[ m i s t e r s t a r f i s h ]

Dr. Strangelove

Dr. Strangelove on Flickr - Photo Sharing!: "

via http://www.flickr.com/photos/depressionpress/2517340939/in/set-72157604603977003/

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(Via FFFFOUND! / EVERYONE.)

Technorati Tags: handwritten, handwriting, typography, film titles, film credits, Stanley Kubrick

Nekola (just like Godzilla, but giant CATS)

ねたミシュラン ★大爆笑怪獣映画ネコラ: "

via http://netamichelin.blog68.fc2.com/blog-entry-1287.html

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(Via FFFFOUND! / EVERYONE.)

creation of Criterion Collection's beautiful packaging

The Criterion Collection has exquisite taste in films, but these masterpieces are brought to life by package designs that are almost always better than the original film releases. I've always been curious about their art direction process and I'm happy to have found a rich documentation on how they came up with the Berlin Alexanderplatz DVD release at their blog, written by Eric Skillman. Link.

Below are some of the studies and comps that I like.... seems accomplished enough, surely it would have gone to final art at places without the high standards at Criterion:













And here's the chosen final art:



(For more on the technique involved in creating the final image, check out his design process blog, Cozy Lummox.)"

(Via On Five.)

No Country For Old Men

Saw a satisfying thriller, No Country For Old Men, the latest film from the Coen brothers. Hauntingly acted by Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin. Tommy Lee Jones was also superb. How refreshing to see a thriller that engross you without conventions of a "thriller." No menacing music to tell you where you should feel scared (I don't think there were any music at all?), and no hollywood ending to give you the familiar closure that the good guy always gets the bad guy (woops, did I just put in a spoiler?). It's definitely Ethan and Joel Coen's best film since Fargo.

The End

A fascinating flickr collection of the very last frame of classic films.

Umoregi

Saw a gem of a film the other day Umoregi. A 2006 Japanese film directed by Kôhei Oguri who has all the grace of Yasujiro Ozu and comes recommended by the master of portraying the Japanese soul, Yoji Yamada. The film feels more like portraits of various lives in one small town but it does so with such fantastic imagery. They are nostalgic snapshots of places and lives yet it's a world that feels original in the way Hayao Miyazaki films create nostalgic worlds with a bit of magic.

Babel

Saw a film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. Quite an affecting film. The messages he seem to convey are somewhat heavy handed at times but all the characters were very sympathetic and kept the story alive and interesting. Especially an accomplishment considering that there were so many main characters in the film. Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Mohamed Akhzam, Gael García Bernal, Rinko Kikuchi, Kôji Yakusho and they were all commanding performances. Check out this NYT review as well (link)

Old Joy

[still from film, Kino International]

Saw a quietly beautiful film, "Old Joy." Here's Entertainment Weekly's quick synopsis and review by Lisa Schwarzbaum (link):

"One man (Daniel London) faces impending fatherhood, the other (Will Oldham) still clings to a notion of carefree, unencumbered drift. And what begins for these two longtime pals as a weekend mountain camping trip becomes in Old Joy, filmmaker Kelly Reichardt's shimmering, quiet treasure of a film, an elegy to mutable friendship, enduring nature, and the sense of loss that inevitably accompanies the adult pull to move forward. It's in all the moments where little happens that Reichardt is most amazing, investing even a gas-station pit stop with perfect emotional pitch."

The film resonates especially because of the similar conflicts I feel about changing friendships and unrealized dreams. There's a lingering sadness throughout the film and as such, I left the theater feeling uneasy. Perhaps, the emotions felt too familiar.

A few days later, the affecting film is hard to get out of my mind.  Not because of the initial unease, but the growing realization that it took me on a remarkable journey. As in the most memorable experiences in real life, it left me with a rich satisfaction long after the credits stopped rolling. Hats off to Kelly Reichardt.

Another review about the film from the New York Times (link)

Out of the Past

Saw a thrilling Noir film starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas and directed by Jacques Tourneur. The dialogue was punched out elegantly and the plot really tight. The story felt like a template for "A History of Violence" released recently, which I also enjoyed.