good morning ( お早よう ohayō ) is a 1959 comedy film by japanese director yasujirō ozu .

it is a loose remake of his own 1932 silent film i was born , but ... , and is ozu 's second film in color .

good morning ( film )

a compilation of the running gag from ozu ' s 1959 film , good morning .
good morning , vietnam proved that robin williams could act and be hilariously funny in the same film .
breaking bad star bryan cranston just very casually swore live on good morning britain .
media art net | paik , nam june : good morning , mr . orwell
good morning , vietnam is a 1987 american war - comedy film written by mitch markowitz and directed by barry levinson .
this week good morning britain ( and everyone at itv ) is backing the daily mile .
good morning , vietnam was one of the most successful films of the year , becoming the fourth highest - grossing film of 1987 .
good morning , 1959 , directed by yasujiro ozu , written by yasujiro ozu and kôgo noda .
good morning is part of the series back by popular demand : ozu . click here for more info .
amc named good morning , vietnam one of the 20 greatest war movies of all time . [ 12 ]
speaking on good morning britain on march 10 , she said : “the will is definitely there with everybody involved .
the good morning britain star impersonated beckham after he was shown in character with his co - star charlie hunnam .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing good morning , babylon near you .
good morning is such a fantastic surprise , and worthy of discussion among any of ozu ' s better known dramatic works .
andrew bridgen mp and lord adonis responded with vigour on today’s good morning britain to theresa may’s chequers proposal and david davis’ resignation .
criterion ' s release of good morning is a luscious , vibrant , must - own restoration of a titanic work of postwar japanese cinema .
the film won the political film society award for peace , and was nominated for a best sound bafta award . [ 10 ]
just how much of the fresh , cheeky williams brilliance was going up the chimney can now be seen in ' ' good morning , vietnam . ' '
in september , itv ' s good morning britain announced a competition for schools to produce an anti - bullying video to link into anti - bullying week .
was going on good morning britain , didn ' t realise @ piersmorgan was host . won ' t go on with him after his comments about # womensmarch
the school council worked together to come up with a really good idea and then worked with mrs bermingham and mr woodman to perform the film .
canadian actor and filmmaker connor jessup’s third short film , lira’s forest , is an official selection at the 2017 toronto international film festival .
today’s episode of good morning britain proved to be full of drama after the voice uk judge urltoken went awol on the show after he turned up late for his interview .
on good morning britain today , morgan grilled culture secretary karen bradley over and over again about whether numbers of armed officers are up or down and she refused to answer .
speaking on today’s edition of good morning britain , he told hosts susanna reid and ben shephard : “we’ve been asked to keep ourselves free for a date in the future . ”
ariel nasr ' s documentary gives voice to the complex dilemmas faced by contemporary afghanis under canadian intervention . the film introduces us to young afghan - canadians torn between a deep desire to help afghanistan and a fear that things will never change . good morning kandahar
this best way to describe this rewatch is that it’s like poorly brewed coffee . it tastes a bit weak and watery , unlike a good brew . but , like david lynch says , any coffee is good coffee . and , this is some damn good coffee .
guy ritchie directs the film , which is scheduled to begin shooting this summer .
as unpromising as all this may sound , good morning is another ozu gem , a covertly sophisticated ensemble piece scripted with the intricacy and precision of a well - constructed restoration comedy of manners .
this is a nice option for serious ozu fans - the video presentation does effect the film ' s viewing experience . good to have the choice of picking up this visually richer
since ozu didn ' t have to worry about a moving camera , each shot is very carefully composed . so good morning is full of lovely symmetries like this shot of minoru and isamu sulking :
robin williams is the heart and soul of everything this film is , finding a perfect balance between his frantic comedy and weighted dramatics . if you ' re going to watch ' good morning vietnam ' , you ' re going to watch it for robin williams and robin williams alone .
title drop : after minoru ' s dad tells him kids shouldn ' t talk too much , minoru says adults indulge in pointless chatter all the time , like saying
good morning
to each other .
this film was produced as part of the reel diversity competition for emerging filmmakers of colour . reel diversity is a national film board of canada initiative in partnership with cbc newsworld .
but the fact is , a lot of good morning isn ' t about them . the first half of the film follows a group of gossiping housewives trying to figure out what ' s happened to the dues they were supposed to pay to some neighborhood organization or other . there are enough subplots that it ' s hard to find a throughline that lends itself to plot summary . so although minoru and isamu ' s strike ties together a lot of the film ' s themes , i think it ' s more accurate to describe good morning as a portrait of a small japanese community lurching towards modernity .
i can ' t think of any other movie that looks quite like good morning ( except , apparently , all the ozu films i haven ' t seen ) . but as with wes anderson , the salient question is what the style is in service of . in the case of good morning , i think there ' s a disconnect between the style , which seems contemplative and a little sad , and the subject matter .
moro ' s quiet , grandfatherly demeanor eventually pierces chiara ' s steely resolve , even though they never speak face to face , and
good morning , night
is largely concerned with her crisis of confidence .
what you end up with in
good morning , vietnam
is a peculiar hybrid - - a robin williams concert movie welded clumsily onto the plot from an old danny kaye picture . and neither half works .
i can absolutely assure you that the original theatrical prints of ohayo ( good morning ) were not green tinged . they looked like any other color film of quality that you have seen . ( i saw the film screened at least 10 times over the life of the print that janus ( ? ) had circulating in the us . i saw it go from pretty pristine to battered and faded . )
good morning is usually promoted as the remake of ozu ' s was born , but . . . . but that could said be said about a number of ozu films . after all , they tend to contain many of the same themes and images . that said , that film certainly didn ' t contain fart jokes , which this one does . it work to a point . this is a lighter film , not as deep as ozu best but it ' s good to see ozu having some fun .
a day or two after i first saw good morning , i received an email from ozu fan and criterion contraption reader lewis saul urging me to watch any of his other films before this one . apparently , good morning isn ' t emblematic of his work , and he was afraid i would get the wrong impression about ozu if i started with this one . well , i got the email a day late . i still haven ' t seen tokyo story , or any other films ozu directed , but i certainly get the impression the bulk of his work is quite different from good morning . at the very least , the film seems a bit out of synch with his reputation . peter bradshaw , in an appreciation for the guardian , characterizes ozu ' s work as
gentle quietism and transcendental simplicity .
i suppose you could argue that good morning shares those qualities , as long as you find something gently quietistic or transcendentally simple about the film ' s opening and closing scene : a farting competition that ends in tragedy when a young boy craps his pants .
like many of ozu ' s late films , good morning is in color , but it somehow looks different from the others i ' ve seen . maybe it ' s because the film is set in a seemingly newly developed community outside of tokyo . everything looks new and fresh . i wish i could say the same about the storyline . good morning basically reworks the concept of his early silent i was born , but . . . there are differences due to the age gap between the films but the treatment of kids and adults seems familiar .
the film features a score by tony and oscar winner alan menken and tony winner david zippel .
this film is more interesting as a barometer of influence american consumerist culture has had on the japanese . the kids in the film are obsessed with having a television set . they take a vow…
alex north was awarded the ascap award for the film ' s original music . [ 10 ]
good morning , night
was shown as part of the new york film festival in 2003 . following are excerpts from a . o . scott ' s review , which appeared in the new york times on oct . 10 , 2003 ; the full text is at urltoken the unrated film , in italian with english subtitles , opens today in manhattan at the cinema village , 22 east 12th street , greenwich village .
ozu’s hilarious technicolor re - working of his silent i was born , but . . . , good morning ( ohayo ) is the story of two young boys in suburban tokyo who take a vow of silence after their parents refuse to buy them a television set . shot from the perspective of the petulant brothers , good morning is an enchantingly satirical portrait of family life that gives rise to gags about romance , gossip , and the consumerism of modern japan .
most of williams ' radio broadcasts were improvised . the film was a critical and commercial success ; for his work in the film , williams won a golden globe award for best actor – motion picture musical or comedy and was nominated for an academy award for best actor . the film is number 100 on the list of the
american film institute ' s 100 funniest american movies
.
good morning president is an abridged version of the politics and life of three different presidents . the three are : the older president kim jung - ho at the end of his term , the young . . . see full summary »
my favorite ozu film . kill your tv ! ( for terrance & phillip ' s sake . )
the inside story of how disney will bring the highest - grossing animated film in history to broadway .
the cast and creators take us inside rehearsals for disney’s anticipated stage adaptation of the blockbuster animated film .
what a hilarious film . unlike any film ozu ever made . although this film does focus on his usual themes of family , multiple generations and the evil that is associated with gossip , the film is different in that it is an all out comedy , and one of the funniest films i have ever seen . the comedy brought in by the gossiping neighbors is classic , but the two main kids really steal the film . the film effectively blends potty humor with intelligent and witty dialogue , and even as an american the japanese humor was effective enough to not be lost due to cultural confusions . great comedy .
in 2000 , the film was included in the american film institute ' s list of the 100 funniest american movies during 100 years : afi ' s 100 years . . . 100 laughs . [ 11 ]
just in time for black friday , two cinematic masters playfully pillory consumerism for our weekly double feature : yasujiro ozu’s good morning ( 1959 ) and jacques tati ' s mon oncle ( 1958 ) . but these wildly different virtuosos mount opposite attacks , o…
make no mistake about it : mr . williams ' s performance , though it ' s full of uproarious comedy , is the work of an accomplished actor . ' ' good morning , vietnam ' ' is one man ' s tour de force .
