Shorts, 5/11.

"He will run, and when he runs, he will present himself not as a nice guy but as a necessary bulwark against the forces of barbarism," writes Stephen Metcalf at Slate. "But a principled opposition to the American Churchill is not only possible, it's necessary. It rests on an assertion even the comrades behind Giuliani Time won't venture: that in the near term, 9/11 may have made Rudy Giuliani a hero; in the long term it has only amplified what makes Rudy Giuliani an abominable human being."

The New Republic's Lee Siegel: "I love movies with a passion. But I'm convinced that we need a world-uprising against movie-tyranny. Just to maintain a certain emotional balance. Cinematic, or televised images - I'm lumping them together - flood our days with an alternative reality that shifts the boundaries of our actuality this way and that."

Why is The Last Communist banned in Malaysia, its maker, Amir Muhuammad, wants to know.

Scott Foundas in the LA Weekly: "I urge you to see the ineffably beautiful Three Times however you can, lest you go on thinking that Hou [Hsiao-hsien]'s greatness is merely the supposition of obscurantist critics intent on reserving their highest praise for those films that nobody else can actually see." Also, a meeting with David Jacobson to talk about Down in the Valley (more from Daniel Robert Epstein for SuicideGirls).

What a bookish sort of day this turned out to be. While the cinetrix contemplates teaching a course on adaptations, Film International announces that Issue #20 is out, "a special issue devoted to the world of film literature, guest edited by Richard Armstrong."

Gawker: "And the hemorrhaging continues at the Daily News features department, where today we hear that movie critic Jami Bernard was informed her contract will not be renewed."

"Throughout Sketches [of Frank Gehry], Irony stands as high as the world's tallest building in Shanghai, because this film about architecture has been made by a director with one of the least distinguished pair of eyes in Hollywood," writes Armond White. Also, there's no "pizazz" in The Death of Mr Lazarescu, White argues: "[Director Cristi] Puiu shows no absurdity that wasn't already dramatized in Lawrence Kasdan's murder film I Love You to Death and no hospital farce not tickled in Blake Edwards's Micki & Maude."

Also in the New York Press: Jennifer Merin talks with Garry Marshall about the family comedy (and family project) Keeping Up With the Steins and with John Hillcoat and Nick Cave about The Proposition; and Susan Reiter on Bringing Balanchine Back.

Alonso Duralde poses an interesting question on the cover of the Advocate. Via Jeffrey Wells.

In the NYT:

• Laurie Goodstein reports that various Christian groups have varying ideas as to how to go up against The Da Vinci Code. More from Greg Allen on NPR.

• Hi-def, schmi-def. Who needs it, anyway? David Pogue runs down the history of "an absurd and pointless format war among the titans of the movie, electronics and computer industries."

• Neil Genzlinger finds Light From the East "disorganized" and "just a tad irritating."

Josef Braun in Vue Weekly on Why We Fight: "Unlike some famous documentarians, [Eugene] Jarecki allows figures representing opinions that oppose his own room to express themselves without a framework of cheap satire to deflate their statements before audiences can digest them. Jarecki focuses on revealing the corruption that lubricates the American war machine, but complicating his inquiry and fortifying its integrity is his reluctance to preach to the choir."

Also in Vue Weekly: besides reviewing The Notorious Bettie Page, Paul Matwychuk trashes The Philadelphia Story, then considers the lessons learned from The White Diamond about, oddly enough, Hollywood blockbusters; and Braun on Stick It (more from Todd LaPlace at Hollywood Bitchslap), Carolyn Nikodym on The Promise, Nicholas Tam on Hoot, Willow Sharpe on Kinky Boots, Tyler Morency on What the Bleep!? 2, Tyson Kaban on RV and Brian Gibson on Days of Heaven.

Marcy Dermansky: "Wah-Wah is guilty of numerous crimes: sweeping theme music, meaningful close-ups, endless sunsets, a boatload of quirky supporting characters who fail to entertain."

The latest addition to Roger Ebert's "Great Movies" collection: Au Revoir, Les Enfants.

Alex Cox notes in the Guardian that United 93's version of what happened to Flight 93 is not universally accepted as being anywhere near the truth. More on the film from Brian Gibson in Vue Weekly.

The IFC News team picks the summer movies most likely to please.

Scott Kirsner has news on the latest line thrown out aimed at linking Net video and the TV. Seems like a reliable, universal bridge is still ridiculously way off in the distance.

Online viewing tip #1. Evolution of Dance. Judson Laipply. Remember that name. Via Jason Kottke.

Online viewing tip #2. At Twitch, Todd's found a trailer for Who Killed the Electric Car?

Posted by dwhudson at May 11, 2006 2:20 PM