Kurt

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• Posted Ask Him Again, His Soul is Still Dancing. 15 minutes with Werner Herzog. to Interviews
  One of the pleasures of going to film festivals are the Q&A sessions afterwards.  If you read humour pieces regarding this aspect of the festival experience, they are often snarky little pieces about the awful questions fielded by audience...
  November 19, 2009 2:53 PM
• Posted AGORA Coming to North America in 2010! to News
  We are big fans of Alejandro Amenabar's sword and sandal epic Agora, in these parts.  In the Canadian and American press it was met with middling reviews after its festival run and it languished without any sort of distribution...
  November 18, 2009 9:36 AM
• Commented on First Look At Fresh Trailer For Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: REANIMATED
  I sort of wish that this was done with a single animation style, as I imagine the aggressive change-ups in style will be very, very distracting in the film. As it is, this is the type of thing that belongs...
  November 17, 2009 4:07 PM
• Commented on CLASH OF THE TITANS trailer arrives
  So tedious. All I can say is wow, that trailer just saved me $10.50....
  November 11, 2009 9:23 AM
• Posted When Wes Anderson met Lars von Trier to News
  We generally restrain ourselves from posting One Sheets around these parts; most especially faux cross-over mash-up one-sheets.  But those on the festival circuit, in particular this years attendees of Fantastic Fest, will appreciate the spot-on gag.  Furthermore, it is hard...
  November 10, 2009 2:48 PM
• Posted Fighting Smack in Your Neighborhood at Midnight. Black Dynamite continues to roll out to News
  Haven't had a chance yet to catch Scott Sander's and Michael Jai White's Black Dynamite on the festival circuit or its limited release around the United States yet?  Well, the mighty fine (and quite loving) Blaxpolitation homage/parody is playing...
  November 3, 2009 8:04 PM
• Commented on The Economy Is Collapsing, Society Will Soon Follow, And Michael Ruppert Knows Why.
  I'm hoping that it is released VOD at the same time as the NY screening on November 6th, otherwise here is the rest of the limited release schedule: NOVEMBER 6th – NEW YORK – ANGELIKA FILM CENTER NOVEMBER 13th –...
  November 3, 2009 4:11 PM
• Commented on Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time trailer
  This combines All the worst things about the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise with all the worst things in the Mummy Franchise. And it's got hammy Kingsley in it to boot. Er....Pass....
  November 3, 2009 10:28 AM
• Commented on AFM 09: Adam Mason Goes Saul Bass With Amazing New Poster Art For LUSTER
  Beautiful work, (as always) Swarez! There is something timeless about Bass's one-sheet work....
  November 1, 2009 6:14 PM
• Commented on A Reader's Take On THE ROAD
  I also thought TIME OF THE WOLF was a superior film to THE ROAD both are great, TotW is simply more raw, more haunting, less glossy. It is one of the more underrated Haneke films....
  October 30, 2009 1:21 PM
• Commented on Mads Mikkelsen, Harvey Keitel and Roy Dupuis Are One Third Of Rodrigo Gudino's CUT THROATS NINE!
  Holy sweet fuck, that is awesome. Way to go Rodrigo!...
  October 30, 2009 12:24 AM
• Commented on Berg Will Not Be Directing the Kwisatz Haderach
  No matter how many times the try to do Dune (and for the record, the TV versions were shit) I will never be able to shake the David Lynch production out of my head. The production design on that film...
  October 29, 2009 9:34 AM
• Commented on Shinya Tsukamoto is ready for his extreme close-up, Mr. deMille!
  This was easily the toughest "De Mille" ever. Particularly because Tsukaomoto looks almost the same in all of his films. The only giveaway one was Nightmare Detective. I knew Ichi would be in there (non Tskamoto directed effort would be...
  October 23, 2009 3:49 PM
• Commented on TIFF 09: AGORA Review
  Good to see that AGORA is kicking ass in Spain. Hopefully American Distribs will sit up and take note of a film that almost double Spains "Opening Weekend" record, and surely will be one of their all time $$$ contenders....
  October 23, 2009 3:40 PM
• Commented on When incomprehensibility rocks!
  Over at Rowthree.com, Bob Turnbull put up a post on the 1970s Japanese film, HOUSE, which (I'd say more if I had seen it) probably qualifies. A criterion release is apparently forthcoming... http://www.rowthree.com/2009/10/14/possibly-the-best-film-ever/...
  October 15, 2009 6:24 PM
• Commented on When incomprehensibility rocks!
  ... Also Primer is certainly one film that the theme/message stands out easier than the plot, for many movies it is the other way around. Perhaps your list above all work this way, an emphasis on theme or mood or...
  October 13, 2009 4:27 PM
• Commented on When incomprehensibility rocks!
