Shorts, 6/12.

Jesus Camp, the documentary that won the Special Jury Prize at Tribeca, is something of a wake-up call for progressives, which is fine, but it's also needlessly alarmist, argues Kirsten A Powers. Directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady should have made it clear that the camp is Pentecostal, "which puts it far to the right theologically and politically, even within the evangelical movement." Evangelicals "make up close to 25 percent of the electorate" and "many evangelical leaders believe that a growing number of these voters are prepared to return to the Democratic fold, but only if Democrats stop misunderstanding, neglecting, and even intentionally ignoring what was and should be a natural constituency."

Also in the American Prospect, Sudhir Muralidhar writes that The War Tapes "demonstrates exactly how frustrating and demoralizing the helplessness of the current occupation can be for troops on the ground."

"It was a beautiful shoot, absolutely beautiful," Cillian Murphy tells Sean O'Hagan. He's talking, of course, about The Wind That Shakes the Barley. "Easily my best experience in terms of the process of acting. Plus, it was during the summer months; I was living at home with my folks; my wife was pregnant with our son; and we were running around the hills of west Cork shooting up Black and Tans. Fantastic!"

Also in the Observer, Alex Clark reviews Isabella Rossellini's In the Name of the Father, the Daughter and the Holy Spirits: Remembering Roberto Rossellini.

"Welcome to the new celebrity colonialism." For spiked, Brendan O'Neill examines the implications of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie effectively shutting Namibia down for several weeks.

"It is the despair - not the thought of martyrdom - that consumes you there." Paisley Dodds talks with Shafiq Rasul, Ruhal Ahmed and Asif Iqbal, the subjects of Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross's The Road to Guantanamo, about Saturday's suicides. Related: A lead editorial in the Guardian and commentary by Zachary Katznelson. And David Lowery: "While I was watching The Road To Guantanamo, I kept thinking about Paul Greengrass's United 93, which blurs the same lines that Winterbottom does, but in different ways."

Dave Kehr takes issue with "the critical clichés and historical misconceptions that have gathered around the Western since it passed from mass popularity in the early 1970s.... In my experience... I've found the genre to be far less reactionary and rigid than consistently questioning and even progressive."

In an interview with Northwest Film Forum co-founder Jamie Hook, Sujewa Ekanayake discovers he's got quite controversial views of the arts communities in Seattle and Minneapolis.

Roger Ebert's been deluged with mail in response to his review of An Inconvenient Truth; now he responds back. More thoughts on the film from Eric Ditzian in Flak.

David Walsh at the WSWS on Nicole Holofcener: "It's another feature of our unhappy situation that an artist would more or less boast about not 'making any statements.' How are we expected to reply? Well, congratulations then, you've succeeded very nicely!"

"Is there an Iraqi film wave on the horizon?" asks Anthony Kaufman. Also: Hollywood's moves abroad.

At Not Coming to a Theater Near You, Ian Johnston revisits that "unique American masterpiece," Night of the Hunter.

John Adair on Decalogue IX: "Kieslowski, the ever-spiritual director, leaves his characters with the comfort of knowing they are not alone."

Richard von Busack at Cinematical on Yi Yi: "[Edward] Yang handles separate characters with such skill that there never quite seems to be anything that qualifies as a subplot. As in Mike Leigh and Yasujiro Ozu films, here's the sense that anyone of the characters could be followed through into a movie of their own."

That Little Round-Headed Boy writes a magnificent ode to Karen Allen's performance as Marion in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Filmbrain's image of Jesus "as temperamental rock star, or foppish song and dance man," formed by Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell, lasted for years. Until he discovered a few other portrayals.

Mommie Dearest turns 25 this year and "it may finally be time to start to take the film seriously," writes Gregg Kilday in the Hollywood Reporter.

Superman Returns is "terrific," writes Anne Thompson.

Peter Suderman: "District B13 is a far, far better movie than it has any right to be."

"Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul makes its strongest commentary on matters East-West through its structure," writes Nicolas Rapold in Reverse Shot, "an order of presentation that reverses the usual narrative of Westernization as progress: the Turkish pyschedelic rock and hip-hop do not come at the end of a survey of the country's native forms as if in culmination, but are merely early stops along the way."

Patrick Kennelly: "Though firestarting with a frenzied, dimly lit montage that anticipates frenzied narrative dislocation, Cavite quickly winds itself up into a minimalist, real-time, what would you do? mind fuck."

MS Smith reviews Little Fish, "a careful, purposely incomplete examination of lives that are like unfinished minor-key symphonies."

Via Darren Hughes, Barbara Vancheri in the Post-Gazette: "Pittsburgh will play itself - in all of its Cloud Factory, Lost Neighborhood, Checkpoint of Too Much Fun glory - in The Mysteries of Pittsburgh," an adaptation of Michael Chabon's novel with Max Minghella lined up for the lead.

Caveh Zahedi hangs with Claire Denis and the Quay Brothers.

Greg Pak talks with Steven E Mallorca about Slow Jam King.

Dennis Cozzalio nominates two line readings as the best of the year so far. A wonderful idea, by the way.

At Listology, Jim's top 57 animated movies.

The BBC: "Comedy legend John Cleese has said he is retiring from writing and performing sitcoms because he will never manage to top the success of Fawlty Towers."

Though this is a film blog, it's odd not to even mention the World Cup. Fortunately, Chris Barsanti has put together a slightly film-skewed collection of pointers. And Filmz.de lists 16 recent soccer movies.

"Ingo Preminger, the producer of the film M*A*S*H who was also the literary agent for several leading writers who were blacklisted during the McCarthy era, has died. He was 95," writes Jon Thurber. And yes, he was the brother of director Otto Preminger. Also in the Los Angeles Times, an obit for John E Horton, Hollywood's link to the Pentagon.

Online viewing tip #1. Akira Kurasawa's ads for Suntory whiskey, featuring Francis Ford Coppola. Via Martha Fischer at Cinematical.

Online viewing tip #2. The I/O Brush demonstrated and explained. Via Peter Suderman.

Online viewing tip #3. David Lynch's Premonitions of an Evil Deed, via Wiley Wiggins.

Online viewing tip #4. At Twitch, X points to a trailer for and clips from Bong Joon-ho's The Host.

Posted by dwhudson at June 12, 2006 3:29 PM