The Filmsmith

The End of an Era: Deathly Hallows Pt 2 sets new bar for fantasy

Posted on July 15, 2011 by The Filmsmith | 8 comments

This weekend marks the last hurrah for the Harry Potter film franchise. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (book) was released in 1997, Pottermania fully hit the U.S. in 2000 with the release of Goblet of Fire,* the film franchise began in 2001, and the final book was released almost exactly four years ago. Suffice it to say – we have spent a long time inhabiting the wizarding world of J.K. Rowling in one form or another. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 has sold an unholy number of tickets for the midnight premiere, with regular reports of sold out screenings a week in advance. Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 will surely go out with a bang financially. What’s so surprising is how it positions itself as one of the best fantasy films ever made – better even than any of the Lord of the Rings films. Continue reading →

8 Comments

Posted in Articles, Reviews

Tagged Alfonso Cuaron, Batman Begins, Chris Columbus, David Yates, Deathly Hallows, Harry Potter, Mike Newell, Prizoner of Azkaban, The Dark Knight, Warner Bros.

Tetro and Youth Without Youth – Twin masterpieces from a once great director

Posted on July 13, 2011 by The Filmsmith | 1 comment

I love Apocalypse Now. It is one of my very favorite films ever made. I love all three entries in the Godfather Trilogy, although I naturally prefer the first two to the third. I think The Conversation is a master class in post-Hitchcock tension, only rivalled by Brian DePalma’s output in the early 80’s. And yet somehow, every time someone mentions Francis Ford Coppola, director of all four, as one of the greatest directors ever to make a film, I have a small spasm, just this side of a gag reflex. Coppola made four of the greatest films ever, yes, but his work since then has largely left me cold, or worse, provoked loathing. That is, until his most recent films, following a break beginning in 1997, when after he finished The Rainmaker Coppola decided to focus on his family, and perhaps also his wine. In 2007 he returned to the big screen with a self-financed Youth Without Youth and then again in 2009 with Tetro. Both are stunning achievements and place him back amongst the cream of this generation, a place he hasn’t been in over 25 years. Continue reading →

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Posted in Articles, Reviews

Tagged Francis Ford Coppola, Tetro, Twixt, Youth Without Youth

DVD Monday: The Lincoln Lawyer – Legal thriller par excellence

Posted on July 11, 2011 by The Filmsmith | 2 comments

Let me make this very clear: I do not like Matthew McConaughey. I can count on one hand the movies I can stand to watch him in (the stoner classic Dazed and Confused and the underrated psychological thriller Frailty rank among them), but most of the time he plays the same smug, smarmy guy that I wish I saw less of in the world. So when I heard about The Lincoln Lawyer a few months back, it didn’t take me long to deign not to see it. Boy, was that a bad decision. Now that it is being released on DVD, I can see it for what it is-the best legal thriller to come out in far too long, the best performance McConaughey has ever given, and a story that leaves you guessing until the final reveal. It may not win Oscars, it may not be considered an altogether serious film, but it is damn good. Continue reading →

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Posted in Reviews

Tagged Matthew McConaughey, Michael Pena, The Lincoln Lawyer

Five DVD labels who consistently push good films

Posted on July 8, 2011 by The Filmsmith | 1 comment

When you walk into a videostore or check up on your Netflix queue, it’s generally a crapshoot finding new movies you haven’t heard much about. Here at The Filmsmith, we’ve made a habit of letting you in on some of the underground releases every week, movies you might not have heard of otherwise. But we typically can only get to one a week, and there are dozens of others making their way to home video, some for the first time. Here’s a list of a few DVD companies who have consistently put out good films – to such a degree that if you see something released by them, you can bet it’s probably top notch stuff. Continue reading →

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Posted in Articles

Tagged Cinema, Criterion, DVD, DVD Distribution, Films, Good DVD Companies, home video, Kino, Magnet, Movies, Oscilloscope Laboratories, Raro

Troll Hunter reminds you to fear bridges

Posted on July 6, 2011 by The Filmsmith | 2 comments

Three wannabe journalism students follow a man in a ghille suit into the woods to find out what’s been killing local hikers in the mountains of Norway. It’s dark, we’re tethered to the first-person POV of the cameraman, and various flashes of light blast in the darkness, followed by faraway growls. The woods come alive with the crashing footsteps of something ahead. It’s the man in the ghille suit, running quickly away from the battle, stopping briefly to announce to his tag-a-longs: “TROLLS!” It’s a ludicrous moment, but taps into the simultaneous display of comedy and anxiety in Troll Hunter, one of the best genre films of the year. Continue reading →