  Primer is actually comprehensible provided you have a flow chart or Visio type program to display the nesting of the time loops. http://neuwanstein.fw.hu/primer_timeline.html and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Time_Travel_Method-2.svg...
  October 13, 2009 4:26 PM
• Commented on Vancouver 09: KAMUI Review
  I agree that the film is silly. But I object that the was designed to be silly, it is the best use of 'dead pan' i've seen in a while, including the director talking about the movie before and afterwards....
  October 13, 2009 4:21 PM
• Commented on Hear the Soundtrack to Wes Anderson's Latest!
  Welcome aboard Peter! There was a small series of short films called "SODAPOP" from about a decade ago which basically took known auteur styles (Woody Allen, David Lynch, Martin Scorsese) and directed a 1 minute movie about a guy drinking...
  October 13, 2009 3:11 PM
• Posted Sitges 09: THE ROAD Review to Reviews
  When it was announced that Australian director John Hillcoat would be taking up the challenge of bringing the bleak and difficult novel, The Road, to the screen it seemed liked the absolute perfect match of director and material.  After...
  October 12, 2009 5:26 AM
• Commented on My new briefcase just arrived...
  Almost picked this up on impulse the last time I was in a big box store, ditto on the Wire Megabox, but both were too pricey at the moment....
  October 11, 2009 10:54 PM
• Commented on Sitges 09: GRACE Review
  The hype is there for the ideas and themes, not the quick-fix jolts or gore. The reason why this film is effective is that it plays upon a lot of concerns in 'parenting culture' right now, and plays upon them...
  October 9, 2009 1:16 PM
• Commented on Sitges 09: ENTER THE VOID Review
  Booo. You're off my Xmas list this year Todd! ;) ENTER THE VOID is certainly, by a country mile, my favourite film of the year....
  October 9, 2009 8:54 AM
• Commented on Lemmy's still driving that taxi - Hardware promo!!!
  Heh. Mine is ordered and hopefully en route. I haven't seen this film since its initial video release back in the early 90s so, I'm pretty stoked....memories are very vague of the film, more mood than plot....
  October 7, 2009 4:05 PM
• Commented on 'Creature Clip' From SPLICE
  A Canadian actress, friends of mine keep promising to do an intro when I'm in Montreal. I'm not sure if it is creepy or not (for her...) to meet person that has been using her likeness (albeit in make-up and...
  October 7, 2009 9:14 AM
• Commented on Hide Your Women And Children. A SHOWGIRLS Sequel Is Coming.
  First off, Ving Rhames and Burt Reynolds are pretty damn funny in Strip Tease. Second, oh yes, when this was being marketed originally in the 1990s it was given the serious 'oscar bait' type full prestige marketing. That the final...
  October 7, 2009 9:11 AM
• Commented on 'Creature Clip' From SPLICE
  Heh. A very well kept Canadian Horror-ish film secret, even moreso than Ginger Snaps or Fido or Splice.... http://www.canuxploitation.com/review/peaublanche.html (or my own take: http://kurtscomment.blogspot.com/2004/09/la-peau-blanche.html )...
  October 6, 2009 1:25 PM
• Commented on 'Creature Clip' From SPLICE
  Have you seen the film fhoom? It is interesting where her character goes in the film, and this scene is consistent with her 'trust and recklessness.'...
  October 6, 2009 7:49 AM
• Commented on Where are my bleepy crunches
  The one you are missing is LEFT FIELD's work on SHALLOW GRAVE which is simply awesome. Other not quite what you are looking for... The Solaris (2003) soundtrack Orbital's soundtrack on THE SAINT? RUN LOLA RUN?...
  October 5, 2009 6:46 PM
• Commented on 'Creature Clip' From SPLICE
  Heh. That 'stupid lady scientist' happens to be a Canadian national Treasure (and occasional zombie killer).....
  October 5, 2009 6:26 PM
• Commented on TIFF 09: BAD LIEUTENANT PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS Review
  The Arthouse version of Crank. You kill me Ard, but that ain't half-bad!!!...
  October 5, 2009 6:25 PM
• Commented on TIFF 09: MR NOBODY Review
  This movie kicked my ass in all the right ways. I hope it gets a theatrical release, but is surely destined to go down with the popular audience like THE FOUNTAIN or (the theatrical release of ) DONNIE DARKO....
  October 5, 2009 6:21 PM
• Posted 'Creature Clip' From SPLICE to News
  Coming hot on the heels of its Sitges premiere, aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes has the first footage available of the film for us not in Spain.    The scene involves young geneticists Elsa (Sarah Polley) and Clive (Adrian Brody)...
