I don't talk about music on here much (even though I should) but I have to give props to a great band who released their first full length US album today, Nine Black Alps. I bought there EP on a fling because it looked interesting and was only 4 bucks. It was amazing. So freakin' good. So you can tell how pumped I was to finally pick up their full length, entitled Everything Is, today (which mind you has been out in the UK for about a year). Just finished listening to the record and once again it blows me away. To be honest I haven't been listening to much new music recently. Matter of fact I haven't bought much music either. Aside from the Death From Above remix album that was released a few months ago, the only other albums I have been picked up are classic rock (Lynyrd Skynyrd and America). It really takes alot these days to impress me with something new. And you guys know me I listen to all kinds of crazy stuff. That being said, Nine Black Alps just make me smile. Just some great rock'n'roll. Everyone should check them out. The new record is actually on sale for 8 bucks at Best Buy this week. Please check it out.

We got our Cleveland Cinematheque memberships in the mail today. It put a smile on our faces. I think we might go see a film their sometime this weekend. They are playing a series of films by a lesser known French New Wave director by the name of Luc Moullet. His debut film from '66 entitled Brigitte and Brigitte is playing this week. I am not familiar with his work at all so I figured we may as well start from the beginning.

On a sad film note, the dollar theater around where I live Movies 4 has shut their doors for good. Apparently their lease was up and they decided to move on. It will be missed.

In case everyone doesn't know already, Spike Jonze is going to do a live action version of the famous childrens book Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Well word is out that he is finally going to start filming soon and the cast is finally rolling in. They have already cast the actress to play the mother of Max (the main character just in case you didn't know). Who did they cast you ask? Well just the best actress working in film today...Catherine Keener. Man, this is getting better and better the more I hear about it. a while back Tom Hanks was attached to. I think as the voice of the narrator. However, I am not sure if he is still signed on, figuring that this was years ago. Hanks coming is still producing the film and as far as I know Dave Eggers (an amazing novelist) script is still the one being used.

So I have been catching up on my exploitation films recently. Finally watch Sex and Fury and another disc in the Pinky Violence Collection called Terrifying Girls' High School: Lynch Law Classroom (I know its the most strangest and longest title ever). Both films were highly entertaining for fans of the genre. Too bad that both actresses that were icons of Japanese exploitation, Miki Sugimoto and Reiko Ike, retired from acting in the late 70s, because I think they could have had career revivals just like Pam Grier. They definitely have the look, charisma and coolness just as she did as she reigned the blaxploitation era that same decade. Come on Tarantino work your magic. One can only dream, I guess.

I am convinced that the Pinky Violence Collection is possibly one of the best boxsets available, second to The Yakuza Papers box (the Battle without Honor and Humanity series) of course.

In the theme of exploitation I picked up Thriller: They Call Me One Eye. It was only 11 bucks because it is the stripped down "vengeance edition" with no extras and the hardcore scenes cut out. Yes, I said hardcore scenes. Apparently the film has straight up porn scenes in it for no apparent reason. Friends have said its pointless and distracting so I figure I would pick up the newer version to check the film out for myself without distractions. I am looking forward to this disc's viewing soon.

Chiaki took me to see Duck, You Sucker (aka A Fistful of Dynamite) last night at the Cleveland Cinematheque for my birthday. The awesome thing was that my parents got us memberships as a gift so now we can save some cash (savings of 3 bucks per ticket actually). The film was great. Sergio Leone is great at mixing humor and over the top violence together perfectly. Duck, You Sucker seems at first almost more of a comedy than anything else but the second half turns more into typical Leone fare with a political flavor to it. The leads of Rod Steiger and James Coburn are absolutely made for these roles. Matter of fact, Chiaki was floored when I told her Steiger was a famous American and not a Mexican like he portrays. That's how convincing he was.

So the dvd for The Passenger was supposed to come out in mid-March now its late mid-April. To make matters worse the specs have changed from what was first said to be on the disc originally. The first listing claimed there would be a Jack Nicholson commentary and another by German director Wim Wenders. The new specs claim that their is only on commentary and only with the screenwriter and some journalist. Talk about depressing. I was really looking forward to here what Nicholson had to say about the film he is said to adore the most from his career.

To add more disappointment, Hong Sang Soo, the Korean director who was supposed to introduce his latest film Tale of Cinema at the Wexner Center in Columbus, had to cancel his plans to travel to the US and Canada because of some undisclosed minor injury.

