Still image from LA JETEE

Nice article in THE INDEPENDENT regarding films that inspired directors: The movie that mattered to me – Features, Films – The Independent.

From the book:  Screen Epiphanies: Filmmakers on the Films that Inspired Them

Tip ‘the hat to Kottke for the link…

Age Of Innocence

Here’s “The 20 Most Boring Films of All Time“, according to Pajiba commenters.

I genuinely like at least 7 of the 20 films. And whenever a fancy new video format (widescreen, dvd, blu-ray) appears I always make sure my first purchases are for films with real beauty. Usually #1 on my list (and sadly also on this one…): 2001: A Space Odyssey

Luckily, some reason appeared if you made it far enough down the comments to the response of “Yossarian”:

What is really notable about this list is it is sort of a backlash against more complex films that got some media attention and, as a result, were exposed to a lot of people who didn’t really appreciate them.

When you say a film was boring what you really mean is that it doesn’t engage your attention. Instead of taking this failure to appeal to you as a flaw in the movie you should know that it’s probably just you. Of course there are bad movies out there, but they don’t usually get Oscar nominations.

I thank you, anonymous internet commenter…

Today Jason Kottke posted a link to the video below, in which some big name filmmakers school you on exactly what’s happening.

[This also brings to mind the Steven Soderbergh rant from a while back about how some networks (HBO, Showtime, AMC, etc) chop down the films they show:

"...it’s fucking lame to watch Jaws—a film that uses the 2.40 ratio as well as any ever produced—in the wrong format on HBO. Does Universal so badly need a few extra pennies that it’s willing to ruin a classic? And does HBO really think its viewers are so stupid as to forget movies currently come in two sizes?

The original link to the article seems to be unavailable, but a kind soul on the AVS Forums had reposted it here.]

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMJhM3So4y8

Timelines: Time travel in popular film and tv | Information Is Beautiful.

After much debate, Ben Swift has indeed decided to release a second edition of his popular Lebowski-themed art print, “The Dude”.  It’s a 12? x 16? screenprint, has an edition of 180, and costs $20.  These will likely go pretty fast, so grab one now in the Gigposters.com Classifieds.

EDIT:  Not sure why this disappeared for awhile, but it’s back.

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Shared by Matt

I had some dealings with NEW YORKER when I booked films at the Tulane campus. Great stuff, and nice people.”

New Yorker Films, the only US distributor of many of the films of Jean-Luc Godard, Ousmane Sèmbene, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and many others closed operations yesterday. Many of the films they distributed remain unavailable on DVD, and thus completely unavailable to Americans for the foreseeable future. Coming on the heels of the eviction of Film-Maker’s Co-Op, New York’s venerable distributor and archive of avant-garde film, New Yorker’s closing raises questions not only about the symbiotic importance of repertory film exhibition for film preservation efforts, but about the future of film culture and the possible role of the arts in the future economy.

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