Commentary – Page 6 – Film Journey

Animation industry

February 6, 2008 Doug Cummings Commentary

The estimable Animation World Magazine offers an excellent article on Persepolis‘ lack of exposure from Sony. The author doesn’t make any points that a lot of us haven’t been making for years, but it’s great to see more articles like this in popular industry trades/sites. It’s also well written, offering gems such as this:

“On the other hand, audiences are treated (on two screens at most
multiplexes) to the lowest examples of swill dished out by Hollywood.
While Persepolis struggles to be shown in the smallest of art film
houses, National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets is smeared like

Robert Koehler’s Best of 2007

January 4, 2008 Robert Koehler Commentary, Film review

In the City of Sylvia

THE FILMS OF 2007

By ROBERT KOEHLER

This is a long list because it was a great year. And it was a great year because weíre in the midst of a new golden age for world cinemaóof which this list is submitted as proof. And because this list is long, Iíll be brief. 2007 was the year that ushered in the greatest film of the new centuryóJose Luis Guerinís combined film and video meditation on what it is to be an artist, to be a lover, to see and to listen otherwise known as Dans …

Best of 2007

January 3, 2008 Doug Cummings Commentary, Film review

Honor of the Knights

It’s funny to think back on 2007–a year fraught with many personal changes for me (necessitating a sometimes sporadic approach to blogging here at Film Journey)–and still recognize that I managed to attend four major film festivals, publish liner notes to a CD and a DVD, write entries for MovieMail and film festival catalogues, catch revival screenings and new releases, and watch a steady flow of multiregion DVDs. And I don’t even feel that obsessional–I have plenty of non-cinephile friends, indulge in other activities (drawing, hiking, reading, European board games), and spend a lot of time …

AFI FEST preview

October 9, 2007 Doug Cummings Commentary, Film festival

In years past, the Los Angeles AFI FEST has proven to be a lot like many American Film Institute events–big, glitzy, and not especially exciting in terms of world cinema. This year, however, its line-up–just announced today–is an improvement. In addition to some of my own TIFF favorites (The Duchess of Langeais, Persepolis, Silent Light) and films friends loved (4 Months, 3 Weeks and Two Days, The Flight of the Red Balloon, Chop Shop, Munyurangabo), I’m especially excited about these titles:

ï Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows

The …

LAFF 2007

June 21, 2007 Doug Cummings Commentary, Film review

Robert Koehler and I are both planning to attend this year’s LAFF, and as of this afternoon, it looks like I’ve been granted press credentials for the festival, so I plan on writing about a decent share of films. (And rewatching a few favorites, such as Honor of the Knights, Times and Winds, Syndromes and a Century, and Paraguayan Hammock.) With everyone lamenting the death of newspapers–premature though it may be–it amazes me that serious bloggers continue to get shut out of many festivals. I know I’m not the only cinephile who considers the internet my …

Goethe-Institut and “Starring Berlin”

May 4, 2007 Doug Cummings Commentary, Film festival, Film review

One of the cultural institutions here in Los Angeles that screens movies on a regular basis is the Goethe-Institut; currently, it’s showcasing “Starring Berlin,” a series featuring the capitol in 40 films, from Paul Leni’s Backstairs (1921) to Detlev Buck’s Tough Enough (2006). The series continues throughout the year.

I’ve known about the Goethe-Institut for a while, but never visited their facility until this week–and what a treasure it is. Just east of Wilshire and Fairfax, their Media Lounge alone contains hundreds of books, VHS tapes, and DVDs–largely arranged by filmmaker–with rarities like Wenders’ Kings of the Road, Fassbinder’s …