Good thing my birthday is tommorrow or I would be pretty bummed out. Hopefully it won't get pushed back or cancelled.

1001 reason why I am a total film nerd:

I just used my sick/personal holiday hours at work (I had a plethora) to have off for the entire run of the Cleveland International Film Festival. That gives me free reign to see whatever. I know. I know. You don't have to tell me. I am a dork. After all I have to make up for not attending last year.

The time has come. The Cleveland Film Society officially released the line up for the Cleveland International Film Festival. At first glance I was alittle disappointed. Probably because I had high hopes for some films to be listed that are currently running the film festival circuits, like Invisible Waves, Takeshis, and Linda, Linda, Linda.

However, at second glance I really think that it could be a great year. Some films I recognize and really want to see like The Proposition and Factotum. While others sound very interesting after further reading, for example, Quo Vadis, Baby, Midnight, My Love, and Beauty Remains. Two documentaries, Henri Langois:Phantom of the Cinematheque and Midnight Movies: From Margin to the Mainstream sound promising. I am sure I will find others after digging deeper into the descriptions.

A few I have seen already ( like The Bow, a breathtaking film which is nearly ruined by a down right silly ending) and while others I heard are just awful (like Wassup Rockers, the new film by Kids photographer/director Larry Clark). All in all, however, I am really exciting about this year.

Chiaki and I caught Once Upon a Time in the West on the big screen, the other night. Man, was it beautiful. You truly have to see this theatrically, you will be in awe. It made me love the film more than I ever have.

Man, I guess I am slipping. I forgot to mention that we caught The Passenger a few days before that. We loved it. I had been dying to see this Antonioni film and I am so pleased that the Cleveland Cinematheque played it theatrically. Their is an amazing shot at the very end of the film that is to be seen to believe. I had to get online that night just to figure out how the hell he shot it. I am dying to pick this up next month on dvd so I can hear what Jack Nicholson has to say about the film. I read a while ago that this is the film in his career he feels most passionate about and he was responsible for its re-release.

Read some interesting news today. Marilyn Manson and his wife were married by cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky. So your probably saying who the hell is that, right? Jodorowsky is an absolute madman. He is a genius of the bizarre...and I mean bizarre. His most famous films El Topo and The Holy Mountain are the most strangest films I have ever seen.

I guess it is very fitting for him to marry one of the strangest people of our generation. It has been rumored for years that he has been seeking Manson for a sequel to his film El Topo called Son of El Topo. Jodorowsky was even supposed to originally film the cult classic Dune, in the 70s but it fell through. Below is a pre-production flyer and a little bit about what ended up happening with the project.

Jodorowsky had originally planned on filming Dune in the early-'70s, and had enlisted the help of Jean Giraud and H.R. Giger to create the movie's visual style. Salvador Dali­ was enlisted to play the part of the Emperor, and Jodorowsky also intended to cast his own son Brontis Jodorowsky as Paul, David Carradine as Duke Leto, Orson Welles as the Baron, and Gloria Swanson as the Benne Geserit Reverend Mother. The soundtrack was to be done by Pink Floyd.

According to Jodorowsky, "The project was sabotaged in Hollywood. It was French and not American. Their message was 'not Hollywood enough'. The storyboard was circulated among all the big studios. Later, the visual aspect of Star Wars(1977) strangely resembled our style. To make Alien (1979), they called Moebius [Giraud], Foss, Giger, O'Bannon, etc. The project signaled to Americans the possibility of making a big show of science-fiction films, outside of the scientific rigor of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). The project of Dune changed our lives." Jodorowsky also planned on making numerous changes to the source material, including making Duke Leto a eunuch and the spice a blue sponge. Author Frank Herbert openly despised these concepts.

Pretty crazy stuff, isnt it!

I really don't know how this got passed me. Apparently this news was released way back in September of last year. Anyways, Criterion Collection is set to release the definitive version of Dazed and Confused sometime this summer. This film has been aching for a proper release for quite sometime. The last release of the film was supposed to be a special edition but it had nothing on it. Like a documentary and deleted scene tops. Criterion will do this film justice and I can't wait. I am so glad I held off for so many years for this one. Besides I already had the laserdisc (I know you can fill-in any variety of words to describe nerd now).

