Sci-fi, fantasy, action. In autumn. Plus, Revolutions has to be bigger and better than Reloaded and Return has to be the best of all three Rings films. And we don't even need to begin ticking off all the things Quentin Tarantino has to prove. Fall movies have always been better, of course; but this year, they have to be bigger, too.

By the way, I've just got to quote Rex's full entry here: "EW's Kill Bill cover story this week contains a parenthetical quote from Tarantino about Memento: 'Good movie! But there's a hole, okay? And it's this! How, okay, does he remember... his own fuckin' condition?' This is why Tarantino still matters."

"It's hard to think of any other movie release that has so clearly revealed the true class, race and moral divisions of contemporary popular culture." Armond White, once again pulling no punches. The release at hand is Scarface, and he's got a point: "Movie-fads like Memento, Fight Club, The Blair Witch Project were primarily white cultural events," whereas "the mainstream media has dismissed the re-release of this film as a 'minority' cultural event." But you cannot understand the last 20 years, White argues, until you get Scarface. Also in the New York Press: White on Clint Eastwood's Mystic River ("false to the American prole experience even while presuming to dignify it"), Matt Zoller Seitz on the A Mighty Wind DVD ("a smorgasbord of raw material"), plus his big, big feature on Bruce Campbell and Bubba Ho-Tep.

The MPAA's new policy banning screeners for Academy members is infuriating just about everybody but the majors. A report from Eugene Hernandez in indieWIRE and commentary from Leonard Klady in Movie City News. Also at MCN: "Pupkin lives!" Gary Dretzka's modest proposal for Oscar Night.

"Overstuffed programs in Venice, Montreal and Toronto have recently proved there is no such thing as a faltering economy in the movie business. Hundreds of new films are upon us like carrion birds, but why do the ones nobody will ever see again (or want to) reliably turn up in the New York Film Festival, and why are they always so lousy?" Oh, that Rex Reed. Also in the New York Observer: Alexandra Wolfe on Jamie Johnson's documentary Born Rich - sounds like you won't want to see this one without a healthy battery of rotten vegetables. To throw not at the film, but at the people on the screen.

But speaking of the fest, teaser trailers for Gus Van Sant's Cannes winner, Elephant are out. Via cinema minima.

Wonderful entry from Doug Cummings on Manny Farber.

Generous online offerings from the edition of MovieMaker I'm afraid I would have missed if Matt hadn't mentioned it: Phillip Williams interviews Anthony Minghella and screenwriter Bart Gavigan. Jennifer M. Wood goes all techie with director Mark Decena, editor Tom McArdle and cinematographer Elliot Davis (though she finds the term "artist" more appropriate). Plus: Film festivals and schools.

Laura Warrell surveys the gaggle of female Hollywood stars and spots right off what's missing: "good old sexual oomph." Think about it: Cameron Diaz, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow vs Susan Sarandon, Sigourney Weaver, Jessica Lange, Debra Winger. I do believe she's onto something. Also in Salon: Stephanie Zacharek: "Rock documentaries tend to cut their subjects down to size; The Kids Are Alright asserts that its subject can't be contained."

Screen Daily reviews: Mike Goodridge on The Story Of The Weeping Camel and Jacob Neiiendam on November.

Interesting descriptions of docs in the works, portraits of the original creators of Art Brut by Bruno Decharme (interview).

Online viewing tip. Madonna and Mondino COPY & PASTE Guy Bourdin. Via Fimoculous.

Posted by dwhudson at October 1, 2003 10:01 AM