© 2014 british film institute . all rights reserved . registered charity 287780 cultural commerce by talisman innovations ltd .
cranston was on the show to discuss his latest film wakefield , which is released on dvd next month .
on the left : confessions of a fake sheik * by mazher mahmood . next to it : good morning afghanistan * * by waseem mahmood . in both , the authors are the central characters , but the stories they tell could not be more different .
for added insights on the film itself , i’m going to indulge in a bit of a shortcut here , directing you to read my more in - depth consideration of good morning that i wrote up for my blog back in 2011 . and hey , while i’m at it , here are my observations on i was born , but… , the bonus feature included in this splendid package ! for good measure , may i also share a link to my podcast discussion of that same film , way back when rob nishimura and i first rolled out the original version of the eclipse viewer podcast back in 2012 ?
good morning neatly dovetails these two plots when the boys refuse to say good morning to the neighbors . this happens after the alleged theft of dues is cleared up ( mrs . haraguchi’s mother forgot to give the money to her ) . the boys’ apparent snubbing is interpreted as an extension of their mother’s secret anger over the incident ( which is far from true ) , and mrs . haraguchi’s spreading of this gossip triggers some of the film’s cleverest dialogue . one distraught neighbor says , “our cat stole her dried fish . should i return it ? ” ozu is at his best in observing the progress of rumor into seeming certainty , and showing the viewer the endless comic complications that ensue from simple misunderstandings in a society that values good manners over truth .
good morning america
recently celebrated the start of wedding season with a 24 - hour marathon live stream featuring 100 couples getting hitched in various locations all over the world . we ' re very proud to announce that viva las vegas wedding chapel was among them !
danny dyer exclusively told good evening britain how he warned daughter dani dyer that taking part in love island would be a serious mistake .
good morning , night
reimagines the notorious kidnapping and murder of aldo moro , the former prime minister , by the red brigades in 1978 , one of the ugliest and most senseless episodes in modern italian political history and in the annals of the western european left .
in a strange , subtle way , “good morning , vietnam” is not so much about war as it is about stand - up comedy , about the need that compels people to get up in front of the room and try to make us laugh - to control us .
the remake : of ozu ' s 1932 silent film ' ' i was born , but . . .
.
six of the seven child stars in the upcoming film adaptation of the stephen king book discuss the new horror movie .
a source said :
“film bosses have requested the services of crew members and accountants to work on the picture .
) and that film contains a newly recorded score by composer ed hughes and the new music players . also included are a fully illustrated booklet features newly commissioned sleevenote essay by silent film curator bryony dixon and contemporary review by jonathan rosenbaum .
ewan mcgregor has refused to appear as booked on breakfast news show good morning britain after realising it was co - hosted by piers morgan . the actor , who is currently promoting the long - awaited trainspotting sequel , t2 , had been due to appear on tuesday morning , 24 january , but dropped out at the last minute in protest at morgan’s comments about the women’s marches which took place around the world on saturday .
the long anticipated , seemingly inevitable but frustratingly overdue upgrade of yasujiro ozu’s second color film good morning finally became a reality earlier this week . a pristine new edition of spine # 84 has just landed on the shelves , and it’s a cause for joyful celebration for ozu aficionados and newcomers alike , who now have the opportunity to rediscover one of the great director’s most enchanting films . it’s hard to overstate just how much a new transfer and a tidy array of supplemental features allow good morning ‘s virtues to shine , but i can attest without reservation that this release feels every bit as essential and fully realized as any of the other three ozu blu - rays that criterion has previously made available .
good morning is a coming together of many ozu themes and character types . after the dark turns of early spring and tokyo twilight , there was a literal brightening and flowering of color in equinox flower . that film ended with a sense of hope for change . it seems fitting , then , that good morning should include ( from what i ' ve seen so far ) one of ozu ' s most diverse casts . it contains children of many ages , grandparents , multiple families , salarymen , jobless men , salesmen , wives , sisters , and
modern women .
in a sense , character types - - and the concerns of their respective stories - - from throughout ozu appear here .
• standard definition and high definition presentations of good morning ( dvd & blu - ray ) • standard definition presentation of i was born , but . . . ( dvd only ) • newly recorded score for i was born , but . . . by composer ed hughes and the new music players • fully illustrated booklet features newly commissioned sleevenote essay by silent film curator bryony dixon and contemporary review by jonathan rosenbaum
peter andre has spoken about his love of acting ahead of his guest role in the new thomas the tank engine film .
morgan joked beckham could be the “third mitchell brother” as he mocked his east end accent in guy ritchie ’s upcoming film .
roger ebert was born on this day in 1942 , and died a little over five years ago . i owe a good part of my success…
addition : bfi region ' b ' blu - ray december 10 ' : the bfi blu - ray transfer really brings out the beauty of the film appearance . detail rises dramatically from the sd - dvd transfers and it supports the greenish tinged color scheme of the asian discs . there is a beautiful consistent sheen of grain present on the bfi and will produce the best presentation of good morning for your home theater . there are no digital extras on this disc and it is single - layered with a healthy bitrate . audio is lossless in a linear pcm track and sounds as perfect as the source allows . extras consist of an included dvd with both good morning and i was born , but . . . (
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
the sun had exclusively revealed that a project to turn the tv series into a film had been greenlit and a budget approved .
just a delightful and funny film that does a great job of telling its incredibly simple and straightforward narrative in an endearing way .
, a 1929 silent film by ozu running just under 14 - minutes . the package has an essay by critic jonathan rosenbaum .
one even begged film bosses to give morgan a cameo , tweeting : “i loved piers morgan - both hands . . . . . hilarious . however i won ' t be rushing out to watch the film , not unless piers gets a cameo ! ”
forest whitaker was awarded a san jordi award for best foreign actor for his work on this film and bird . [ 10 ]
meanwhile , ben , 42 , took aim at susanna , 46 , over her choice of outfit this morning and compared the striped number to some sweets .
the sequel to the movie ( also directed by ortega ) about disney’s baddies , descendants 2 , will air july 21 . in advance of the premiere , the cast performed two original songs from the movie musical on good morning america . watch the mashup of “ways to be wicked” and “what’s my name . ”
gma
live streamed back - to - back weddings , including behind - the - scenes peeks at the various matrimonial venues . we were thrilled to be a part of the day of weddings , which culminated in a live mass wedding on the friday , april 29th
good morning america
program .
ozu’s reputation rests largely on a series of austere , quietly wrenching shomin - geki , domestic dramas ( tokyo story , late spring ) about the lives of average working - class people . typically , these center on parent - child conflicts , which often work themselves out to the benefit of neither . good morning ( 1959 ) abandons some of the more tragic aspects of the genre for a witty and good - hearted look at a different kind of intergenerational problem .
the film received outstanding reviews from film critics . the website rotten tomatoes , which compiles critical reviews for movies , gave a rating of 89 % [ 5 ] and the consensus :
a well - calibrated blend of manic comedy and poignant drama , good morning , vietnam offers a captivating look at a wide range of robin williams ' cinematic gifts .
both roger ebert and gene siskel of the review show siskel and ebert awarded the film
two thumbs up
, with ebert giving the film a four out of four star review in the chicago sun - times . [ 6 ] richard corliss of time called the film
the best military comedy since m * a * s * h
, and named it one of the best films of the year . vincent canby of the new york times called the film a cinematic
tour de force
and compared williams ' s performance to that of
an accomplished actor
. [ 7 ] much of the acclaim went to williams ' s performance , a role that earned him an oscar nomination for best actor . [ 8 ]
@ piersmorgan gave karen bradley so many chances to give a straight answer , made herself look so silly . she would be no good in a pub quiz 🍺🍺
playing with your emotions until the very end ,
good morning , vietnam
is the type of film that will have you thinking a certain way about something until it is completey turned around into something different . beginning as a comedy about a dj who has come to vietnam to run a radio station in hopes to lighten the mood of troops in the war and to give a quirky version of the serious news to people around the country . although it is the reason he is brought in , it may also be the reason they want him to leave . one thing leads to another and the film does a total 180 , turning into an all out drama where robin williams gives one of his best performances ever . extremely well - written , well - directed , and superbly acted by everyone ,
good morning , vietnam
is easily one of the best films i ' ve ever seen robin williams in .
i haven ' t seen enough of ozu ' s to judge this among his body of work , but as funny as it is , good morning doesn ' t just want to laugh at poor folks , but instead is more of a comical view on society . with great attention to detail and very still camera work , it ' s definitely a meditative film of two boys representing a younger generation that do not want to grow up with meaningless rituals in a world of empty adult chatter . ozu ' s film is not suggesting that tv is the answer , rather talking and expressing feelings is .
