Short shorts, 9/26.

"[T]he spirit of the last Depression truly hovers over us now and, as usual," writes John Patterson, "Michael Mann is ahead of the game in dredging its history and imagery for insights into our present pass. He has recently wrapped filming on Public Enemies, which promises to be the ultimate 1930s bandit epic, featuring the interlocking crime waves of John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum), Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) and Barker Gang associate Alvin Karpis (Giovanni Ribisi) over 18 heady and hectic months in 1933 and 1934." Also: Setting Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies alongside Godard's Histoire(s) du Cinéma.

And also in the Guardian:

• "With Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's A Matter of Life and Death (1946) now being given an extended run at the BFI, it is perhaps time to look at the contribution each made to the extraordinary creative partnership." Take it away, Ronald Bergan.

• Tom Perrotta's mixed feelings as he revisits high school in the 80s, the way John Hughes told it.

• Dan Glaister on a new report detailing the ways tobacco companies ensured that smoking was depicted as glamorous on screen during the 30s and 40s.

• Toby Young on what he's learned in Hollywood. Related: Liz Hoggard in the Evening Standard on How To Lose Friends & Alienate People.

• Hadley Freeman meets Rainn Wilson.

Ryland Walker Knight (Auteurs' Notebook) on Jia Zhangke's Xiao Wu.

As for The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela, see Sass Rogando: "An act of amazing proximity: Reflections on Olaf de Fleur Johannesson's Humanity Trilogy." Thanks, Peter!

"USC's School of Cinematic Arts, collaborating with Visions and Voices: The USC Arts & Humanities Initiative, is offering a three-day scholarly examination of the Duke titled John Wayne: Actor, Star, Icon, Trojan." Today through Sunday; a preview from Susan King in the Los Angeles Times.

"Even though his retrospective at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's BAMcinématek alludes to his 'mad obsessions,' Barbet Schroeder seems entirely measured and sensible." Steve Dollar talks with him for the New York Sun.

On Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell: Melissa Anderson (Time Out New York), Nathan Lee (New York Times) and Rosie Swash (Guardian).

On I've Loved You So Long, the movie that's got everyone buzzing about Kristin Scott Thomas's performance: Peter Bradshaw (Guardian), Nina Caplan (Time Out), Ryan Gilbey (New Statesman), Derek Malcolm (Evening Standard) and Anthony Quinn (Independent).

The latest addition to Scott Tobias's "New Cult Canon" at the AV Club: Songs from the Second Floor.

Goings on in Chicago: CINE-FILE.

Online viewing tip. "Everything I know about economics I learned from the movies," confesses Jim Emerson. "So when times get tough, I consult Preston Sturges. Here, I have condensed the financial wisdom of a lifetime into less than five minutes - all of it distilled from 1937's Easy Living."

Online viewing tips. The London Times' Kevin Maher's got clips illustrating his list of the "20 greatest movie partnerships."

Posted by dwhudson at September 26, 2008 9:54 AM