Author: Doug Cummings

This whole blogging thing is new to me, so I struggle with wondering how much to divulge about myself and how much to remain resolutely focused on films. Some blogs resemble odes to navel-gazing streams-of-consciousness; others are more topical.

So I’m back after a few days traveling to my home state of Missouri, where we’ve just had a funeral for my father (60) who passed away last week. I’ve lived away from home for over ten years, and my father and I had many differences–the trip and sorting through my thoughts and feelings have been complex and taxing. At the …

“Silence doesn’t exist anymore; you can’t find it.  That, for me, would make it impossible to live.”
–Robert Bresson

(And check out Acquarello’s new design for his excellent site, Strictly Film School.)…

For those living near Chicago (I’m not sure how many of us that includes), Facets is presenting an almost-complete retrospective of Aki Kaurismaki, starting this Friday. Through the gracious help of a friend, I was able to watch a number of his films on video. Obviously not the best way to watch Kaurismaki’s work, but even the videos were impressive. I wrote up a review for a local paper and thought I’d just post it here, in the hopes of provoking some discussion. I’m especially interested in what people think of Kaurismaki’s other movies, such as Juha, Shadows in Paradise, …

October’s going to be a great month for cinephiles. Being one of the co-administrators of robert-bresson.com, I’m privy to news items from time to time, and here’s the latest: Rialto Pictures informs us they will premiere their new print of Robert Bresson‘s Au hasard Balthazar (1966) on October 17 at the Film Forum in New York, and it will travel to various cities in the ensuing months. (Almost all of Rialto’s releases eventually become Criterion Collection DVDs as well.)

This is significant on several accounts, two of which are that it’s probably my favorite film of all time …

As I alluded to last week, I’m going through a difficult emotional season these days. It’s funny how movies can at once transport us through artificial realms of drama and simultaneously reflect our existing realities back to us. A few nights ago, I planned to watch the new movie, Northfork, so I purchased my ticket, grabbed some popcorn and a coke, and found a seat in the theatre. After about five minutes, I realized I was too preoccupied with my own thoughts and too fragile to take on anything else, so I walked out, coke and corn in the …