the advance press has suggested that his new movie ,
good morning , vietnam ,
will change all that . and the movie does live up to part of its billing : it gives us a lot of robin williams . but it hardly delivers on the promise of giving us the pure , undiluted williams - - williams at his best . what ' s more , it ' s not even close to being his best movie . it ' s not even close to being good .
from the start , the film bowls you over with excitement and for those who can latch on , it ' s a nonstop ride .
the film is distinctive for being hollywood ' s first vietnam comedy and among the first movies to treat the vietnamese themselves as real people .
the following table lists the songs that are featured in the film , in alphabetical order ; most of these are heard as radio broadcasts .
shot in gorgeous technicolor , good morning differs from ozu’s more solemn works that have a restrained editorial pace and meditational camera work . this one is lively , is accompanied by a “funny” musical score , and features many scenes outdoors . the cast is fine , especially the two boys ( played by shitara koji and masahiko shimazu ) .
as its spliced with real news reel from the period , good morning , night , though partly fictionalised , almost has the air of a documentary , neatly complemented by the rudimentary human drama unfolding in the kidnapper ' s lair . although bellocchio shows restraint when it comes to the drama , sometime he ' s too cautious , allowing the material to drag . still , it ' s the performances where the film stands up and the delicate - looking sansa is particularly impressive .
taking to twitter , he cheekily posted to his 671 , 000 followers : “am with betty bassett this morning on @ gmb thanks @ pinkpinkgirl80 love it @ susannareid100 . ”
good morning , killer is a tv movie starring catherine bell , titus welliver , and suleka mathew . follows fbi special agent ana gray as she hunts for a kidnapper . as ana develops a rapport with the kidnapper ' s latest victim , the suspect suddenly changes his pattern . now ana must race to find him before he strikes again .
make no mistake about it : mr . williams ' s performance , though it ' s full of uproarious comedy , is the work of an accomplished actor . ' ' good morning , vietnam ' ' is one man ' s tour de force . making ( air ) waves - good morning , vietnam , directed by barry levinson ; written by mitch markowitz ; director of photography , peter sova ; edited by stu linder ; music by alex north ; production designer , roy walker ; produced by mark johnson and larry brezner ; released by touchstone pictures in association with silver screen partners iii . at loews 84th street six , at broadway ; cinema 2 , third avenue at 60th street .
good morning , it’s sunday , may 15 , the 136th day of 2016 . there are 230 days left in the year . we’ll start the day with temperatures around 60 under a mostly cloudy sky with a chance of mainly afternoon showers and thunderstorms . the temperature should rise into the upper 70s this afternoon before falling into the mid - 60s overnight .
this summer , the sun online exclusively reported downton star joanne froggatt ' s promise of a
wonderful
film script for the hit tv series .
good morning is my second ozu film after tokyo story , and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience . ozu ' s style of showing the neighborhood as this tightly constricted space with minimal privacy is used cleverly to show the boring complexities of adult life . the boys criticize adults for living only on small talk , and never being true with each other . the gossiping housewives , and the man who can ' t move beyond discussing the weather with the woman he is interested in show their failure to communicate .
colinr0380 - - in an excellent response - - said : > > > i actually think good morning is a great place to start an ozu journey . a lot of ozu ' s films are about the tiny ( to everyone else ) transitional moments that define life . one of the reasons i think tokyo story became * the * ozu film in the west is perhaps because it tackles more of the ' big issues ' of death and seems to be making much more of a statement on society as a whole shown through the indifference of the children ( i think somewhere ozu said it was his most melodramatic film ) . and of course , in tokyo story , the
children
are adult children - - which makes the message even more powerful - - they act almost exactly like the kids in good morning - - pouty and selfish ( esp . the sugimura character ! ) matt - - terrific job , esp . w / the captures - - you bring the film to life for your readers . it ' s a long wait until tokyo story . but there are plenty of great films coming up ! i can ' t wait ! lewis saul
downton abbey star jim carter has revealed that the cast have been asked to keep their diaries clear for a film version of of the itv period drama .
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…
former eastenders actor ross kemp joined us this morning to talk about his support for the charity help for heroes and a recent catch up with his ' tv mum ' dame barbara windsor .
other weddings during the nuptial marathon for
good morning america
took place in times square studio ; new york city’s city hall ; gretna green , scotland ; san francisco’s city hall ; las vegas’ little white chapel ( a neighbor of ours ) ; soeul , south korea ; los angeles ; detroit , michigan ; and at the fabulous disney world in orlando , florida .
for contemporary western audiences , an element of yasujirō ozu’s good morning may prove baffling : the fashion with which the women in the film tend to let themselves into one another’s houses without controversy or fanfare , weathering no accusations of trespassing or rudeness . one may initially assume that the various suburban japanese families of the narrative live together in a single and barely subdivided home—despite the interlocking pillow shots that affirm the separation of each domicile—because ozu’s prismatic images often deliberately suggest such a metaphorical association . when two housewives speak to one another from their respective doors , the shot is flattened so that one can barely discern the street that separates them , and so , from our vantage point , the women could be conversing from the opposing sides of a singular hallway . such illusions abound in good morning , as we’re given both a precise and fantastical grasp of the suburb’s geometry , rendering it all the more singular and mysterious .
wrestling royalty , triple h , joined us on this morning ' s show to give us the inside track on his participation in the historic united kingdom championship tournament at the royal albert hall .
offering only hackneyed insights into the war , the film makes for stodgy drama . but williams ' manic monologues behind the mike are worth anybody ' s money .
as ozu produced both equinox flower and good morning in agfacolor so closely together , they would both have a similar look and feel , although the elements from both films would be subject to individual storage and fading issues , which would affect colour somewhat . our hd master for good morning was transferred from the best available source material - in this case the original 35mm interpositive - and as such reflects the colour present in that element . we have not made any attempt to push this or any of our ozu titles in an overly green direction , just work to a palette we feel is the best appropriation of ozu ' s original colour scheme , which has often been brightened up , over - saturated or pushed to western standards for colour films on past dvd releases .
but while he’s assaulting the microphone , levinson is doing something fairly subtle in the movie around him . he has populated “good morning , vietnam” with a lot of character actors who are fairly complicated types , recognizably human , and with the aid of the script they set a trap for williams . his character is edged into a corner where he must have human emotions , or die .
in good morning , ozu’s attention is focused on the comedic and adorable exploits of a quartet of schoolboys , two brothers in particular . the driving force of the plot , admittedly slight , is that the kids are all caught up at an early age in a race for status based on whose household has achieved the highest level of material prosperity , as determined by who can or cannot afford to install a tv set in their modest suburban tokyo homes . oh , and there’s that other competition – who can fart on demand , when one of their peers pokes them in their third eye . flatulence is the running gag that good morning is indisputably most famous for , and the unique method in which ozu exploits that humor is quite capably analyzed on this disc in a nice short clip featuring critic david cairns , who demonstrates that while this film offers ozu’s most extended deployment of scatological gags , it’s far from being unique in his oeuvre .
it ' s gonna be hot and wet ! that ' s nice if you ' re with a lady , but it ain ' t no good if you ' re in the jungle .
it ' s ozu ' s simplest and most schematic film , a lighthearted comedy that is built around the motif of changing values from the old to the new .
the animated film , set for release in july , will see ace mischievously inspire thomas to leave sodor and travel the world without the fat controller ' s permission .
it’s a pretense of rebellion , of course , as the boys want their tv , though they inadvertently unearth a truth . minoru tells keitaro that adult conversation is little more than meaningless busy talk—“good morning , ” “how are you ? , ” and “how’s the weather ? ”—and so why should his pouting be taken any less seriously than this figurative flatulence ? this question tears a whole in the faux contentment of postwar japanese society . minoru’s comparison is unreasonable , designed to hurt his parents , yet hauntingly re - contextualizes our attitudes toward the behavior of the adult characters . much of good morning is composed of the very talk that minoru deplores , yet ozu is more curious than the boy , understanding small talk as the “lubricant” of our discourse , to borrow the word of a lonely character .
viewers seemed more impressed by morgan ' s acting than beckham ' s , with one tweeting : “ @ piersmorgan ' s impression of david beckham in king arthur made my morning ! # bowfands . ”
his most recent movies ,
my mother ' s smile
and
good morning , night ,
struggle to make sense of the painful and ambiguous legacy of those years . the hero of
my mother ' s smile
was a left - wing , secular intellectual whose youthful faith in human progress withered into cynicism and solipsism after the future he had once believed in failed to materialize .
the film is all williams ; he has a field day with this character and this country and this period in history , with all its horror - - and comedy .
the first thing you ' ll notice about ozu ' s style in good morning is also the simplest : he never , never , never moves the camera . no dolly shots . no zooms . no tracking around the room . he ' ll cut to a different angle , but every shot is static . you can ' t illustrate this with a still , obviously , but it ' s pretty striking .
rumours of a feature - length film have been circulating since the itv period drama concluded in december 2015 and it has finally been confirmed . so , what do we know ?
with the extras the criterion mark their edition as the definitive for ozu ' s film . i loved the analysis and give it our highest recommendation . it ' s a beautiful
. its very unfortunate that there doesn ' t seem to be a release of this film on dvd that is worthy of its stature . . . or of director ozu .
