This is another fabulous documentary, about a custom guitar maker in Greenwich Village. Various musicians stop by 42 Carmine Street, New York, to noodle and talk with owner-designer Rick Kelly and his artistic apprentice Cindy Hulej during the course of a week. Rick's 93-year-old mother Dorothy works there, too.
The director Ron Mann is new to me but has made a number of other documentaries. Writer Len Blum co-wrote Meatballs (1979) and Stripes (1981), among others, before teaming up with Mann for another doc five years ago.
You can read more about this movie and Kelly's craft on Kelly's website, the movie's website, or one producer's website. You can listen to a spotify playlist with music by some of the musicians featured.
But nothing can live up to watching Rick rescue a piece of wood and turn it into an electric guitar modeled after a Fender Telecaster AKA "Telly." Or to hearing Bill Frisell play the Beach Boys' Surfer Girl solo (here's a video of his talking and playing it somewhere else).
The soundtrack is credited to Dallas Good and Travis Good of the Canadian band The Sadies.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics are singing its praises, averaging 97%, and I can't figure out what's wrong with the audiences who are averaging 71.
Unfortunately, the movie has left this area (you can find screenings at a few places) and I can find no notices of its streaming anywhere. I messaged the producers via Facebook and got the following reply: “Hi Babette! Eventually we hope to release on TVOD and DVD -- maybe even on a broadcast channel. Folks can follow us on social to make sure they stay current with the release. Thank you!”
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Wild Nights with Emily (2018)
We liked this depiction of poet Emily Dickinson as an amorous lesbian trying to get published poems about her beloved. Because much of the dialogue is Dickinson's poetry, it takes a while to get used to the pace. There are actually more than a few laughs in there, too.
As Emily (1830-1886), Molly Shannon (last blogged for Private Life) combines pathos and lust. Susan Ziegler (looked familiar but I'm not sure from what) is her loving sister-in-law Susan Gilbert Dickinson (1830-1913). Some pretty girls play Emily and Susan as the young women who discover their passion.
Writer/director Madeleine Olnek is new to me but I'm tickled by (you should forgive the expression) the names of her two previous features: Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same (2011) and The Foxy Merkins (2013), both of which starred Ziegler. Olnek and others have uncovered some verification, documented in the movie (don't turn it off before the credits!), of Emily and Susan's affair.
Beautiful classical music plays throughout. I've downloaded the press kit and listed the music credits below.
Averaging 89% from Rotten Tomatoes' critics and 62 from its audiences, this left our metro area two weeks ago and I'm not sure where you can see it now. However, the DVD can be pre-ordered from Amazon, so perhaps it will be on Prime Video at some point.
As Emily (1830-1886), Molly Shannon (last blogged for Private Life) combines pathos and lust. Susan Ziegler (looked familiar but I'm not sure from what) is her loving sister-in-law Susan Gilbert Dickinson (1830-1913). Some pretty girls play Emily and Susan as the young women who discover their passion.
Writer/director Madeleine Olnek is new to me but I'm tickled by (you should forgive the expression) the names of her two previous features: Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same (2011) and The Foxy Merkins (2013), both of which starred Ziegler. Olnek and others have uncovered some verification, documented in the movie (don't turn it off before the credits!), of Emily and Susan's affair.
Beautiful classical music plays throughout. I've downloaded the press kit and listed the music credits below.
Averaging 89% from Rotten Tomatoes' critics and 62 from its audiences, this left our metro area two weeks ago and I'm not sure where you can see it now. However, the DVD can be pre-ordered from Amazon, so perhaps it will be on Prime Video at some point.
