed by Jean-Pierre Melville)
2007 remake with Daniel Auteuil and Monica Bellucci
Based on the novel Un Reglement de Comptes by Jose Giovanni
May 26
film: Sisters of the Gion (Gion no shimai) (1936, directed by Kenji Mizoguchi)
May 27
documentary: The Slanted Screen (2006, directed by Jeff Adachi)
posted about it here
May 28
film: I Walked With a Zombie (1943, directed by Jacques Torneur)
based on Wuthering Heights
remake coming soon
May 29
film, seen in theater: Terminator: Salvation (2009, directed by McG)
June 1
film: Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954, directed by Jack Arnold)
remake for 2011
June 4
film: Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008, directed by Guillermo del Toro)
June 5
film: Gaslight (1944, directed by George Cukor)
film: The Taste of Tea (Cha no aji) (2004, directed by Katsuhito Ishii)
June 9
film: Open City (Roma, città aperta) (1945, directed by Roberto Rossellini)
novel: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
June 10
film: Ace in the Hole (1951, directed by Billy Wilder)
June 11
film: Two-Lane Blacktop (1971, directed by Monte Hellman)
film: Duck, You Sucker (Giù la testa, or A Fistful of Dynamite) (1971, directed by Sergio Leone)
June 12
novel: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
June 13
novel: True Grit by Charles Portis
June 14
film: 13 Tzameti (2005, directed by Géla Babluani)
remake slated for 2010
June 17
film: In Bruges (2008, directed by Martin McDonagh)
I don't know if it's fair to review this; I had a killer migraine when watching it
manga: Death Note, Volume 1 by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata
film: There Will Be Blood (2007, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
June 18
manga: Dororo, Volume 1 by Osamu Tezuka
June 19
novel: The Stranger by Albert Camus, translated by Matthew Ward
June 20
film: The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964, directed by Michael Carreras)
