While mainstream movies are more market-driven than ever before,one area of filmmaking is still enjoying an artistic resurgence that began in the 1990s. Let’s hear it for the title sequences
Refreshing a good one over at Creative Review where they look at some of their favorite title sequences put together for the celluloid screen, some which are undoubtedly better than the movies they were made for.
Given District 9’s #1 opening at the box office this past weekend, I’d say it’s relatively safe to say there exists a public hunger for some savvy, intelligent sci-fi. The unfortunate circumstance however is that many such titles fly under the radar, never quite achieving much success beyond smaller cult circles. District 9 could easily have been that type of film had the momentum not been heavy in the final weeks leading up to its release. Over at CHUD they put together a list of titles that embody all the good aspects of science fiction in the 21st century:
There were three criteria that had to be met for these films to be listed: they had to be smart and thoughtful, and they had to cost less than a hundred million dollars. And they had to be damned good. A couple of the films here get pretty close to that hundred million dollar blockbuster number, but that’s made up for by the films that cost a pittance.
I Need That Record! asks the simple question: why have over 3,000 independent record stores in the U.S. closed in the past decade? As much a cool history lesson on vinyl as a portrait of greedy record labels, media consolidation, homogenized radio, big box stores, e-commerce, shoddy “stars” pushed by big money and even the digital revolution, the film is, at its core, a loving tribute to the cherished nerdy record stores which for decades have nurtured our access to the music we all love. In addition to the exploration of its juicy premise, the film contains interviews with Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Ian MacKaye (Fugazi), Mike Watt (Minutemen), Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Group), Chris Frantz (Talking Heads), Pat Carney (The Black Keyes), composer Glenn Branca, authors Noam Chomsky and Legs McNeil, rock photographer Bob Gruen–and features dozens of indie record stores across the U.S. of A.! The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Brendan Toller, a panel discussion (moderated by Michael Des Barres, featuring special guests) on the fate of the indie record store today, a Danny Benair Record Club listening party (bring a record to share if you want!), and a record swap on the Cinefamily outdoor patio!
8/13 @ 8pm / SERIES: Don’t Knock The Rock 2009
[Cinefamily]
With the dust settling on another Comic-con, speaking in terms of film-related happenings, this was perhaps one of the biggest years for the show. Attendees watched 24-minutes of footage from James Cameron’s Avatar, but the real news seems to be how District 9, the first feature film from Neill Blomkamp, has stolen the show. While NDA’s prohibit any of the critics from specifically reviewing the film at this current time, you can still get a sense of their reactions.
“District 9″ is political and hilarious and gory as hell, sad and savage and visually dazzling. It is, in short, exactly what great science-fiction should be… it is a film of ideas, first and foremost, and since Blomkamp grew up in South Africa, I’m sure you can guess what sort of real-world ideas the movie might engage. The thing is… if you want to tune out all the social commentary, you’re left with a truly incredible sf movie. But because Neil’s own experience is so much a part of this film and the world he’s created, the result is sort of devastating.