2 Comments

Posted in Reviews

Tagged Comedy, Horror, Norwegian, Troll Hunter, Trollhunter

Of Gods and Men a moving tale of faith, hope, and courage

Posted on July 4, 2011 by The Filmsmith | 1 comment

Rumors concerning Of Gods and Men have surfaced all over the place, whether through forums or actual reviews, ever since it lost a nomination for the Foreign Film Oscar. Some critics bemoaned the fact that it was snubbed, as to them it was among the best films of the year from any country. Unfortunately, very few of the films eligible for that Academy Award ever make it stateside by the ceremony, and most audiences haven’t seen or even heard of the victor. But this week, Of Gods and Men finally makes its way onto DVD, and the result is rather astonishing. Here is a film that will go largely unnoticed, yet shouldn’t; a film that few in the U.S. will see, when it should be required viewing specifically to this country. Continue reading →

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Posted in Reviews

Tagged Algeria, Ethical Dilemma, monks, Of Gods and Men, terrorism

The Tree of Life a lyrical study of the soul

Posted on July 1, 2011 by The Filmsmith | 3 comments

Brad Pitt once asked, “If our fathers are our models for God, what does that say about God?” Starring Pitt, Terrence Malick’s latest film The Tree of Life taps into the familial as it relates to the supreme “I Am,” with the great human questions of the soul echoed in spectacular images of the cosmic and earthly. There’s a human compulsion to categorize and simplify and it’s no different when it comes to religion: whether Richard Dawkins ridicules ignorant blind believers or Pat Buchanan scolds godless heathen countries, it’s an unseemly dichotomy especially virulent in U.S. society. Anyone who tries to perform the same flimflam in describing Tree of Life should be shackled in the town square, as it shoots for the human holy with carrying a crusading flag. Continue reading →

3 Comments

Posted in Reviews

Tagged Brad Pitt, Emmanuel Lubezki, Terrance Malick, Tree of Life

The Tree of Life a deeply philosophical American masterpiece

Posted on July 1, 2011 by The Filmsmith | 1 comment

Here at The Filmsmith we have followed the development of this project, from filling you in on the debut of the trailer, to including it in our list of anticipated films. When it was at Cannes, we covered it from afar, and when it seized the top prize, our enthusiasm reached its apex. But now that it has been seen, can it possibly hold up to our vast expectations? In short, no. No film is ever quite what you think it will be, especially one shrouded in mystery, which Terrence Malick’s films tend to be. The better question is whether or not it disappointed. The answer to that is a resounding no, also. It was an altogether strange film, challenging in many regards, and far more experimental than even Malick has produced before, but none of this stopped it from being an incredibly moving portrait of childhood that managed to ask questions about life and death, good and evil, nature and grace. It really blew my mind. Continue reading →

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Posted in Reviews

Tagged Andrei Tarkovsky, Brad Pitt, Stanley Kubrick, Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

Another Earth might be the best sci-fi film of the year.

Posted on June 29, 2011 by The Filmsmith | 1 comment

“This is a story about a girl who does something unforgivable.” So utters Rhoda Williams a couple of minutes into the mind-blowing trailer for Another Earth, which may be the best science-fiction film of the year. And the best part? Unlike most sci-fi films, this one delves deeply into the emotions of its characters; it sees how they interact, as well as how they react to the discovery of the titular Macguffin. It tackles questions worthy of a bigger budget, but with an honesty only possible with a shoestring. In short, while it will fall completely under the radar, this is one of the best films of the year, and should be sought after. Travel to a bigger city if you must, but see this film. Continue reading →

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Posted in Reviews

Tagged Another Earth, Drama, Low Budget, Sci-Fi

Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop being a jerk

Posted on June 27, 2011 by The Filmsmith | 9 comments

Backstage during Conan O’Brien’s “Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour,” Jack McBrayer has just stopped by. Before he’s even through the door, Conan is launching into a cavalcade of country bumpkin jokes. McBrayer’s Southern accent, familiar to fans of his character Kenneth Parcell on 30 Rock, turns out to be genuine, and O’Brien’s verbal jabs continue to slap his visitor like he just caught him screwing grandma on the kitchen table on Christmas day. Of all the people we see passive-aggressively maligned by O’Brien’s sarcasm in the documentary Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop, McBrayer is the only one not on his paid staff and is therefore the only one who can properly express slack-jawed dismay that Conan O’Brien is a dick.