  October 5, 2009 3:37 PM
• Commented on The Joy of W.T.F. - 6 Blissfully Bad Camp Classics
  Funny that out of all the Razzies awarded, both Showgirls and Freddie got Fingered are the ones that achieved cult status then....Goes to show that the creators are not without their sense of humour....
  October 5, 2009 7:45 AM
• Posted Sitges 09: NYMPH Review to Reviews
  The post-viewing reflection on Pen-Ek Ratanaruang's (Last Life in the Universe, 6ixty9) latest film, a creepy languid drama called Nymph is actually better than the film itself.  I happen to quite like the directors fish-out-of-water scenarios and lengthy silent...
  October 4, 2009 11:39 AM
• Posted Sitges 09: THE HOLE Review to Reviews
  Has it really be six years since a theatrical feature film has been directed by Joe Dante? One of the masters of blending horror and comedy, or making edgy childrens films that tend to appeal to lovers of horror and...
  October 4, 2009 11:36 AM
• Commented on Romero Remade Bests Romero Original?
  Huge points lost for using that version of Mad World from the penultimate shot of Donnie Darko.....
  October 3, 2009 6:25 PM
• Commented on Sitges 09: SPLICE Review
  I remain skeptical that the version I saw will make it out into the world (beyond a couple festivall screenings) at all, theatrically, or even on DVD. There are rumblings of massive re-edits and a title change to the much...
  October 2, 2009 7:48 AM
• Posted W.T.F. Classics to Galleries
  October 1, 2009 8:45 PM
• Posted Sitges 09: SPLICE Review to Reviews
  The elegantly named Splice is Canadian science-fiction filmmaker (and documentarian of Terry Gilliam's quite uncomfortable Tideland) Vincenzo Natali's most handsomely crafted film to date. The film is surprising because it is not the usual action and chase oriented creature-feature, but...
  October 1, 2009 2:49 PM
• Posted The Joy of W.T.F. - 6 Blissfully Bad Camp Classics to Featured
  Consider this entry of the T-O-M to build on Ard's previous ode to the Cat III craziness for The Seventh Curse by taking a closer look a camp madness.  The recent  Werner Herzog double bill at the Toronto International...
  September 29, 2009 9:27 AM
• Commented on FF 2009 Review. The Children
  @Swarez, the whole thing was done 1000x better in Narciso Ibáñez Serrador's WHO CAN KILL A CHILD (1976), particularly the "would you be able to kill your child even if it was trying to kill you?" --> a scene in...
  September 29, 2009 9:17 AM
• Commented on FF 2009 Review. The Children
  I wasn't a fan either. I mean the film looked great, but didn't really deliver anything beyond a slick shallow packaging. Only great scene is when the dinner breaks down into chaos, and that is really before teh kids go...
  September 28, 2009 6:36 PM
• Commented on Roman Polanski Arrested And Facing Extradition.
  Indeed weird news, it's not like the guy has been keeping a low profile for the past 30 years. The question is indeed, Why Now?...
  September 27, 2009 12:07 PM
• Posted Werner Herzog Wants to Give You The Esctatic Truth in Rogue Film School to News
  For a couple thousand dollars and a trip to LA, you could take a two day seminar with Werner Herzog.  Discuss or meditate together on whether or not fish dream, or if can penguins can in fact go insane. ...
  September 24, 2009 4:30 PM
• Commented on Fabrice Du Welz hits London for a VINYAN Q&A - plus see it for FREE!
  So nice to see some love for VINYAN, certainly one of the best of TIFF '08, and one of the better horror/dramas of 2008 (or 2009 DVD)....
  September 24, 2009 4:18 PM
• Commented on Fabrice Du Welz hits London for a VINYAN Q&A - plus see it for FREE!
  I did a fabulous (in my mind) interview with Fabrice back in the 2008 TIFF debut of the film. Alas, swallowed into the ether by a faulty USB recorder that corrupted the file. Either way, it is more interesting to...
  September 24, 2009 10:13 AM
• Commented on TIFF09: LA SOGA Review
  I loathed this one, perhaps because it seemed to incite a form of gleeful bloodlust in the audience by being so clearly obvious who was 'good' and who was 'evil'. I mean people walk out of Antichirist for genital mutilation,...
  September 24, 2009 8:03 AM
• Commented on Absolutely Brilliant Trailer For Paweł Borowski's Polish Thriller ZERO
  I've been waiting for someone to make a crime thriller in the style of Richard Linklater's SLACKER for some time now. Thank's Poland, this looks ace! (like early Nic. Winding Refn)...
  September 23, 2009 4:10 PM
• Commented on Spanish Trailer For Argentine Thriller THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES
  I'll watch anything with Ricardo Darin in it. And Noirish thrillers doubleso! And sadly, i missed this at TIFF....
  September 23, 2009 4:06 PM