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September 13, 2004

They pass the gas station; Joe looks at it as it drifts by out the window, a dark shadow against the gray veil.

Just about done with this Rocketman revision, which has endured a change of season, of sorts; more on that when the time comes.

Meanwhile, Yen has written a new script, which I hope he passes my way soon (I'm a little jealous, actually, since I've been troubling myself over my lack of new ideas lately). He also has a new website, equal parts simple and beautiful, to promote the staged reading of his previous writing effort, Pit Stop. Seeing the site for the first time last night was tremendously exciting; the script, which is wonderful, suddenly seemed far more real with such gorgeous imagery attached to it. Make sure you download the flyer, too. If any of us makes a legit movie in the near future, my money's on this one going before cameras first.

(my ridiculously competitive mind has suddenly at this moment turned making another movie into a race).

I missed Michael Winterbottom's Code 46 during the one week it was in theaters here. In reparation, I went back and watched the two other films of his that I hadn't seen (of those commercially available, at least), The Claim and Butterfly Kiss. The latter, his theatrical debut, was really good. I wouldn't be surprised if Winterbottom had been inspired at least in part by the story of Aileen Wuornos -- the plot is quite similar to Monster, but it's a far better, more compelling film. It has a very mid-90s Killer Films feel to it, too. And it's got my two favorite chanteuses, Bjork and PJ Harvey, on the soundtrack (along with quite a few cuts from the first cassette tape I ever purchased back when I was 13 and new to modern music: The Cranberries' No Need To Argue, which added a great deal of nostalgic value).

That The Claim was so poorly released in 2000 seems a real shame; it's a great film, and one of Winterbottom's most visually impressive works. It's very McCabe & Mrs. Miller-ish, in many aspects (which means that it also bears some resemblances to Henry Lee, although none that made me despair in any way), with a magnificent performance from Peter Mullan (I wish I could say the same for Milla Jovovich, but for once, I wasn't too impressed with her -- I almost hate myself for having to admit that, but it's the truth). It's an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's The Mayor Of Casterbridge, and as such makes a fine companion piece to Jude, Winterbottom's far more literal take of Hardy's Jude The Obscure.

(I read Jude The Obscure during my first visit to the haunted house where we made James's film The Knocker, and it became at the time my favorite novel. I was inspired to start reading Thomas Hardy in the first place because I was at the library one day and a librarian my age asked me if I wanted to accompany her on her smoke break. We talked about literature. I professed an admiration for Dickens, she said she preferred Hardy. I never saw her again but I bought a few of Hardy's books the next day).

After viewing these films, I went back and read an interview with Winterbottom from earlier this year. It's an insightful piece, but the part that keeps sticking out in my mind was his mention of his 23 year old camera operator.

Things like that make me feel like I'm just dragging my feet.

Posted by David Lowery at September 13, 2004 02:44 PM

Comments

Posted by: Yen at September 13, 2004 04:37 PM

Posted by: Ghostboy at September 13, 2004 10:27 PM

Posted by: Yen at September 14, 2004 10:10 AM