branduponthebrain:

Still Life (2006)

Directed by Zhang Ke Jia

GPOAZNsW

AK 100: 25 Films by Akira Kurosawa Box Set

via dvdbeaver

AK 100: 25 Films by Akira Kurosawa Box Set

Consisting of 25 of his films plus a hardcover illustrated book with photos, Criterion has put together this epic linen-bound box set celebrating Kurosawa’s 100th birthday.

Includes:

• Sanshiro Sugata (1943)
• The Most Beautiful (1944)
• Sanshiro Sugata Part Two (1945)
• The Men Who Tread on the Tiger’s Tail (1945)
• No Regrets for Our Youth (1946)
• One Wonderful Sunday (1947)
• Drunken Angel (1948)
• Stray Dog (1949)
• Scandal (1950)
• Rashomon (1950)
• The Idiot (1951)
• Ikiru (1952)
• Seven Samurai (1954)
• I Live in Fear (1955)
• Throne of Blood (1957)
• The Lower Depths (1957)
• The Hidden Fortress (1958)
• The Bad Sleep Well (1960)
• Yojimbo (1961)
• Sanjuro (1962)
• High and Low (1963)
• Red Beard (1965)
• Dodes’ka-den (1970)
• Kagemusha (1980)
• Madadayo (1993)

I wish I could say I’ve seen more Kurosawa films. I’ve probably seen about 10 of these, and those are mostly his collabs with Toshiro Mifune. Love the packaging and everything as usual, but the majority of these films can be checked out at the public library or on netflix so I’ll save myself the $300 and do just that. Epic collection, nonetheless.

MORE INFO / BUY IT HERE

photo via dvdbeaver

Io sono l’amore / I Am Love
Directed by Luca Guadagnino
2010

TRAILER HERE

Hunger
Directed by Steve McQueen
2008

Very solid debut from Steve McQueen (not that Steve McQueen) plus establishes both him and Michael Fassbender (“Don’t mind if I go out speaking the Kings”, Inglourious Basterds) as some new talent to definitely keep an eye out for.

Sidenote: Fassbender I’ma let you finish, but Christian Bale had one of the best method starving performances of all times!

IT’S FRIDAY!

via branduponthebrain

Lou Diamond Phillips & Kiefer Sutherland
Renegades
1989

Tattooed Life
Directed by Seijun Suzuki
1965

Cape Fear
Directed by Zack Harlow
1962

Man With A Movie Camera
Directed by Dziga Vertov
1929

Sharif Don’t Like It: Best Picture Noms of 1962 vs. 2010

I was listening to a recent All Things Considered episode on NPR the other night about basically how shitty this year’s Oscar nominees are (agreed, especially considering it’s 5 more than the usual) compared to 1962’s Oscars, a year that SHOULD have had 10 nominees. And no I haven’t, nor do I EVER plan on seeing The Blind Side, but I can’t help but think that despite how amazing Sandra Bullock’s performance might have been (totally doubtful), the bottom line is, she’s nominated and these films WERE NOT. Dig:

1962 Oscar noms:

• Lawrence of Arabia (winner)
• The Longest Day
• The Music Man
• Mutiny on the Bounty
• To Kill a Mockingbird

Other Films of Note in ‘62 (NOT NOMINATED):

• The Manchurian Candidate (Sinatra!)
• Birdman of Alcatraz
• Dr. No (k not quite Oscar-worthy but it’s the first ever Bond film!)
• Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
• Divorce, Italian Style (Marcello Mastroianni!)
• The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (Ford/Wayne/Stewart/Marvin!!!)
• Last Year at Marienbad (Resnais!)
• Long Day’s Journey into Night (Lumet!)
• Vivre sa vie (Godard!)
• Jules et Jim (Truffaut!!)
• Lolita (Kubrick!!!)
• Advise and Consent (Preminger) (Totally biased sidenote: Saul Bass’ titles and poster work alone should be Oscar-worthy)
• Cape Fear (not really Oscar-worthy compared to the other films, but still, I consider this a classic and I really dug District 9 and all, but classic you are not)

Hate to be all “get off my lawn” old-timey movie person here, but seriously. OTTO PREMINGER, STANLEY KUBRICK, ALAIN RESNAIS, JOHN FORD, FRANCOIS TRUFFAUT, JOHN FRANKENHEIMER, SIDNEY LUMET, all these dudes…not even nominated in ‘62.

Just. Saying.

Inglorious Basterds Poster
by Grotesk

Upper Playground x The Weinstein Company present Cool Stuff: The Lost Art of Inglorious Basterds on February 18th, 2010 from 6pm - 9pm at the Upper Playground Art Gallery in Los Angeles. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase the limited edition prints for $300. Each print will be numbered and signed by Quentin Tarantino. Only six (6) of each amount will be made.

All proceeds from this program will be donated to The American Red Cross to help the victims of the Haiti Earthquake.

more info at slashfilm / upperplayground

I wonder if Tammy D put up that Beastie Boys poster there on purpose? I hear if you get really stoned and look closely in Half Baked you can see a bunch of Beastie Boys stickers on their lockers. (P.S. - Tamra Davis is Mike D’s wife)

CB4 is one of my favorite movies. It’s pretty much the true story of most hip-hop groups and/or rappers at that time. Plus Tamra Davis aka Tammy D is the most slept-on female director since Leni Riefenstahl.

I’m pretty sure I got hood pass to post this