stand - up comedian and actor robin williams received much critical acclaim for his portrayal of adrian cronauer in the film , being nominated for and winning multiple awards for his acting .
morgan said : “i thought it was fantastic . he could be the third mitchell brother in eastenders . i thought it was a very , very good performance . honestly . oscars , wow , exciting . ”
) , is a curious , but amusing , slice - of - life portrait of a suburban neighborhood in contemporary ( circa 1959 ) japan . ozu , mostly known for the gendai - geki film genre , i . e . , modern dramas about family life and social conditions , also made a few comedies . he was a genius at depicting relationships between parents and children ( tokyo story , 1953 , is arguably his most admirable work ) , and good morning presents something of a parable about how a couple of young schoolboys influence an entire community of suspicious and gossipy housewives and lackadaisical “salary men” husbands .
this may not be one of ozu ' s most acclaimed works , yet its contemplative style and its qualities of humour , tenderness and absence of cynicism make for an absorbing film .
mystery online film
the influence
revolves around promises kept even though time has passed . to keep their values , characters are at a critical juncture to act upon their promises .
ozu becomes better the farther you get from internalizing intro film studies clichés . if you ' re 19 years old and sitting in a classroom preoccupied by pillow shots , by whether his work is
more japanese
than kurosawa ' s , it ' s hard to actually watch and enjoy the movies . you might miss , say , the pleasures of the agfacolor reds and greens dotting the middle - class households in good morning . or the visual joke of two brothers clad in the same sweater , prefiguring the lighthouse - and - sake - bottle shot that would open floating weeds later the same year . or the funny tragedy and sad comedy found through these intertwined parent and child vignettes . ( as i noted a couple years ago about ozu ' s previous film equinox flower , the storytelling may…
as in many ozu films , the dwellings are characters in themselves . ozu frames much of good morning from his famous near - floor - level perspective , showing how much more one can see when surveying something from a fresh angle . ozu’s astonishing deep - focus compositions render each home as a flat yet distinctive series of planes within planes ( and stages within stages ) , each with its function . we see a foreground , for instance , where an out - of - work translator completes freelance assignments while his sister does errands in the background , each engaged in the affirming concentration of their tasks , though the compression also emphasizes their closeness . good morning boasts a kind of x - ray hyper - tactility that’s intensified by ozu’s embrace of technicolor , which he uses for its bold emphasis , allowing objects to pop with a painterly intensity that highlights their extraordinary ordinariness .
the story , such as it is , concerns two brothers—probably about nine and six years of age—who decide to go on a speaking strike until their parents buy a new television set ( all the rage , apparently , in those days ) . the boys are also rebelling against the grown - ups’ use of meaningless greetings to fill up air space—“good morning , ” “how are you , ” “i’m fine , ” “nice day , ” etc .
a western audience will deem the comedy subtle ; cultural differences between east and west , especially when it comes to bathroom humor , decidedly determine how funny someone will think good morning really is . there are a lot of fart jokes in the film . in fact , ozu uses farting as a way that characters communicate , especially the children . the schoolboys assign status to how easily one can blow wind by pushing an imaginary button on a forehead . inability to produce a toot results in minor ostracization . it must be said that the children’s farts don’t sound like the real thing—they are high - pitched and somewhat musical in tone .
ohayo ( good morning , 1959 ) was the first ozu film criterion released on dvd , back in 2000 . the dvd format , launched in 1997 , really took off only after the matrix disc was released in september 1999 . so it’s not surprising to find the ohayo edition quite sparse . no extras , no booklet , just a brief appreciation by rick prelinger ( which can be read here ) . one note is charming : “to switch between the menus and the movie , use the menu key on your remote . use the arrow keys to cycle through menu selections . press enter / select to activate the selection . ”
perhaps more significant , though , is that criterion has chosen to include as a supplement ozu’s acclaimed silent film from 1932 , i was born , but… sound films came late to japan because of the benshi —narrators who performed during screenings of silent pictures , commenting on the film’s narrative . they had a powerful hold on the industry . criterion had previously released this title as part of an eclipse box set of early ozu titles , but here they’ve upgraded the movie as a blu - ray . also a comedy , born deals with similar social mores . in this case , the boys influence how their father deals with his boss , and also how they relate to their school mate , the boss’ son . for my money , despite being a silent picture , i was born , but… is better than good morning !
the itv period drama came to an end on christmas day in 2015 , but it was finally confirmed by the sun in may that a full length feature film edition would be made .
an experienced entertainment show host was asked to interview a kidnap at a coffee shop by the kidnapper . it ' s a threat on personal safety , but also a good chance to save the show from shutting down .
the fussbudget in me can’t resist correcting something that comes up in the promotional materials and in some reviews . ohayo wasn’t filmed in technicolor . ozu used what was called “agfa - shochikucolor . ” i believe that’s just agfa film with shochiku adding its brand name , the way “metrocolor” was mgm’s eastmancolor . why agfa ? ozu explains : “red turns out magnificently on agfa film . ”
this film relates several disparate storylines , each representing a different type of lifestyle within italian society at the time , through their common impersonal relationship to a social . . . see full summary »
with a 2008 composed score by donald sosin but it only has lossy audio . in it ozu examines japanese society through the yes of two rebellious young boys , a narrative device he would return to 27 - years later . there is a new 9 - minute interview with film scholar david bordwell who analyzes the evolution of director yasujiro ozu ' s style by comparing the 1932 silent film
he said : “i felt that i had to share this with the world” . in fact , the book - which often reads like a film script - was originally meant to be a movie .
most people list those two kids ( played by koji shitara and masahiko shimazu ) as the film ' s main characters . i suppose that ' s fair : a major plot throughline involves those two deciding not to speak until their parents buy them a television . but that doesn ' t happen until nearly halfway through the movie . people remember minoru and isamu more than the rest of the film , because after a certain point , ozu stays with them . it also doesn ' t hurt that masahiko shimazu appears to have been cast in the film after winning the most adorable kid in the world contest .
: [ movie posters ] ozu pays tribute to his cinematic influences by putting all kinds of film posters all over the wall in his films . in this movie , there are two posters , one of
the programme ' s stars have , by and large , been desperate to reprise their roles on the big screen , remaining hopeful of a film ever since the series came to an end in 2015 .
the time of ' ' good morning , vietnam ' ' is 1965 . adrian cronauer ( robin williams ) , an armed forces radio disk jockey previously stationed in crete , lands in saigon to breathe a little life into the local programming . until cronauer ' s arrival , the afr saigon station has depended largely on the music of mantovani and percy faith and helpful hints on how to withdraw books from the army ' s lending libraries , interrupted from time to time by sanitized newscasts .
the film starts with a long shot of the neighborhood , its rooftops and fence and washlines in the distance , all dominated by a tower . the film ends with a shot of wash on a line , paying off the gag of the boy who constantly shits his underwear . but the angle of the shot constitutes a reverse angle of the very first shot , since the towers are now in the distance .
this film is very much a docudrama which portrays the difficulties of italian life circa 1963 due to the absence of a divorce law . five scenarios with different actors portray realistic . . . see full summary »
the film was mostly shot in bangkok , thailand , and at the time , several hundred male students from the international ( american ) school of bangkok ( isb ) were recruited as extras to perform in the multitude of shots showing american gi ' s throughout the film . as a courtesy , robin williams actually came to isb and put on a stand up routine for all students in the 10th grade and above .
this is available only in the ozu boxset . on the dvd cover is printed an apology -
due to the original negative film condition , you may find some passages uncomfortable , we are sorry .
it isn ' t entirely clear to me why some styles of filmmaking should suit particular genres . obviously , some techniques can reliably produce particular results : cutting suddenly to a shot of the killer right behind the victim will always make an audience jump , point - of - view shots that don ' t appear to belong to any particular character give a sense of unease , and so on . shock cuts are not a learned association , they tap into the startle reaction . but the link between point - of - view shots and unease could be learned , because most times you see that technique , a shock cut is just around the corner . i ' ve never seen another film with as completely static a camera as good morning , but the closest things i ' ve seen have all been dramas . i wonder if there ' s something about ozu ' s style that is intrinsically better suited to drama than comedy , or if i could have associated ozu - like camerawork with comedy if , say , ghostbusters or airplane ! had been shot that way . but they weren ' t , and good morning didn ' t do much for me . i probably should have watched tokyo story first .


monstrosity is a 1963 film directed by joseph v. mascelli .

it is perhaps better known under its alternate tv release title , the atomic brain .

