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Tag Archives: Paul Verhoeven
“The Greeks already understood that there was more interest in portraying an unusual character than a usual character – that is the purpose of films and theatre.” — Isabelle Huppert
It’s her birthday today. Nobody like her. She’s almost in her own category. Her work is mysterious. It feels like she gives the wheel over totally to her subconscious. You never feel the puppet-strings of the actress. She never even … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day
Tagged Claude Chabrol, France, Isabelle Huppert, Mia Hansen-Løve, Paul Verhoeven, Sandrine Bonnaire
6 Comments
Total Recall was trending on Twitter yesterday …
… because of Tesla and that TRUCK, which looked like the car in Total Recall. Which reminds me, a year or so ago, I was a guest on Jessa Crispin’s podcast “Public Intellectual”, and she was doing a whole Paul … Continue reading
Jessa Crispin and I discuss Paul Verhoeven’s Total Recall
This was so much fun. Jessa Crispin (the onetime “Book Slut”) has been doing a Paul Verhoeven discussion series on her super fun podcast, Public Intellectual, and she had me on to discuss Total Recall, a film I saw in … Continue reading
January 2018 Viewing Diary
Supernatural, Season 7, episode 10 “Death’s Door” (2011; d. Robert Singer) What an extraordinary episode of television. It’s funny: I too block out what happened in that kitchen in Bobby’s childhood. I forget it almost every time. Those actors playing … Continue reading
April 2017 Viewing Diary
I just dash these off. Superficial bullet-point analysis for the most part. It’s a good way to keep track of what I’ve seen, for year-end lists, of course, but also for future reference. I also always love the discussions on … Continue reading
Posted in Monthly Viewing Diary, Movies, Television
Tagged Angela Lansbury, Bette Davis, Cristian Mungiu, documentary, Dogfight, France, Hal Ashby, Humphrey Bogart, Isabelle Huppert, James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Joan Crawford, John Huston, Josephine Decker, July and Half of August, Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margaret Atwood, Nancy Savoca, Paul Verhoeven, Romania, Shirley MacLaine, Supernatural, Susan Sarandon, Vincente Minnelli, women directors
50 Comments
The Muriel Awards 2016: My Entry on Isabelle Huppert in Elle
Every year, the Muriel Awards – an alternate and online award – chooses folks to vote on the best of the year in film. Each voter fills in an extensive ballot. Ballots are tallied. It’s always a wonderful and somewhat … Continue reading
I Hate Lists, But … The Best Movies of 2016
The Roger Ebert contributors each submitted our own individual Top 10 Lists for 2016 – compiled here. As mentioned in the introduction, the NUMBER of titles – all total – that show up on this list is a testament to … Continue reading
Posted in Movies
Tagged Asghar Farhadi, Chantal Akerman, Coen brothers, comedy, concert films, documentary, drama, England, Fireworks Wednesday, France, Golshifteh Farahani, Hediyeh Tehrani, horror, Iran, Isabelle Huppert, Jim Jarmusch, Jonathan Demme, Justin Timberlake, Matthias Schoenaerts, Mia Hansen-Løve, Paul Verhoeven, Richard Linklater, Sophia Takal, Taraneh Alidoosti, Tilda Swinton, William Carlos Williams, women directors
15 Comments
November 2016 Viewing Diary
Elle (2016; d. Paul Verhoeven) I loved it. People HATE this movie. One lady on Twitter said that men should be banned from making films about rape. How you would enforce such a rule is beyond me. Also: No fucking … Continue reading
Posted in Monthly Viewing Diary, Movies, Television
Tagged Agnes Varda, China, Citizen Kane, Claudette Colbert, documentary, England, France, Gary Cooper, Golshifteh Farahani, Hong Kong, Isabelle Huppert, Jim Jarmusch, Mia Hansen-Løve, Orson Welles, Patricia Neal, Paul Verhoeven, Sophia Takal, South Korea, Supernatural
9 Comments
Review: Elle (2016); d. Paul Verhoeven
Oh, Elle. Where have you been all my life? I’ve seen it twice (so far). It’s a rape-revenge thriller and it’s also … a comedy? As in … really really funny. Many people will despise it for that reason. Or … Continue reading
October 2016 Viewing Diary
Roadies, Season 1, Pilot (2016; d. Cameron Crowe) My friend Allison forced me to watch this. I had no choice. We do this to one another. And neither of us are EVER sorry. I absolutely loved it. Have not had … Continue reading