It's Friday--Any Good Movies?

[Naomi Hirahara]

This woman cannot live on March Madness and books alone. Any good movies to recommend? Right now "The Lookout," which opens today in some markets, looks plenty good. I've heard positive buzz on TV about it, but the L.A. Times states this morning: "'The Lookout' is a writer's thriller. . . . [Director Scott] Frank has come up with an involving twists on traditional thriller material, but what makes 'The Lookout' distinctive is its strong sense of character. It's that uncommon genre film that has invested time and skill in creating convincing, carefully constructed personalities." Reviews often misdirect, but I hope this
reviewer is spot-on. What else is out there, either new or on DVD?

[Naomi Hirahara]

I will be there for "Act of Violence"--I'm glad to hear your thumbs-up review.

A lot of the films are not on DVD, which is a bloody and inconceivable shame.
You figure with all the trash they churn out in the dollar bins, why can't they have
these classics available? I've never made it to a screening of CRIMSON KIMONO,
but I'm sure as hell going to try this time. The one problem is that I've become
quite the traffic wimp, and to think of negotiating Hollywood Boulevard two weeks
in a row is quite daunting. I'm a member of the Little Tokyo Historic Society, so
I'm trying to round up some folks to carpool together for the CRIMSON. Hope we
make it.

[Vince Keenan]

I'll also chime in on behalf of "Act of Violence." That line-up at the Egyptian is breathtaking. Not a dud in the bunch. I love the New York vs. Los Angeles theme -- particularly as I know Eddie Muller, who runs the Film Noir Foundation, would claim San Francisco as the ultimate noir town. The FNF did a double bill at the Seattle Film Festival last year of titles they restored, "The Man Who Cheated Himself" and "The Window." They're supposedly prepping a new print of the great underrated noir "Too Late For Tears," also known as "Killer Bait," with Lizabeth Scott and Dan Duryea.

Christa & Naomi -- if you go to these screenings, promise us a full report?

[Naomi Hirahara]

I'm sure Christa will be documenting all her thoughts and observations
about the film fest on her wonderful blog and personal pages.
I'll be there for an education. I'm actually more familiar with Japanese
classic films than American ones (anyone for "Pigs and Battleships"?).
I'll be the one at the festival with that wide-eyed kid's expression.

[Christa Faust]

Naomi, email me privately if you'd like to carpool with me. I plan catch KIMONO for sure.

Vince, you can count on a full report.

Speaking of Japanese Noir, I haven't seen PIGS AND BATTLESHIPS, but I recently saw STRAY DOG for the first time and loved it. Any other suggestions in that vein that I might have missed?

[Stephen Blackmoore]

I just looked at the lineup for the Film Noir series. I think I need to take the month off just to hit these movies. Hoping I can make it to see the Crimson Kimono, and would really like to catch I Love Trouble and Pitfall. Maybe I'll catch you there.

[Vince Keenan]

I liked it quite a bit myself. A smart, lived-in noir thriller.

[Naomi Hirahara]

Thanks for the heads-up, guys. We didn't make it to the theatre this weekend--the weather has been gorgeous in L.A. We did rent "Stranger Than Fiction," and although I did like the concept of a character coming to life/a character fighting with the author, it needed a little more umph to it. My husband felt and I agree that the narrative of the novel itself wasn't that interesting, so why would anyone think that it would be a masterpiece in the first place?

Maggie Gyllenhaal was captivating as always, however.

[Patricia Abbott]

Cannot say enough good things about The Lives of Others. It was compelling from start to finish.

[Simon Spurrier]

The best new film I've seen recently - and there's not even a pause for thought, here - is Pan's Labyrinth.

Honestly, if you haven't seen it already... Go. Go get it immediately. Drop everything. It's... well, I'm not going to say too much, but it's beautiful, and sweet, and heartbreaking, and it's not what you expect at all. Go. GO, dammit!

300, by contrast - and I speak as a thoroughly blokey bloke, who happens to've read and written graphic novels for years, so probably the absolute core demographic - is a big pile of arse. When will movie makers realise, and fanboys concede, that you *can't* make a shot-for-shot, word-for-word adaptation of a comic (or novel) without it looking and sounding creaky as hell?

This is all just IMHO, of course.

[norby]

I saw Pan's Labyrinth in the theater, but it's not out on DVD in the states yet. I think it comes out next month. I have it preordered on Amazon, so whenever it comes out, I will have it.

I agree-one of the best movies I've seen in a long time.

[Jeffrey Marks]

Simon, saw Pan's Labyrinth and thought it an incredible film. The DVD comes out next month here, I believe. It was just in theatres here.

[Karyn J. Powers]

We just got back from Pathfinder. 300-esque. I liked the concept, but felt like I was watching Last of the Mohicans meets Conan the Barbarian. Grittier than the former, much less camp than the latter