Musical ensemble:
Violin PAULINE KIM
Violin FILIP PAGODY
Bass CARLOS BARRIENTO
Flute ANNA URREY
Cello CLARICE JENSEN
Viola KENNY WANG
Oboe RYAN WALSH
Piano KARL FRID & PAR FRID
Piano KARL FRID & PAR FRID
Songs:
PIANO SONATA NO. 30 IN D MAJOR HOB.16-19 Music by Joseph Haydn
PRZEBUDZENIE JAKUBA Music by Krzysztof Penderecki
REQUIEM: LACRIMOSA & CHORALS Performed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
EMILY SWEET WALK Music by Frid & Frid
PIANO SONATA NO. 30 IN D MAJOR HOB. 16-19_03 FINALE. ALLEGRO ASSAI Music by Joseph Haydn
EMILY OP.311 PIZZ Music by Frid & Frid
EMILY MENUETT IN G Music by Frid & Frid
LAVENDER BLUE (DILLY DILLY) Arranged by Frid & Frid
THE WELL TEMPERED CLAVIER, BOOK 1, PRELUDE NO2, IN C MINOR Music by Johann Sebastian Bach
VARIATIONEN UBER 6 VOLKSWEISEN” OP 105-4 (THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER) Music by Ludwig van Beethoven
EMILY SWEET SUSAN PIANO Music by Frid & Frid
HIGGINSON WALTZ Music by Frid & Frid
THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER Performed by Lawfame Violin
THE WELL TEMPERED CLAVIER, BOOK 1, PRELUDE NO2, IN C MINOR Music by Johann Sebastian Bach
THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS Performed by Lee Eaton
IMPROMPTU #4 IN A FLAT MAJOR, D.899
Music by Franz Schubert
BILL CHEATHAM - THE FIDDLER DIVERTIMENTO IN C MAJOR “DER GEBURTSTAG” Music by Joseph Haydn
LA CAMPANELLA Music By Franz Liszt
EMILY PLAY PIZZ Music by Frid & Frid
FOUR HANDS ONE PIANO Music by Frid & Frid
ACH HERR MICH ARMEN SÜNDER BUXWV 178 Music by Dietrich Buxtehude
INTRODUCTION AND VARIATIONS ON DI TANTI PALPITI Music By Gioachino Rossini
EMILY SWEET SUE ELEGY G 60 BPM Music by Frid & Frid
EMILY OP. 311 PORTAMENTO Music by Frid & Frid
PRZEBUDZENIE JAKUBA Music by Krzysztof Penderecki
REQUIEM: LACRIMOSA & CHORALS Performed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
EMILY SWEET WALK Music by Frid & Frid
PIANO SONATA NO. 30 IN D MAJOR HOB. 16-19_03 FINALE. ALLEGRO ASSAI Music by Joseph Haydn
EMILY OP.311 PIZZ Music by Frid & Frid
EMILY MENUETT IN G Music by Frid & Frid
LAVENDER BLUE (DILLY DILLY) Arranged by Frid & Frid
THE WELL TEMPERED CLAVIER, BOOK 1, PRELUDE NO2, IN C MINOR Music by Johann Sebastian Bach
VARIATIONEN UBER 6 VOLKSWEISEN” OP 105-4 (THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER) Music by Ludwig van Beethoven
EMILY SWEET SUSAN PIANO Music by Frid & Frid
HIGGINSON WALTZ Music by Frid & Frid
THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER Performed by Lawfame Violin
THE WELL TEMPERED CLAVIER, BOOK 1, PRELUDE NO2, IN C MINOR Music by Johann Sebastian Bach
THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS Performed by Lee Eaton
IMPROMPTU #4 IN A FLAT MAJOR, D.899
Music by Franz Schubert
BILL CHEATHAM - THE FIDDLER DIVERTIMENTO IN C MAJOR “DER GEBURTSTAG” Music by Joseph Haydn
LA CAMPANELLA Music By Franz Liszt
EMILY PLAY PIZZ Music by Frid & Frid
FOUR HANDS ONE PIANO Music by Frid & Frid
ACH HERR MICH ARMEN SÜNDER BUXWV 178 Music by Dietrich Buxtehude
INTRODUCTION AND VARIATIONS ON DI TANTI PALPITI Music By Gioachino Rossini
EMILY SWEET SUE ELEGY G 60 BPM Music by Frid & Frid
EMILY OP. 311 PORTAMENTO Music by Frid & Frid
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Non-Fiction (Doubles vies - 2018)
Jack and I enjoyed this dialogue-heavy satire about a book publisher and an actress, their intellectual discussions of literature and the digitalization of modern life, and their extra-marital affairs. It's in French, with subtitles, so there's a lot of reading!