monstrosity ( film )

monstrosity ( 1963 ) directed by joseph v . mascelli • reviews , film + cast • letterboxd
in the monthly season of december 2017 ,
monstrosity
was awarded best web and new media film in calcutta international cult film festival , in india .
unnatural reproductions and monstrosity and over 2 million other books are available for amazon kindle . learn more
monstrosity is a danish horror film by kasper juhl and rose milling . a danish tribute to fred vogel ' s
august underground
.
hellbound productions presents
monstrosity
. a film by kasper juhl & rose milling . a sick and disturbing tale from the depths of denmark ! on dvd april 2014 urltoken
director of photography samrod shenassa works with writer - director alyssa price on the set of “the monstrosity . ” / / contributed
monstrosity ( 1964 ) aka the atomic brain . stars : marjorie eaton , frank gerstle . director - joseph mascelli . moria - the science - fiction , horror and fantasy film review .
monstrosity skirts that extremely fine line between being unwatchable garbage or a mildly amusing farce . those expecting classic andy milligan will be disappointed / delighted with the film’s gutter punk silliness rather than the usual milligan melodramatic misanthropy . monstrosity’s take on the golem legend begins like most classical farces with a light - hearted rape by some geriatric ( not joking ) punks setting off a chain of death , destruction , and jon balogh taking his shirt off . monstrosity also has a guardian angel , more geriatric ( of the non - raping variety ) punks , and an adorable carrie anita as the bride of the monstrosity .
one of the best books written about a horror film and one of the best contributions to film reception studies .
. however jamie lee curtis didn ' t make a horror film until 1978 , only 11 years before this film was made .
monstrosity is a short starring jamey anthony , sebastian michael barr , and kim bateman . earth and a planet inhabited by monsters collide , when a scientist ' s experiment goes wrong .
a bus ride on the first day of school proves to be more challenging than expected for milly ( leanna zamora ) , left in the movie “the monstrosity” that stars local children and was written and directed by former valley resident alyssa price . the film will have its world premiere at the santa barbara international film festival this week . other local actresses in the film include monica berch , center , and alexis healey . / / contributed
15 . steven schneider ,
monsters as ( uncanny ) metaphors : freud , lakoff , and the representation of monstrosity in cinematic horror .
in horror film reader , ed alain silver and james ursini ( new york : limelight editions , 2000 ) , 167 - 91 .
hutchings , peter ( 2004 ) the horror film . essex : pearson education limited
( 1959 )  and was supplanted by the atomic monster and alien invader film .
deftly weaving together similar strands of queer theory , childhood studies , and horror film scholarship , andrew scahill argues for the queer pleasures and revolutionary potentials inherent in the figure of the monstrous child . his work makes a significant contribution to the growing scholarship on childhood and monstrosity , offering fresh perspectives on iconic bad kids from rhoda (
address monster studies and intersectionality . of particular interest to the editors are popular depictions of monstrosity and disability , non - binary gender and sexuality , feminism , and non - traditional / deconstructed families within a broad identity politics frame . .
the film was directed by rocky morton and annabel jankel , who created “max headroom . ” this is their first feature , showing an almost sensuous love for the shadows and secrets of film noir .
the book not only offers a feminist interrogation of gynaehorror , but also a counter - reading of the gynaehorrific , that both accounts for and opens up new spaces of productive , radical and subversive monstrosity within a mode of representation and expression that has often been accused of being misogynistic . it therefore makes a unique contribution to the study of women in horror film specifically , while also providing new insights in the broader area of popular culture , gender and film philosophy .
scheunemann , dietrich ( 2006 ) ‘activating the differences : expressionist film and early weimar cinema’ . in expressionist film : new perspectives . edited by dietrich scheunemann , pp . 1 - 31 . new york : camden house
“it was alarming working with toby , and when you’re playing a deeply disturbing serial killer that’s not someone you want to hang with , ” moffat said . “he’d come storming off the set , scrunch himself up in a corner , and keep hold of the monstrosity . ”
of course , the case for establishing a connection between the depiction of a monster and creating / seeing a film as a horror film no longer needs to be made . steven jay schneider ' s classification of monster metaphors as primary cues in horror films demonstrates how different kinds of monsters function as signifiers of horrality in cinema . [ 15 ] but is a film that contains a monster always a horror film ? certainly not . it becomes a horror film only when , and because , the monster ' s role in the narrative renders a specific and reasonable meaning to all ( or most ) of the film ' s other signs and metaphors .
tries to combine the atomic monster and mad scientist film , a genre amalgamation that one is surprised was never more popular than it was  about the only other film that ever did so was edward d . wood jrs
a visual feast of science fiction that left audiences cold , dune is the epic and unbeloved adaptation of frank herbert ' s much loved 1965 novel . now , 20 years on , and after some memorably poor dvd releases , we have a plush special edition two - disc release that not only presents the film beautifully but also takes a frank look back at this intriguing monstrosity of cinema .
“the monstrosity” will be screened as part of the “local filmmakers” series at 7 p . m . thursday , feb . 3 , at the lobero theatre and at 10 : 30 p . m . saturday , feb . 5 , at the metro theater , both in santa barbara .
robert weine’s 1920 film the cabinet of doctor caligari is unanimously agreed to be both a prime example of german expressionist cinema , and also a seminal horror film . however , the film is also something of an enigma , combining as it does , a mixture of gothic , psychologically motivated narrative , and expressionist set design . the film’s influence on the horror genre can certainly be attributed to this gothic narrative , but the influence of it’s expressionist aesthetic has to be considered far more sceptically than it has been by past theorists . the question of why the expressionist aesthetic influenced film noir so strongly , and not horror , has to be asked when considering the film’s legacy as horror .
starting from the premise that monsters / monstrosity allow for the ( dis ) placement of anxieties that contemporary social mores do not otherwise sanction in the public space , editors artenie and szanter seek original essays for an edited collection on manifestations of monsters and monstrosity in all facets of popular culture and entertainment with an emphasis on film and television . within the last years , there has been an explosion of movies and television shows that incorporate monstrous characters such as the vampire , zombie , werewolf , revenant , witches , and ghosts . while monsters continue to remain strong in the human conscious , the recent proliferation of monstrous characters includes new and innovative interpretations that not only attract mainstream audiences but transform traditional folklore and mythologies . this collection aims to analyze the new forms taken by monsters in film and television for their cultural impact on modern entertainment and popular culture .
the film : still terrence malick ' s best film ,
days of heaven
is an infinite tragedy , a film that ' s at once both unspeakably beautiful and bluntly matter - of - fact . a hardscrabble romance , a
timeless american idyll ,
a portrait of the american soul frozen in amber . . . it ' s all of these things and more in 94 minutes of indelible imagery , narrated by what might be the most perfect voiceover in film history .
why the criterion is essential : jonathan rosenbaum ' s commentary track is among criterion ' s finest , and a documentary on the film ' s tragic hero ( the film itself hardly qualifies as such ) is a revelatory thing to watch . as if that weren ' t enough , criterion kindly includes
the traveler ,
abbas kiarostami ' s first feature film .
naremore , james ( 1998 ) more than night : film noir in its contexts . london : university of california press .
on its long road to a theater near you , “tangled” had a few different titles . as far as i know , none of them were “rapunzel : based on the novel ‘push’ by sapphire , ” but the film’s portrait of maternal monstrosity may remind you of “precious , ” albeit without the incest , the poverty or the violence . ( a weaponized frying pan does come into play , but not as an instrument of domestic abuse . )
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
ernest mathijs is lecturer in film studies at the university of wales , aberystwyth . his current interests include the reception of horror film , cult film and reality television , and cinema of the low countries . essays appeared in literature / film quarterly , tv and new media , cult movies ( ed mark jancovich , et al ) , foundations of science , and cinema journal ( forthcoming ) . he is currently editing books on the cinema of the low countries , big brother international , and alternative european cinema .
you know , those horror films made on a micro budget that the film maker sells themselves . i ' ll try and stick…
the revised edition of tracking king kong updates a groundbreaking study of king kong as the iconic character enters the twenty - first century . scholars of film and television studies as well as general readers interested in film and popular culture will appreciate this significant volume .
erb’s book , revised from her earlier 1998 version , comprehensively details global and national interpretations and analyses of king kong , and includes a section on peter jackson’s king kong . it is indispensable for film studies scholars who want to situate the film within competing discourses .
this week ' s release from the criterion collection is
the tree of wooden clogs ,
an italian film from ermanno olmi (
il posto
) . set in the 19th century the film follows four peasant families who all work the farms for the same landlord . the film has been praised for its dedication to realism as the majority of the actors are actual farmers , rather than professional actors . the film takes a long look at the decaying italian social structure and the cruel relationship between landlord and the families in their emply .
