This Week

Get Low
(Aaron Schnider, 2009)

Jed: Featuring solid performances by Robert Duvall, Lucas Black, Sissy Spacek, and Bill Murray this quasi-true story of a backwoods hermit in the 1930's who decides to throw his own funeral party as a way to work through the troubles of his past and find some measure of peace before his death, is solidly directed by Schnider and has excellent, appropriate music by Jan Kaczmarek. Nice period work for a cinematographer turned director. This film is a bit melancholy but sometimes that is just what is needed to properly tell a tale that is reasonable and realistic. (6/7)

Get Low Trailer

This Week

Animal Crackers
(Victor Heerman, 1930)

Jed: The classic madcap Marx Brothers muscial comedy is really strange and very well staged. Margaret Dumont as Mrs. Rittenhouse is incredibly expressive and is a good counter point and straight-woman to Groucho's Captain Spaulding. This is pure oddball, sexy, madcap comedy and all of the Marx Bros. turn in great performances. Chico's piano performance and Harpo's Harp playing are genuinely innovative and engaging both visually and musically. Lillian Roth is hot news! and it makes sense she was married eight times! The sets and staging are amazing-- but the plot is simply a backdrop upon which the Marx Bros. weave their zaniness. A fun movie even if a tad predictable. See it. (6/7)

Lillian Roth (image courtesy Wikipedia)

Trailer on TCM

Shock Corridor
(Samuel Fuller, 1963)

Jed: This a fairly psychedelic film. The social commentary on race in America is particularly poignant (Hari Rhodes as Trent is incredible). It is better than Shutter Island. . . (winks). That is all that need be said. Check it out on the Criterion Collection Release. (6/7)

Classic Trailer

This Week's Pick

The Social Network
(David Fincher, 2010)
Trailer

Marshall: In David Fincher's The Social Network, Mark Zuckerberg (played with surprising depth by Jesse Eisenberg) isn't so much an asshole as he is unforgiving. He navigates his many obstacles with an almost ninja-like grace, going for the jugular and using his opponents momentum against them. This deftness, however, is exhibited often at the expense of the brilliant Facebook-creator's personal relationships. A hip, beautiful and understated movie (with matching musical score), that not only introduces us to some promising young acting talent, but delivers honest human drama and solid laughs to boot. (7/7)

Jed: The Social Network is a return to David Fincher at his finest. While Benjamin Button had some nice notes-- this is a fine film throughout. When I first heard this film was being made it did not interest me very much. . . I should have been interested. The Social Network captures elements of the zeitgeist nicely and is well timed. Standout performances-- especially by Armie Hammer as the Winklevoss twins. Hopefully this will inspire a generation to get out there and do something. I also like the use of split shooting, still photography, and rotoscope to get that tilt-shift z-depth (miniature) look for the crew race scene without actually doing it -- leave it to David Fincher to try something a bit different and pull it off! Solid film. Solid score by Trent Reznor. (7/7)