Juliette Binoche (last blogged for Clouds of Sils Maria) is the actress and Guillaume Canet (I don't think I've seen any of his dozens of credits. Also, he looks a lot like Patrick Dempsey) is her husband the publisher.
Director/writer Olivier Assayas (same jobs on Clouds of Sils Maria) has probably seen Woody Allen's Deconstructing Harry (1997) because there's a plot point that reminded me of it. And many reviewers have mentioned Allen in writing about this movie because of the high-brow hilarious lines.
Cinematographer Yorick Le Saux (last blogged for A Bigger Splash and also shot Clouds of Sils Maria for Assayas) gets to cut loose in the glorious exteriors of the final location, shot in Majorca, Spain. The Paris and other French locales are pretty, too.
Jack has come up with a new movie rule. Characters frequently just order "a beer" (or, in this case, "une bière") without specifying the brand. He would never do that! My list of rules is now up to 23.
No composer is credited and no list of songs available, as far as I can tell.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics, averaging 87%, are split from its audiences at 69. Clearly, not for everyone. But we liked it.
Juliette Binoche (last blogged for Clouds of Sils Maria) is the actress and Guillaume Canet (I don't think I've seen any of his dozens of credits. Also, he looks a lot like Patrick Dempsey) is her husband the publisher.
Director/writer Olivier Assayas (same jobs on Clouds of Sils Maria) has probably seen Woody Allen's Deconstructing Harry (1997) because there's a plot point that reminded me of it. And many reviewers have mentioned Allen in writing about this movie because of the high-brow hilarious lines.
Cinematographer Yorick Le Saux (last blogged for A Bigger Splash and also shot Clouds of Sils Maria for Assayas) gets to cut loose in the glorious exteriors of the final location, shot in Majorca, Spain. The Paris and other French locales are pretty, too.
Jack has come up with a new movie rule. Characters frequently just order "a beer" (or, in this case, "une bière") without specifying the brand. He would never do that! My list of rules is now up to 23.
No composer is credited and no list of songs available, as far as I can tell.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics, averaging 87%, are split from its audiences at 69. Clearly, not for everyone. But we liked it.
The Biggest Little Farm (2018)
Quite possibly the best documentary we've ever seen, this chronicles the journey of one couple from city dwellers to farmers with a huge range of plants and animals. Jack said, "They should just give them the statue right now." A shoe-in for an Oscar nomination, it's already racking up nominations and wins worldwide.
The husband farmer, John Chester, is also director, co-writer, and an experienced director of photography. With four more cinematographers contributing, the images, from macro closeups to drones, are magnificent.
The music by Jeff Beal (after The Queen of Versailles he's scored many projects, mostly documentaries and TV, including 73 episodes of House of Cards) can be streamed on Apple Music and more.
Like in many documentaries, the occasional use of hand-held devices may affect some sufferers of Motion Picture Motion Sickness (MPMS), so I'll be adding it to my running list.
The personalities of John and his wife Molly Chester come through and make this delightful, insightful, and thoroughly entertaining. Rotten Tomatoes' critics, averaging 91%, and its audiences at 97, agree.
The husband farmer, John Chester, is also director, co-writer, and an experienced director of photography. With four more cinematographers contributing, the images, from macro closeups to drones, are magnificent.
The music by Jeff Beal (after The Queen of Versailles he's scored many projects, mostly documentaries and TV, including 73 episodes of House of Cards) can be streamed on Apple Music and more.
Like in many documentaries, the occasional use of hand-held devices may affect some sufferers of Motion Picture Motion Sickness (MPMS), so I'll be adding it to my running list.
The personalities of John and his wife Molly Chester come through and make this delightful, insightful, and thoroughly entertaining. Rotten Tomatoes' critics, averaging 91%, and its audiences at 97, agree.
Saturday, May 11, 2019
Long Shot (2019)
Jack and I enjoyed this rom-com about a beautiful US Secretary of State and the nerdy awkward writer she babysat when they were kids. Beautiful Charlize Theron (last in Tully) and nerdy awkward Seth Rogen (last in The Disaster Artist) are perfect to head the cast.
Funnier and with more heart than director Jonathan Levine's last project Snatched, it has a script by Dan Sterling (lots of TV and co-wrote Rogen's The Interview (2014), which we didn't see) and Liz Hannah (her second feature, after The Post).