“when i started pre - production on ‘the monstrosity , ’ i decided to go back to my hometown to hold auditions and give local kids a chance to participate . the turnout was very encouraging — with only two days’ notice , over 40 local kids showed up and i was able to cast more than 20 of them , ” she said .
why the criterion is essential : the dvd is sufficient , i suppose , but the way criterion ' s blu - ray renders and preserves the film ' s murky blue lighting ensures that the suffocating mood of melville ' s greatest film won ' t be diminishing anytime soon .
this book offers an in - depth analysis of women in horror films through an exploration of ‘gynaehorror’ : films concerned with all aspects of female reproductive horror , from reproductive and sexual organs , to virginity , pregnancy , birth , motherhood and finally to menopause . some of the themes explored include : the intersection of horror , monstrosity and sexual difference ; the relationships between normative female ( hetero ) sexuality and the twin figures of the chaste virgin and the voracious vagina dentata ; embodiment and subjectivity in horror films about pregnancy and abortion ; reproductive technologies , monstrosity and ‘mad science’ ; the discursive construction and interrogation of monstrous motherhood ; and the relationships between menopause , menstruation , hagsploitation and ‘abject barren’ bodies in horror .
the film philosophy which underpins the exploration of these films is primarily continental philosophy , rather than the more dominant field of cognitive film philosophy , utilizing increasingly attractive philosophers for film theory such as deleuze , guattari , ranciere , foucault , irigaray and kristeva . the series ultimately seeks to establish a refined and sophisticated methodology for re - invigorating issues of alterity both in the films chosen and the means by which continental philosophers of difference can paradigmatically alter ways of address and representation that lifts this kind of theory beyond analysis and criticism to help rethink the terrain of film theory itself .
bordwell , david and thompson , kristin ( 2001 ) film art : an introduction ( 6 th ed ) new york : mcgraw - hill .
in tracking king kong cynthia erb charts the cultural significance of the character of king kong , from the early 1930s , when merian c . cooper and ernest b . schoedsack’s classic film king kong was first released , to peter jackson’s 2005 remake . although king kong has received much academic attention over the past twenty - five years , the bulk of these analyses deal with the film’s human characters rather than kong himself . in this revised edition of an influential study , erb argues that king kong is a particular kind of cultural outsider who represents a cross - penetration of american notions of exoticism and monstrosity . tracking king kong considers problems such as race and gender in the king kong tradition , as well as historical , international , and contemporary audience and fan responses to this classic film and its popular protagonist .
this early 1960s black and white
horror
film is a prime example of the misunderstood evil genius - reanimated zombie genre typical of the era .
an excellent essay , well done ! the theme of otherness i too believe , is omnipresent in caligari even though it takes different forms . on the one hand being the sinister mesmerist / murderer and on the other a benevolent psychiatrist , caligari is certainly an ambiguous figure , even when it comes to his monstrosity . perhaps this also fits with the theme of the doppelganger you mentioned above .
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…
why the criterion edition is essential : though it arrived just before the time when criterion started releasing everything on bluray , this standard definition transfer is nevertheless the best the film has ever looked , and it shed some much - needed light on what is maybe the best film of godard’s 60s period . – cm
i see a new world . the family dysfunction , the toilet bowl film prints , the period piece melodrama ; the ghastly ones kick starts it all .
we are the flesh ,
a rare non - catalog release from arrow films , is a mexican horror film from director / writer emiliano rocha minter . set in a post - apocalyptic world ,
we are the flesh
follows a brother and sister as they try to survive in the barren world . it ' s a particularly difficult film to wade through as the horrors of the wasteland prove to be incredibly brutal and salacious . minter ' s story is vicious and primed to offend . it ' s well made , but be prepared for a film that shares many characteristics with the notorious
a serbian film .
“‘the monstrosity’ follows in the tradition of ‘the wonder years , ’ but from a female perspective , ” price said . “it’s about a brand new sixth - grader named milly who is entering george adams middle school . . . . when dylan , the cutest boy on the bus , makes fun of a huge zit on her forehead , she realizes that fitting in is going to be harder than she expected .
the film : the cinema of robert bresson is dedicated to destroying those false constructs as people encounter them at a corporeal level , his films mining the mundane to unearth the divine .
au hasard balthazar
, as bresson ' s most mundane film ( it ' s protagonist is a donkey ) , is the bresson film most completely devoted to this idea , every element of its construction designed to confound and contradict the ideologies which orient our existence around the transactional rather than the transcendental .
film philosophy at the margins picks up on the burgeoning field of ‘film philosophy’ - the shift from film analysis and explication to bringing together film with philosophy - and coalesces it with films , genres and spectator theory which have received little critical attention . these films could be defined as marginal due to containing marginalizing representations of violence and marginal invocations of sexuality and queer performativity , showing the margins of bodily modification from disability to performance art , being marginal in their abstraction of representative codes or in reference to their address to the politics of social control , spectatorship and cinematic pleasure as marginal due to its unique status and quality , and many other interpretations of extreme .
the film : from the top drawer of the “more relevant than ever” file we have gillo pontecorvo’s
the battle of algiers
, a ground - level portrait of colonial resistance unlike anything else ever committed to film . shot in gritty black & white on the streets of the casbah , pontecorvo’s film uses the transformation of a politically radicalized criminal ( brahim hagiag as ali la pointe ) as his primary means of chronicling the algerian struggle for independence against occupying french forces that scarred the area throughout the 1950s .
one of the best books written about a horror film and one of the best contributions to film reception studies . i don ' t know of a book that brings these two areas together more richly than tracking king kong . erb combines dazzling historical research with a clear and engaging prose style to make her book refreshing for the academic reader and a pleasure for every sort of reader . the most ardent lover of the original king kong will learn new things about the film ' s enduring impact and its myriad cultural manifestations .
10 . thomas elsaesser ,
look deep inside yourself : the silence of the lambs .
paper presented at the 1st european psychoanalytic film festival , london ( 2001 ) .
( 1994 ) , an early film by director peter jackson , chronicles the true story of pauline parker and juliet hulme , two adolescent girls in 1954 new zealand . in the film , the girls develop a deep romantic friendship based in shared fantasy , but their forced separation leads the pair to descend into madness and commit matricide . the book turns to feminist / queer theory , postcolonial theory , auteur analysis , apparatus theory , new media studies , and reception studies to unpack the film’s complex portrait of adolescent turmoil and tragedy .
one of the best books written about a horror film and one of the best contributions to film reception studies . i don ' t know of a book that brings these two areas together more richly than tracking king kong . erb combines dazzling historical research with a clear and engaging prose style to make her book refreshing for the academic reader and a pleasure for every sort of reader . the most ardent lover of the original king kong will learn new things about the film ' s enduring impact and its myriad cultural manifestations .
according to kracauer , this change effectively converts almost the film into the hallucination of a mad man , not a revolutionary story of rebellion against authority . as kracauer puts it ,
in the remainder of this essay , i will look briefly at a couple of significant examples of metaphors and aspects of hannibal that are discussed by reviewers in relation to either their identification of the film as horror , or to the difficulty they have in coming to terms with attributing a label to the film that doesn ' t quite fit . first , there is the general remark many critics make about hannibal ' s structural unevenness , with regular reference to the fact that the film consists of several parts , some successful , others not .
, is an amusingly lurid b budget film from the 1960s . the production came from producer / writer jack pollexfen who had made various other b genre films in the previous decade
a movie that stars santa ynez valley children , written and directed by former valley resident alyssa price , will have its world premiere at the santa barbara international film festival this week .
tatty , rather sad , no budget , stitched together mess from andy milligan has a backyard monster taking revenge on useless rapist / bullies . a lot of it takes place in a shed and the film just . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ends . bizarre ' anti - film ' home movie best left for milligan completists .
the film : in 1952 , kurosawa had death on the brain . so he made a movie called
to live ,
or
ikiru
, and takashi shimura was finally given the chance to carry a film on his own , a film that would feed off of his unformed slab of a face and its echoing cavities . ikiru is the unassuming , faustian tale of an unthinking and unloved bureaucrat named watanabe , who we are uniquely privileged to learn in the film ' s first frame is dying from terminal stomach cancer . watanabe is a cog in a meaningless machine , and after learning of his impending demise he ' s confronted with his own pitiable insignificance - he doesn ' t even have the moxie required to feel bad for himself . and then . . . well , and then in a way more wistful , delicate , and profound than any film before or since , kurosawa and shimura unpack and distills the human condition . recreationally . depending on when you ask me ,
ikiru
might be my favorite film , but shimura ' s work as watanabe is always my favorite performance . ( original )
why the criterion is essential : criterion spared no expense on this ( sadly still relevant ) release , putting a must - own version of this must - watch film into stores across the united states . the disc is loaded with passionate and informed talking heads , but is truly worth owning for the collection of milk ' s audio recordings that were ultimately excised from the film .
on the minus side , such a wonderfully lurid and amusing stew of b movie elements fails to come to a boil as a film . joseph mascellis direction is drearily dull and the photography downright primitive . the drama is accompanied by a portentous and dull musical score . judy bamber who plays bea affects what is possibly the worst attempt to create a british accent ever recorded on film .
* all of the reviews / articles on hannibal mentioned herein are located in the belgian royal film archive library . in total , 87 reviews from seven countries have been consulted for this essay .
the influence of the cabinet of doctor caligari on the horror genre is not its expressionist aesthetic . the film’s world is certainly a terrifying place , an external physicalisation of a nightmare , it is horrific , and the film deserves its place as part of the birth of the horror genre , but its influence on the genre must not be confused with what the film is famous for – its expressionism . the true influence of the film is what it shares in common with many other weimar films which are not expressionist , though they have been mistakenly referred to as such . these films share a common gothic , romantic narrative structure , and themes like the monster , the male anxiety , the ‘other’ . it is these themes which have lived on to shape horror today .
the film : made at the pinnacle of godard’s early period and arriving just before his sudden break from traditional narrative filmmaking , “2 or 3 things about her” represents one of godard’s most intriguing fusions of essayistic experimentation and standard dramatic practice , resulting in a film that’s both deeply heady and emotionally compelling—a fertile middleground he’d not return to until the early 1980s , a period criterion has unfortunately neglected .
the german film industry re - fashioned modernism’s formal and stylistic innovation for its own purposes , and expressionism provided the most material for experimentation with perception , subjectivity and objectivity ( budd , 1990 : 25 ) . the cabinet of doctor caligari was inarguably the most successful example of this selective use of expressionism in film , retaining a conventional narrative structure whilst wowing the audience with its breathtaking expressionist scenography .