So these next couple weeks are going to be pretty damn cool in cinema for me at least. For starters, sometime this weekend we are going to catch The Passenger at the Cleveland Cinematheque. This is Michelangelo Antonioni film I have been dying to see for years but have never been able to find a copy of. Now I get to see it on the big screen.

The following weekend brings one of my all time favorites, Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West. You have no idea how ecstatic I am to see this in a theater. Its just crying out to be seen theatrically and now I finally have a chance. The weekend after next brings not only my birthday but a screening of a Sergio Leone film I have never seen, Fistful of Dynamite (also known as Duck, You Sucker). Once again I am beyond excited.

Right around the time of this screening comes the announcement of something truly special here in Ohio. Something I live for every year, even when I was in California I would schedule a trip home during these 10 days. What 10 days, do you say? Well the Cleveland International Film Festival, of course. From March 16 to the 26th, Tower City Cinemas will be the home of one of the best things that Cleveland has to offer. After emailing the Cleveland Film Society they told me the complete film list should be online the week of February 24th. This year is going to be really special for us. Last year, Chiaki and I lost one of are most dearest friends with the passing of my Grandfather. We were to sadden to even think about the festival. This year will be our comeback year, in the name of my Grandpa Bucklew, we will have great year. If you get a chance I really think you should to.

So I guess I should catch up on a few films I have seen over the last few days. For starters I forgot to report about our viewing of Bernardo Bertolucci's The Conformist. Definitely a film you have to view a few times to fully understand. Also it is deeply in line with the times in Italy during the late 30's, therefore some of the situations may be confusing to those no familiar during the time and era. The film deals strongly with fascism and how it drove people to do unthinkable things. So what did I think of it. While I said previously that I was confused at times, I still thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. One of the main reasons was the way Bertolucci and his cinematographer shot the film. Man, this is one of the most beautifully and creatively shot films I have ever seen. I mean, in my mind, the two best cinematographers of all time are Raoul Coutard and Christopher Doyle. Those films not shot by Coutard and Doyle that I find breathtaking include Blow-up, Road to Perdition, What Time is it There? and A Very Long Engagement. I can proudly add The Conformist to that list.

I finally sat down to watch my copy of Hong Sang Soo's Woman is the Future of Man. Wasn't at all what I thought it would be but I really liked it (on the other hand, Chiaki hated it). Most reviews compare it Hong Sang Soo to Michelangelo Antonioni but to me his style reminded my a lot of Neil Labute. I say this because this film of his at least was very frank when it came to the subject of sex. Matter of fact, I found it to shadow Labute's Your Friends & Neighbors more than anything. But this is only my first Hong Sang Soo film so the more I see maybe the more Antonioni will shine out. I still have his first film to watch The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well his first film, which I also have on dvd. I am really looking forward to possibly catching another one of his films before we catch Tale of Cinema which will be introduced by none other than Hong Sang Soo himself. Pretty pumped!

We just got done watching a Japanese film called Tony Takitani. Its a very short yet poetic film. Excellent film, really. Do yourself a favor and Netflix it. So I haven't lived up to my promise I first started posting. That promise was to introduce a film, filmmaker, or actor that a lot of people may not have ever heard of but should.

Today's film is...

Man, do I absolutely just love this film. Saw it at the Cleveland Cinematheque 4 or 5 years ago and just fell in love with it. It is a revelation to see in the theater. The cinematography is so still yet set up so amazingly. Its hard to explain but it is some of the most complex shots you will ever see. Tsai Ming-Liang, the director, sets each shot so originally that action is going on in all corners of the picture. Like I said it is difficult to explain so you will just have to see it to really understand what I am talking about. I will warn you though Ming-Liang films move at a snail pace. If you are looking for a big fast movie film that holds your interest throughout with jaw dropping effects, this is not your style. However, if you want to try something different and can stomach a film with static yet astonishing cinematography, you should really check this out. Please do yourself a big favor and give this film a chance!

One last thing, the film which I am most excited about this year, Invisible Waves, finally has a website and, more importantly, a trailer. Check it out.

How the hell this is going to fit into Michel Gondry's new film The Science of Sleep , I have no idea? But man I am intrigued. I mention this film a few posts back. It is near the top of my list of films I am dying to see this year. I think this is a normal picture compared to the still below.

If you thought Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was a Gondry video fully coming to life, I think this film will out-weird it. I am drooling from anticipation.