With a long list of great songs and great locations, this was a pleasant diversion for us just last night.
Funnier and with more heart than director Jonathan Levine's last project Snatched, it has a script by Dan Sterling (lots of TV and co-wrote Rogen's The Interview (2014), which we didn't see) and Liz Hannah (her second feature, after The Post).
With a long list of great songs and great locations, this was a pleasant diversion for us just last night.
Amazing Grace (2018)
Wow. Just wow. This documentary chronicles the recording of Aretha Franklin's Grammy-winning 1972 album of the same name, her best selling album and the best selling live gospel album ever, with the Southern California Community Choir in Watts.
Originally to be directed by Sydney Pollack, the footage was shelved for 35 years because of the following, and I quote directly from imdb: "Director Sydney Pollack was totally inexperienced in shooting music documentary and shot without clapper boards snapping shut at the beginning of each take to help synchronize sound and picture in post-production. As a result of this mistake, even after months of work by experts, the 20 hours of footage couldn't be synchronized with the audio tracks. The choir director from the Watts recordings was brought in to try to lip-read the reels, but after months of work, only about 150 minutes of footage had been matched with sound, none of it adding up to a complete, useable song. Deadlines passed as the "Amazing Grace" album came out in June 1972, selling millions with no synergy. In August, Warner Bros. officially wrote off and shelved the movie. Pollack never gave up on the project, but constantly had other commitments. In 2007, dying of cancer, Pollack finally handed the documentary project over to producer and music enthusiast Alan Elliott."
Jack and I loved it and recommend it to all music fans. We saw it April 25, 2019.
Originally to be directed by Sydney Pollack, the footage was shelved for 35 years because of the following, and I quote directly from imdb: "Director Sydney Pollack was totally inexperienced in shooting music documentary and shot without clapper boards snapping shut at the beginning of each take to help synchronize sound and picture in post-production. As a result of this mistake, even after months of work by experts, the 20 hours of footage couldn't be synchronized with the audio tracks. The choir director from the Watts recordings was brought in to try to lip-read the reels, but after months of work, only about 150 minutes of footage had been matched with sound, none of it adding up to a complete, useable song. Deadlines passed as the "Amazing Grace" album came out in June 1972, selling millions with no synergy. In August, Warner Bros. officially wrote off and shelved the movie. Pollack never gave up on the project, but constantly had other commitments. In 2007, dying of cancer, Pollack finally handed the documentary project over to producer and music enthusiast Alan Elliott."
Jack and I loved it and recommend it to all music fans. We saw it April 25, 2019.
Penguins (2019)
Jack and I can wholeheartedly recommend every movie in the Disneynature series, especially Monkey Kingdom, and this one is no different. Narrated by Ed Helms (last blogged for The Boss Baby) with humor and empathy, the movie "stars" a baby Adélie penguin named Steve as he grows up, mates, and moves around his Antarctic habitats. It's always funny to watch penguins walk, and striking to compare it to their effortless swimming. The directors are Alastair Fothergill, Jeff Wilson, and Mark Linfield, the writer is David Fowler, and the cinematographers are Sophie Darlington and Rolf Steinmann.
We learned several years ago that all the magnificent Disneynature photography is real (the last we saw was Born in China about pandas). Now I wonder if there's any way that only one penguin was actually featured in the 900 days (!) of shooting. No matter, it's still terrifically entertaining, with a few pop songs supplementing the soundtrack by Harry Gregson-Williams (The Zookeeper's Wife).
We saw this movie on April 23, 2019.
We learned several years ago that all the magnificent Disneynature photography is real (the last we saw was Born in China about pandas). Now I wonder if there's any way that only one penguin was actually featured in the 900 days (!) of shooting. No matter, it's still terrifically entertaining, with a few pop songs supplementing the soundtrack by Harry Gregson-Williams (The Zookeeper's Wife).
We saw this movie on April 23, 2019.
Teen Spirit (2018)
Jack and I also loved this story of a British singer competing in a pageant with an unlikely mentor's help. Elle Fanning is terrific in the lead and does her own wonderful singing. She was last blogged for How to Talk to Girls at Parties. Here's a song list.