, the production company went bankrupt about halfway through shooting , leaving no money to finish the film . they tried fixing it in the editing room over the next few years , but it was impossible .
falls into the sub - genre of mad scientist films that was all the rage about two decades earlier . the mad scientist film had fairly much died away during the 1950s  apart from odd throwbacks like
despite jack carter being so abusive about the place , geordies took the film to their hearts . with it ' s re - release in 1997 it also attracted a huge uk fan base with constant tours of the locations , with excerpts from the film being re - enacted . consequently , when the demolition of the car park was mooted , a groundswell of opposition managed to delay its destruction for decades .
the film ( excerpted from
why ' breathless ' will always be relevant
) : one of the defining features of “breathless” is the degree to which its characters self - identity through the lens of the cinema , seeing in its images idealized reflections of themselves and modeling their attitudes and mannerisms to better cohere with that vision . perhaps unsurprisingly , that’s one of the film’s most enduring characteristics : as we find ourselves increasingly subsumed in pop culture , our personalities cultivated to best reflect our tastes and interests , the quintessential film about living out a life inspired by the movies is bound to resonate . – cm
how wonderful to have cynthia erb ' s tracking king kong updated . added to the first edition ' s remarkable insights and methodological syntheses is a definitive reading of peter jackson ' s remake . demonstrating that film ' s intricacy and arguing that it is a quintessential example of melancholic cinema , erb expertly tracks the cultural fate of kong into the present and beyond . an extraordinary contribution to film studies .
a work of insight , scholarship , and substance , ' tracking king kong ' is informed , informative , and a highly recommended , core addition to academic library film studies history and reference collections .
the question with which this essay began has now been answered . hannibal is indeed a horror film . this is not just because extra - textual factors , coming from the film ' s surroundings , have led people to label it as horror , but , just as importantly , because we have been able to link these extra - textual elements to textual features—to what belongs to the film text itself . the dominance of the developing horror discourse around the sotl - character hannibal did and still does play a crucial role in determining what the film
is .
on a broader level , i hope i have shown how elements of reception and , more generally , ancillary discourses , are not limited to extra - textual discussions . they can have , and in fact do have , an impact on how we think about films , what we think particular films
are
and , in some cases ( as with hannibal ) , they influence debates concerning what a film will become , even before such determinations have been made .
one of the big surprises of the year was denis villeneuve ' s
arrival ,
an intellectual sci - fi film starring amy adams as a linguistics professor asked to communicate with the alien creatures who have landed in various locations around the world . are they peaceful ? or do they come as conquerors ? let this film heal the carnage that
independence day : resurgence
caused to our collective souls .
erb begins her examination of king kong in the 1930s , when the original film was produced and released , extending through the 1970s , when the film and its hero reached the height of their cultural visibility in a remake by dino de laurentiis , and concluding with a look at peter jackson’s version in 2005 . the book includes a detailed production history of the original 1933 film based on primary historical and archival sources ; a genre study examining kong’s relations to horror , jungle adventure , and travel documentary genres ; an analysis of kong’s influence on the japanese film godzilla ; and a look at sequels , remakes , and spinoffs related to king kong , such as mighty joe young . erb also analyzes jackson’s remake of king kong , to determine how and why jackson revised the main character , casting him as a melancholy hero .
kracauer , seigfried ( 1947 ) from caligari to hitler : a psychological history of the german film . new jersey : princeton university press . ( 2004 version , revised and expanded , edited by leonardo quaresima )
in revisiting graverobbers , it seemed only appropriate to watch the movie that inadvertently introduced me to it . somehow i still remember the day that i bought this video kart dvd release , it was in a now defunct media play in rochester , new york , when dvds slowly started pushing out all of the vhs merchandise . sure , i became obsessed with the b - side of the [ andy milligan ] monstrosity release , but it was this somewhat misleading coverart that convinced my drug - addled brain it was a must - have .
why the criterion is essential : universal’s 20th anniversary bluray edition completely botches the color scheme central to the movie’s aesthetic , making criterion’s ( sadly out of print ) dvd the definitive version of this film . – cm
jackie stacey in her essay ‘she is not herself’ , explores the theme of teratology – the scientific study of monsters and marvels – and also the motif of the double , in the horror and sci - fi genres , especially the theme of abjection , and what she calls “the monstrosity of sameness” ( stacey , 2003 : 3 - 7 ) . this motif of the artificially created and programmed double or the doppelganger has been integral to the horror genre from its very inception , stemming from its gothic roots , and the motif of the doppelganger .
it is the idea of ‘otherness’ which is the key to defining the horrific element of the monster . robin wood explores the theme of ‘otherness’ in horror . wood posits that the ‘other’ is a project of a repressive society in which powerful groups impose or project identities upon subordinate groups ( wood , 1986 : 73 ) . however hutchings warns that over emphasis on this interpretation results in the assumption that “a horror film deals with notions of the other because that is what horror films do , and if a film is not doing this in some way , then it is probably not a horror film at all” ( hutchings , 2004 : 102 ) .
the film :
tokyo story
is routinely acknowledged as one of the greatest films ever made ( the directors surveyed in sight & sound ’s most recent poll concluded that it is the greatest film ever made ) , but what often gets lost in the deserved swirl of accolades is something that’s at the heart of yasujiro ozu’s masterpiece . it’s accurate to label the film as “wise” or “wistful , ” but perhaps the reason that people immediately reach for such flowery terms of appreciation is because it’s easier to reflect on the tragic truths of ozu’s film than it is to confront them . in other words ,
tokyo story
is “sad” when you’re able to keep it at a distance , when you’re able to watch it as a movie about the things that happen to other people . but the film is unshakably chilling when you accept that it’s a movie about you , and everyone you know - - a movie about the things that you can see hiding under the bed , but are powerless to prevent . it’s a movie about . . . your parents coming to visit .
the film : forget best criterion release—powell and pressburger’s 1943 technicolor epic is perhaps the greatest movie ever made , period . foregoing the major points of interest of the traditional life - story template in favor of the minor details and the color of the in - between , “colonel blimp” is overflowing with the passions and tragedies of lived experience , coming as close as any film has before or since to encapsulating what it’s like to be alive .
8 . janet staiger ,
taboos and totems : cultural meanings of the silence of the lambs .
in perverse spectators : the practices of film reception ( new york : new york university press , 2000 ) .
the movie is filled with gestures that meaningful . like the bfg , it cares about the little things , and it moves with a grace that belies its size . it ' s a film about about dreaming and storytelling , parenting and childhood , nostalgia and pragmatism , and the necessity of standing up for yourself even when you know you can ' t win . but most of all , it ' s a film about two unlikely friends .
other local children selected for the film were alexis healy as joanna , caden scott fallon as sam , elton roberts as milly’s younger brother , preston gorr as milly’s youngest brother , and beau allen of santa barbara as dylan .
price is a writer , director and producer who won los angeles magazine’s “get l . a . ” film competition last year with her entry titled “pearl , ” the story of an actress’ day told from her car’s perspective .
the film : without
the spirit of the beehive
there probably wouldn ' t be a guillermo del toro ( i ' ll leave judgements as to the severity of that hypothetical tragedy up to you ) . a haunting yet ineffably beautiful fairy tale about two young girls who are attempting to make sense of the world in post - franco spain , victor erice ' s greatest film begins with a print of
frankenstein
being wheeled into a rural village , and resolves with a sense of wistful wonder that resonates with even today ' s most film - saturated viewers . the castilian landscapes are so scarred and barren , but by the end they feel like home .
the film : one of the truffaut’s most enduringly popular films in many ways encapsulates the charming side of the french new wave , its romanticized atmosphere and free - spirit sensibility both hallmarks of a movement split cleanly in two .
1 . martin barker ,
news , reviews , clues , interviews and other ancillary materials : a critique and research proposal .
scope : an online journal of film studies ( forthcoming 2002 ) : 3 - 6 .
however , in their rather overconfident assertion , referring to the asylum ‘framing device’ of the film , that “ [ i ] n caligari , the expressionist stylisation functions to convey the distorted viewpoint of a madman . we see the world as the hero does” ( bordwell and thompson , 2001 : 407 - 8 ) is woefully simplistic , and is an example of the mis - readings and debates around the framing device and the perspective of the film .
why the criterion is essential : worth it alone for the feature - length documentary about the making of this game - changing film ( but stick around for godard ' s 1959 short ,
charlotte et son jules
) .
provides the reader with information on the production of king kong and reception of the 1933 film , including animation of willis o’brien . includes reviews , discussions of the writing , interpretations , animation , and an interview with fay wray .