So some awesome news was just announced for the future of international film here in the states. CJ Enterntainment, arguably Korea's largest distribution company, is building a 650-seat theater in Los Angeles to be opened by June 2007. It will screen Korean films simultaneously with their releases in Korea.

Do you have any idea how revolutionary this will be? There has never been a film that I can remember that has been shown in the US remotely close to its release in its own country. I mean look at such films as Hero, which was released a whole 3 years after it did in China and the rest of the world. Even something like Trainspotting took just over a year to reach the US. This is a huge step in international film distribution. I can't wait.

Man do I miss living in Southern California. I am going to be so jealous. I see many California trips in our future. To all my California friends, you better have you spare rooms cleaned by June of 2007.

Caught Brokeback Mountain over the weekend. Its a beautiful film. I think everyone should see it. Finally there was one film that the Academy got right for the Best Cinematography nominations. The film is one of the most breathtakingly shot films of last year. I definitely see Ang Lee winning for Best Director, however Best Picture will be very ballsy, I think. I mean this isn't the type of film the Academy votes for. Its not safe. The Academy likes to be safe. Did Tom Cruise win for Magnolia years ago? Of course not, instead they chose the more conventional performance of Michael Caine in Cider House Rules. that's just the way they are. Look at Russell Crowe. Did he win for his amazing yet not mainstream performance in The Insider? No, he won for the box office hit Gladiator. So we will see I guess. I still think Munich should take the top awards but I don't think it has a snowball in hell chance. So I will settle for Brokeback Mountain instead.

So being on a Pam Grier kick recently, I popped in Jackie Brown today. What a underrated film. I mean look what it is up against. You have the breakthrough first film, Reservoir Dogs. The mainstream hit Pulp Fiction, which made Tarantino a household name. I mean really how do you follow that film. I don't think the mainstream audience was read for an homage to Blaxploitation films. To make matters worse he followed it up with the epic that is Kill Bill. Of course the film is going to get lost. Its a shame. I will admit I was a little shaken the first time I saw it. I was a bit disappointed but also a bit curious how it would be on repeat viewings. That is really what Jackie Brown needs, several viewings. It gets better the more you watch it. It really does.

So I am off. I think I will throw in Coffy to keep in the spirit as we dose off to sleep.

So everyone is probably wondering what I thought of the Independent Spirit Awards...er..Academy Award nominations. There okay, I guess. I personally think its great that their our a lot of independent films nominated this year. Look at the Best Picture noms. 4 of the 5 films are from independent branches of bigger studios: Focus, Warner Independent, Sony Classics, Lions Gate. The one film in the best picture category that is distributed by a major studio, Munich, I wouldn't even go as far to say it is mainstream. Yeah it was shot for 75 million dollars, but that is pocket change for Spielberg and it doesn't even have a mainstream actor in it. Trust me, thats Spielberg being indie. So in that respected I was excited. But there are always disappointments.

Munich and Constant Gardener should have gotten more. I am surprised that Munich got the top two nods. It also deservered at least Best Actor and Best Cinematography (don't even get me started on this category, which left out so many good cinematographers this year). On the other hand, Constant Gardener got cheated Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Cinematography.

So what do I think will win the big awards this year?

Philip Seymour Hoffman for Best Actor. He deserves it most from the list. He truly transformed in that role.

Reese Witherspoon for Best Actress. I think it is about time for people to take her serious. I haven't seen this performance yet but I head she embodies the role with ease.

Paul Giamatti for Best Supporting Actor. I haven't seen this film yet either but the man is amazing in everything he does.

Rachel Weisz for Best Supporting Actress. By far the best performance by an actress I have seen in several years. Man, is she stunning in this film. Such an amazing performance. Catherine Keener is also up for this award, who I think is the most talented actress working in film today. However, Rachel Weisz was the performance that blew me away last year.

Ang Lee for Best Director. As much as I want Spielberg to when this, I think it is definitely the underdog. I think Ang Lee pretty much as it in the bag. I have yet to see Brokeback Mountain, but I am sure it is a beautiful.

Brokeback Mountain for Best Picture. I can't see it not winning. Once again I think Munich was the film of the year but it is the dark horse in this category.

So thats that. I am sure my decision will change was the days go by. As I do every year I am going to have a Oscar pool going on among friends and family so I will have to make a final decision as the time grows near. Their are still some films I want to catch before then such as Crash, Hustle & Flow, and Brokeback Mountain. I think we might even check out the latter tomorrow. I will be back to give a full report afterwards.