Young actor Max Minghella, who doesn't appear on screen, makes his directing debut and the screenplay is his second. His father Anthony was the Oscar-winning director of The English Patient (1996).
We saw the movie April 19, 2019.
Young actor Max Minghella, who doesn't appear on screen, makes his directing debut and the screenplay is his second. His father Anthony was the Oscar-winning director of The English Patient (1996).
We saw the movie April 19, 2019.
Little (2019)
We were eager to see this silly comedy about a mean career woman who is magically transformed into her middle school self and it has plenty of laughs. Star Marsai Martin (116 episodes of Black-ish as mean Diane) pitched this movie when she was 10 years old and, at 14, may be the youngest Hollywood producer ever,
With Regina Hall (Support the Girls) and Issa Rae (The Hate U Give), directed by Tina Gordon Chism from a script by Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip) and Chism (her second time directing; she co-wrote a few other scripts, including What Men Want).
There are lots of great songs, listed here. Jack and I saw it April 16, 2019.
With Regina Hall (Support the Girls) and Issa Rae (The Hate U Give), directed by Tina Gordon Chism from a script by Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip) and Chism (her second time directing; she co-wrote a few other scripts, including What Men Want).
There are lots of great songs, listed here. Jack and I saw it April 16, 2019.
The Public (2018)
We loved this drama about a group of homeless people refusing to leave the Cincinnati Library during a brutal overnight cold snap. Written and directed by and starring Emilio Estevez (last blogged for The Way), it was filmed entirely in Cincinnati in 2017.
Co-starring with Estevez are Jena Malone (Inherent Vice), Taylor Schilling (Orange Is the New Black, The Overnight), Alec Baldwin (The Boss Baby), Christian Slater (The Wife), Jeffrey Wright (Source Code, Westworld), and Michael K. Williams (Chalky in Boardwalk Empire (2010-14), also was in Life During Wartime, 12 Years a Slave, Inherent Vice, Ghostbusters).
I think I remember enjoying the rap song by Che "Rhymefest" Smith at the beginning. Jack and I saw it April 12, 2019.
Co-starring with Estevez are Jena Malone (Inherent Vice), Taylor Schilling (Orange Is the New Black, The Overnight), Alec Baldwin (The Boss Baby), Christian Slater (The Wife), Jeffrey Wright (Source Code, Westworld), and Michael K. Williams (Chalky in Boardwalk Empire (2010-14), also was in Life During Wartime, 12 Years a Slave, Inherent Vice, Ghostbusters).
I think I remember enjoying the rap song by Che "Rhymefest" Smith at the beginning. Jack and I saw it April 12, 2019.
The Aftermath (2019)
We liked this post-WW2 drama, about the wife of a British officer living in a Hamburg mansion with a Nazi widower and his daughter, particularly for its cinematography, sets, and costumes. And now, whenever Jack discusses a piano, he likes to say "Schtine-way."
It stars Keira Knightley and Jason Clarke (last blogged for Colette and First Man, respectively) as the wife and the officer and Alexander Skarsgård (after The Legend of Tarzan he was in all seven episodes of Big Little Lies) as the German.
Directed by James Kent (new to me), adapted from the novel by Rhidian Brook, with the script credited to Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse (they wrote Race) and Brook.
We saw the movie April 5, 2019, and I found the soundtrack by Martin Phipps on iTunes/Apple Music and Spotify.
It stars Keira Knightley and Jason Clarke (last blogged for Colette and First Man, respectively) as the wife and the officer and Alexander Skarsgård (after The Legend of Tarzan he was in all seven episodes of Big Little Lies) as the German.
Directed by James Kent (new to me), adapted from the novel by Rhidian Brook, with the script credited to Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse (they wrote Race) and Brook.
We saw the movie April 5, 2019, and I found the soundtrack by Martin Phipps on iTunes/Apple Music and Spotify.
Dumbo (2019)
We enjoyed Tim Burton's live action take on the Disney classic with color and pageantry. The song Baby Mine is featured heavily (I love it so and here's my favorite version) but, in this version, When I See an Elephant Fly is instrumental only. Jack and I saw it April 2, 2019.
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