Twixt | The Filmsmith

Tag Archives: Twixt

Comic-Con Round-Up: Spider-Man Amazes, Del Toro’s Best Effing Robots & Monsters, & Coppola Edits Film Live

Posted on July 29, 2011 by The Filmsmith | Leave a comment

Movie Buffs, Comic Book Nerds, and Dorks in general can find plenty to love every July in San Diego during its annual Comic-Con. I haven’t yet paid much attention to the news that stems from this event, as most of it didn’t concern my particular tastes. That is, until this year, when major announcements were made by Francis Ford Coppola, Guillermo del Toro, and the folks behind the new Spider-Man movie. All in all, quite exciting. Continue reading →

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 →