“it perverted , if not reversed , their intrinsic intentions . while the original story exposed the madness inherent in authority , wiene’s caligari glorified authority and convicted its antagonist of madness . a revolutionary film was thus turned into a conformist one…”
why the criterion is essential : david downton ' s cover art is among criterion ' s best , and makes this a shelf standout , but my favorite thing here is an 18 - minute video essay starring “sexual - politics activist” susie bright , who focuses this no - holds barred look at the film through a very particular lens . bright is fiercely intelligent , and should effectively unmoor any readings of the film that have become a bit too settled and secure .
elsaesser , thomas ( 2006 ) ‘weimar cinema , mobile selves , and anxious males : kracauer and eisner revisited’ . in expressionist film : new perspectives . edited by dietrich scheunemann , pp . 33 - 71 . new york : camden house
the film : on a purely aesthetic level , wong kar - wai’s “in the mood for love” is practically peerless : its sumptuous , expressionist cinematography—by none other than chris doyle , of course—is enough to make you want to simply sit back and bask in the style . add to that the fact of its emotional maturity , intelligent conception of time and memory , and utterly heartbreaking ending , and you start to wonder whether this isn’t the best film of the past twenty years .
one contemporary phenomenon is the almost mystical status paid to locations used in films and television . many have become places of pilgrimage . i must take responsibility for one such place – the car park owned by the property developer cliff brumby , one of many villains in my 1971 film get carter . whilst most of the locations featured in the film have long since been demolished , the trinity centre in gateshead has survived . until today . this morning it will meet the wrecking ball .
the film : with the tenenbaums , wes anderson may not have created america ' s favorite family ( though they ' re not far from it ) , but – for all of their wealth and strict eccentricities , he may have created its most honest . a beautifully measured portrait of disappointment and second chances that somehow straddles the divide between family album and fairy tale ,
the royal tenenbaums
is the rare film that makes us love how strange we are while appreciating how strange we ' re not .
why the criterion is essential : well , for starters , you get peter bogdanovich reading a commentary by alexander sesonske , so that ' s something . there ' s also a david thompson video series , writings by renoir , tributes to the film by paul schrader , robert altman , wim wenders and more . . . criterion did this one right . the transfer inevitably inherits some flaws from the surviving negative , but i ' d wager that the film hasn ' t looked this good since its first run .
the film : this is a good movie about people and stuff . i like the quiet older guy and also i like the loud jumpy guy , too . and ( looks at title ) , there are like five other guys who are also pretty cool .
armed with the knowledge he has long been seeking , victor spends months feverishly fashioning a creature out of old body parts . one climactic night , in the secrecy of his apartment , he brings his creation to life . when he looks at the monstrosity that he has created , however , the sight horrifies him . after a fitful night of sleep , interrupted by the specter of the monster looming over him , he runs into the streets , eventually wandering in remorse . victor runs into henry , who has come to study at the university , and he takes his friend back to his apartment . though the monster is gone , victor falls into a feverish illness .
the film : i don ' t mean to dismiss edward yang ' s masterpiece ( one of several , really ) as
comfort cinema ,
but
yi yi ,
as much if not more so than any other film , is the movie i return to time and again for respite and guidance . a deceptively casual three - hour drama about the wishes and regrets of a contemporary taiwanese father and their impact on his extended family , yang ' s film seems to contain the entire world . i think of that bit in
you ' ve got mail
where tom hanks swears that everything you need to know about life can be found in
the godfather ,
and i ' m reminded that
yi yi
didn ' t come out until a few years later .
the film ( excerpted from an essay i wrote for film school rejects ) : the best biopic ever made , paul schrader ' s
mishima : a life in four chapters
fuses form and function to the point where its very structure is hugely expressive of its subject . a trite and true biopic of the conventional mold ( think
amelia
, if you can ) would have implicitly drawn a line between mishima and his image , whereas schrader’s approach blends it all together , uniting man and myth in much the same way as mishima ostensibly harmonized pen and sword . but if the film assumes the fractured shape of mishima’s ideology , schrader is equally careful that he’s never beholden to it . schrader doesn’t cooperate with mishima so much as he uses him to reach a higher strata of portraiture .
the references to horror have not stopped since hannibal ' s release , with critics and reviewers describing it as a horror film on an international scale . although donald o ' donoghue calls it a
serial thriller
in the headline of his rte review , throughout the actual article he repeatedly emphasises the horrific elements of both novel and film , singling out the gruesomeness of earlier script versions , the
terrified reactions
of preview audiences and , of course , the
grisly conclusion featuring man - eating pigs .
both le monde and echo de la bourse refer to the film as
horror
in their headlines , whereas the guardian weekly describes it as a
guignol horror comedy .
finally , david ansen , in newsweek , devotes at least one paragraph to a discussion of why he doesn ' t like the film : for its lack of
suspense
( thriller ) and its emphasis on
disgust
and
yuk
( horror ) . other terms which appear frequently in reviews include
grotesque ,
baroque
and numerous variations on
cannibalism .
is ridley scott ' s hannibal ( 2001 ) a thriller or a horror film ? it is a question that could keep film theorists occupied for decades , debating the futility of straightforward genre classifications in contemporary hollywood cinema , analysing the historical overlap between the two genres , interpreting the weight of prior labels ( was jonathan demme ' s the silence of the lambs [ 1991 ] horror or thriller ? what about thomas harris ' s source novel ? ) and , finally , questioning the film ' s style , the psychology of its characters and the implications of its story and design on the audience ( are they scared ? what if they ' re only
so - so
scared ? ) . arguably , there would be no way out of such discussions , apart from perhaps a settlement on the basis of authority .
i don ' t even know what to say about what i witnessed while viewing this film . it is a really bad movie , but worth being part of my collection . the gore scenes are entertaining , not bad , but not executed the best . this sort of has a troma quality to it , that is the only comparison i can give it . i believe this was andy milliagan ' s last film . he definitely went out in appropriate b - movie style . . . or should i say c - movie ? this is only for the viewer who has patience . a lot of patience . i sort of felt the same way i did after i saw my first porn video . you know , asking questions like ,
where did they get these people from - to do this on film
.
why the criterion is essential : because enshrinement in the criterion collection ensures that pasolini ' s final film will be considered as a profound work of art , and not just a vile provocation . and because you really need to read gideon bachmann ' s diary from the set .
prior to hannibal ' s opening at the festival of berlin , newpapers and magazines carried headlines declaring their expectation that the film would
make berlin shiver .
[ 5 ] in addition to all this , side stories on veteran producer dino de laurentiis ( no stranger to the horror genre ) , satanic film series in the history of cinema [ 6 ] and stephen king ' s remark that hannibal lecter ( anthony hopkins ) qualifies as the
dracula of the cellular phone era
all made the connection to horror , if not explicitly then certainly by inference .
scheunemann , dietrich ( 2006 ) ‘the double , the décor , and the framing device : once more on robert weine’s the cabinet of dr . caligari ’ . in expressionist film : new perspectives . edited by dietrich scheunemann , pp . 125 - 156 . new york : camden house
why the criterion is essential : disc two includes about ten minutes of footage from orson welles’s still - unreleased final film , “the other side of the wind” , couched in the middle of a ( very good ) documentary on the second disc . worth the price of admission alone . – cm
can you feel it ? that’s hate . pure , voracious hate . you and i would never think about , let alone act upon , impulses such as these . but somewhere else , people do . proof exists . just examine any film that begins with “photographed and directed by andy milligan” .
the film : with the exception of his most well - known and well - regarded film , his debut “citizen kane” , orson welles films are nearly impossible to find in good quality and in their original form . “mr . arkadin” , or at least the version of “mr . arkadin” that welles had intended to make and release , was long thought to be lost to time and rights issues in much the same way that “magnificent ambersons” and “the other side of the wind” continue to be—we thought we’d have only a botched version if one at all . this set is an crucial historical corrective .
why the criterion edition is essential : besides the obvious reasons , these dvds boast some of the best non - hd transfers ever committed to disc : the film grain is so rich that it’s practically palpable , especially on the nearly perfect - looking disc for “a woman under the influence” . – cm
man kann diesen film hier als deutlich billigere version von der august underground reihe abstempeln .
billig
ist hier nicht unbedingt als schlecht oder laienhaft gemeint ! schließlich ist das hier doch nochmal etwas anderes . die essenz der vorlage ist komplett mit dabei . jedoch bekommt man hier eine dynamik zu spüren , welche ich bei…
note : it’s true . legacy of horror has yet to stumble onto dvd . it’s often confused with legacy of blood aka legacy of horror , which stars john carradine and features the same plot . that film appears on several public domain dvd packs , including a recent release under the “elvira’s movie macabre” dvd line .
the films : if you came across experimental filmmaker hollis frampton in a dark alley , you’d probably be a bit startled , and not just because he’s been dead for almost 30 years . the man looked like he was 70 % lsd , with a few wisps of hair running across his balding head and a beard so thick that even an editor of his skill couldn’t seem to cut it . by the time he finished his career with magellan , a 36 - hour monstrosity intended to reimagine the history of cinema as it should have been , it’s likely that frampton had lost it completely . but his legacy endures , in part because his exploratory tinkerings maintained a warmth rare in such nonnarrative works , and in part because his structuralist confections made questioning the cinema as fun as watching it . ( original )