New Film Pix Season, trailers, and the opening of Frears' The Queen

For those who live in Saint John, NB, the time has come for another season of film pix (this is the third season). The first film of this season is Wah-wah, an autobiographical film directed by Richard Grant which depicts his coming of age in Swaziland during the last days of the Britain's Empire. The film opens on November 7th (tuesday) at 6:30 pm at the empire theatres 10.

However, I am much more interested in film pix's december showing than this particular film. On December 5, film pix is showing The Journals of Knud Rasmussen,the film which opened this year's Toronto International Film Festival. The film is about the cultural conflict between an Inuit Community and the teachings of the Christian missionaries. The entire film is in the Inuktituk language and it is a follow up to Zacharias Kunuk’s first film, ATANARJUAT: the Fast Runner (which I have been desperately trying to see).

Anyway, I hope some individuals can come to either one of these films (If I were to choose, I would pick the latter, december showing).


New Trailers.

Trailer for Notes on a Scandal which stars the always great Cate Blanchett, Judi Dench(not playing a haughty aristocrat), and the likewise excellent Bill Nighy. The film revolves around a a teacher's "scandalous" relationship with one of her students and its effects on the surrounding community.

Notes on a Scandal trailer

On a final note, here is a link to a website which has compiled a list of what they claim are the best 1000 films ever made (If you have the time to glance at it, it is a rather interesting list, even though I disagree with the placement of many films including their choice for the best film of all time).

1000 greatest movies

Finally, wednesday, the website of the empire theatres in Saint John has announced that Stephen Frears' The Queen (what is arguably one of the best reviewed film of the year so far and a prominant Best Picture contender at the Oscars) will be opening this friday. The film revolves around Queen Elizabeth's muted reaction to Princess Diana's death (or lack of) and the public outcry which ensued for a reaction from the Royalty's representatives (and the government now under new Prime Minister Tony Blair). Frears'film will primarily be exploring the public breach of Elizabeth's traditionalist and excessively private lifestyle. If I remember correctly, the film is billed as a drama/comedy (with less emphasis on the latter, I believe).

I'll be going to see the film to review it and I hope others will come.

May have a review of Pan's Labyrinth soon (one of the best fantasy films in the last ten years, well, outside the films of Hayao Miyazaki).

Random trailers for your viewing pleasure

In an attempt to resurrect this blog from the grave after a two month absence, I will randomly post several film trailers of films I find interesting (or trailers which are so bad as to be excellent sources of hilarity). For the last two months, university has prevented me from posting regularly (or at all). Recently, I have been researching for an essay on the Present State of Canadian cinema and reading an interesting book by Katherine Monk entitled "Weird Sex and Snowshoes: and other Canadian film phenomena" (odd title, but interesting book) in which she applies Margaret Atwood's survivor thesis to films like Atom Egoyan's The Sweet Hereafter. I recommend it, despite not being overtly scholarly (scholarly enough though).

Here are a few random trailers:


Here is the full international trailer for Charlotte's web (I could care less for this film, but a friend of mine might be interested. Although,honestly, the film's sugary sweet trailer makes me want to vomit my insides. And Dakota Fanning scares me).

http://movies.aol.com/movie-trailer-clip/charlottes-web-julia-roberts

Here is a trailer for the next film of veteran director Milos Forman (One flew over the cuckoo's next, Amadeus), Goya's ghosts which I was expecting to be good...well, at least, until I saw this trailer (Stellan Skargard seems to be the only actor in the trailer who can act). Enjoy.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qQP4xhTRMA4

Here is the trailer for Steven Soderbergh's next film (a Casablanca-like film noir, it seems)The Good German, starring George Clooney and Cate Blanchett. I really want to see this trailer, but, due to computer malfunctions, I can not. Watch it (I will envy you as you do).

http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/thegoodgerman/

Here is a another trailer for the Spanish fantasy film Pan's Labyrinth (now Mexico's entry for the Foreign film Academy award), just because I can't wait to see it (the film has not obtained a negative review as of yet and has received standing ovations at all the festivals it has been shown in).

http://www.apple.com/trailers/picturehouse/panslabyrinth/trailer/

Trailers of John Curran's The Painted Veil (Naomi Watts, Edward Norton)

http://www.themoviebox.net/movies/2006/NOPQR/Painted-Veil,The/trailer.php

Here is a trailer of the new film of Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) entitled Perfume: the story of a murderer. As odd as its concept is, it looks interesting. Kubrick claimed the book, on which it is based, could never be adapted into film. So, I guess we'll have to wait and see how Tykwer made out with the material.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/dreamworks/perfume/lg_trailer.html

Now, a trailer of "Out of the blue," a film which was well received at the Toronto International Film Festival, about a violent shooting spree in Aramanoia (in 1990) by David Gray (obviously, based on a true story).

http://xtramsn.co.nz/entertainment/0,,12252-6413547,00.html

Here are some trailer of Andrea Arnold's Red Road, a Cannes film festival winner which looks rather interesting.

Red Road trailers

Lastly, here is a trailer for Amy Berg's documentary Deliver us from Evil which revolves around the cover up of a Catholic priest's numerous child molestations. Supposedly, a very good documentary (and the trailer makes bizarre use of a Johnny Cash song, so enjoy).

Deliver us from Evil