What is "Notes from a Film?" A somewhat ambitious project; available on this page are links to short (usually mental) notes taken after a viewing but made more comprehensible, as well as lengthier, informal reviews. Think of it as an on-line film diary. Why "Notes from a Film?" The Samaritan in me says, "Here's my two cents for the fight against the dearth of on-line resources for older/alternative films." The Slacker in me says, "I have neither the time nor the constitution to write lengthy reviews for most of what I see." LEGEND:
208: Dec 25: AUGUST 32ND ON EARTH (Denis Villeneuve, 1998) **1/2 207: Dec 21: STEAM: THE TURKISH BATH (Ferzan Ozpetek, 1997) **1/2 206. Dec 19: SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (John Madden, 1998) *** 205. Dec 15: THE SALTMEN OF TIBET (Ulrike Koch, 1997) **1/2 204. Dec 14: JERRY AND TOM (Saul Rubinek, 1998) ** review 203. Dec 12: PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK (Peter Weir, 1975) 202. Dec 11: A SIMPLE PLAN (Sam Raimi, 1998) ** 201. Dec 07: PI (Darren Aronofsky, 1998) ** 200. Dec 07: PSYCHO (Gus Van Sant, 1998) ** 199. Dec 04: RONIN (John Frankenheimer, 1998) **1/2 198. Dec 04: TOUCH OF EVIL (Orson Welles, 1958) 197. Nov 30: VERY BAD THINGS (Peter Berg, 1998) 0 - walked out review 196. Nov 30: BABE: A PIG IN THE CITY (George Miller, 1998) *** 195. Nov 25: A BUG'S LIFE (John Lasseter, 1998) *** 194. Nov 24: ELIZABETH (Shekhar Kapur, 1998) *** 193. Nov 24: CELEBRITY (Woody Allen, 1998) **1/2 192. Nov 23: MEET JOE BLACK (Martin Brest, 1998) *1/2 191. Nov 23: APT PUPIL (Bryan Singer, 1998) * 190. Nov 23: ANTZ (Eric Darnell and Tim Johnson, 1998) **1/2 189. Nov 22: VIVRE SA VIE (Jean-Luc Godard, 1962) 188: Nov 21: ALPHAVILLE (Jean-Luc Godard, 1965) 187. Nov 21: VELVET GOLDMINE (Todd Haynes, 1998) ** 186. Nov 20: SZERELEM (Károly Makk, 1971) 185. Nov 20: GODS AND MONSTERS (Bill Condon, 1998) ** 184. Nov 20: NÔ (Robert Lepage, 1998) ** 183. Nov 19: PASSION (Jean-Luc Godard, 1982) 182. Nov 19: AMERICAN HISTORY X (Tony Kaye, 1998) ** 181. Nov 19: THE RED VIOLIN (François Girard, 1998) *1/2 180. Nov 18: FALLEN ANGELS (Wong Kar-wai, 1995) ** 179. Nov 17: NUMÉRO DEUX (Jean-Luc Godard, 1975) 178. Nov 17: THE CELEBRATION (Thomas Vinterberg, 1998) *** 177. Nov 17: LOVE IS THE DEVIL: STUDY FOR A PORTRAIT OF FRANCIS BACON (John Maybury, 1998) *1/2 176. Nov 16: L'ARGENT (Robert Bresson, 1983) 175: Nov 13: NOUVELLE VAGUE (Jean-Luc Godard, 1990) 174. Nov 09: THE SIEGE (Edward Zwick, 1998) **1/2 173. Nov 09: HAPPINESS (Todd Solondz, 1998) **1/2 172. Nov 03: YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS (Neil LaBute, 1998) ** 171. Oct 30: LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL (Roberto Benigni, 1998) *** 170. Oct 25: PLEASANTVILLE (Gary Ross, 1998) *1/2 169. Oct 23: / MOTHER AND SON / (Alexandr Sokurov, 1997) ***1/2 review 168. Oct 20: NEXT STOP WONDERLAND (Brad Anderson, 1998) **1/2 167. Oct 20: GADJO DILO (Tony Gatlif, 1997) *** 166. Oct 20: PECKER (John Waters, 1998) *1/2 165. Oct 17: BELOVED (Jonathan Demme, 1998) **1/2 164. Oct 16: PERMANENT MIDNIGHT (David Veloz, 1998) **1/2 163. Oct 15: THE MIGHTY (Peter Chelsom, 1998) ** 162. Oct 07: A SOLDIER'S DAUGHTER NEVER CRIES (James Ivory, 1998) **1/2 161. Sept 22: RETURN TO PARADISE (Joseph Ruben, 1998) *** 160. Sept 19: THE BOOK OF LIFE (Hal Hartley, 1998) *** 159. Sept 19: WHAT FAROCKI TAUGHT (Jill Godmilow, 1998) (30 min) 158. Sept 19: DELIVERY OF A NATION (Momir Matovic, 1997) (13 min) 157. Sept 19: THE WOUNDS (Srdjan Dragojevic, 1998) *** 156. Sept 19: DANCE OF DUST (Abolfazl Jailili, 1997) *** review 155. Sept 19: L'ARRIÈRE PAYS (Jacques Nolot, 1998) **1/2 154. Sept 18: LUMINOUS MOTION (Bette Gordon, 1998) * 153. Sept 18: FIRE-EATER (Pirjo Honkasalo, 1998) **1/2 152. Sept 18: GANGLAND (Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes, 1998) * 151. Sept 18: HAPPY GO LUCKY (Testsuya Nakashima, 1998) *** 150. Sept 17: LIFE ON EARTH (Abderrahmane Sissako, 1998) *1/2 149. Sept 17: AINSI SOIT IL (Joseph Gaye Ramaka, 1997) (33 min) 148. Sept 17: PASSION (Gyorgy Fehér, 1998) *** 147. Sept 17: BROKEN VESSELS (Scott Ziehl, 1998) ** 146. Sept 16: FIN AÔUT, DÉBUT SEPTEMBRE (Olivier Assayas, 1998) *** 145. Sept 16: THE SCHOOL OF THE FLESH (Benoît Jacquot, 1998) ***1/2 144. Sept 16: THE HOLE (Tsai Ming-liang, 1998) ***1/2 143. Sept 15: AT SACHEM FARM (Don Huddles, 1998) ** 142. Sept 15: ETERNITY AND A DAY (Theo Angelopoulos, 1998) **** 141. Sept 15: IN THE NAVEL OF THE SEA (Marilou Diaz-Abaya, 1998) ** 140. Sept 14: BULLET BALLET (Shinya Tsukamoto, 1998) *1/2 139: Sept 14: CARESSES (Ventura Pons, 1997) *1/2 138. Sept 13: SUNDAY DRIVE (Hisashi Saito, 1998) * 137. Sept 13: PERDITA DURANGO (Álex de la Iglesias, 1998) ** 136. Sept 13: AFTER LIFE (Hirokazu Kore-eda, 1998) *** 135. Sept 12: THE APPLE (Samira Makhmalbaf, 1998) ***1/2 134. Sept 11: DR. AKAGI (Shohei Imamura, 1998) ***1/2 133. Aug 29: BILLY'S HOLLYWOOD SCREEN KISS (Tommy O'Haver, 1998) *1/2 132. Aug 28: / THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY / (Bobby and Peter Farrelly, 1998) **1/2 131. Aug 27: MR. JEALOUSY (Noah Baumbach, 1998) *** 130: Aug. 26: / RAGING BULL / (Martin Scorsese, 1980) 129. Aug 26: / TAXI DRIVER / (Martin Scorsese, 1976) 128. Aug 17: THE HORSE WHISPERER (Robert Redford, 1998) ** 127. Aug 11: THE OPPOSITE OF SEX (Don Roos, 1998) ** 126. Aug 11: WILDE (Brian Gilbert, 1998) **1/2 125. Aug 11: THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO (Whit Stillman, 1998) ***1/2 124. Aug 06: BUFFALO '66 (Vincent Gallo, 1998) ** 123. Jul 24: MULAN (Barry Cook and Tony Bancroft, 1998) ** 122. Jul 24: SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (Steven Spielberg, 1998) ** 121. Jul 23: BOUDU SAVED FROM DROWNING (Jean Renoir, 1932) 120. Jul 23: UNE PARTIE DE CAMPAGNE (Jean Renoir, 1937) (37 min) 119. Jul 20: OUT OF SIGHT (Steven Sodergbergh, 1998) *** 118. Jul 20: THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY (Bobby and Peter Farrelly, 1998) **1/2 117. Jul 18: LA BELLE ET LA BÊTE (Jean Cocteau, 1946) 116. Jul 17: MASCULIN - FEMININ (Jean-Luc Godard, 1966) 115. Jul 14: HIGH ART (Lisa Cholodenko, 1998) ** 114. Jul 14: A SUMMER'S TALE (Eric Rohmer, 1997) ***1/2 113. Jul 08: MADAME DE... (Max Ophuls, 1953) 112: Jul 04: JULES ET JIM (François Truffaut, 1961) 111. Jul 03: BOB LE FLAMBEUR (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1956) 110. Jun 30: THE TRUMAN SHOW (Peter Weir, 1998) **1/2 109. Jun 20: MAHJONG (Edward Yang, 1996) *** 108. Jun 19: THE BEYOND (Lucio Fulci, 1981) 107: Jun 17: A CONFUCIAN CONFUSION (Edward Yang, 1997) ***1/2 106: Jun 12: TAIPEI STORY (Edward Yang, 1985) 105:. Jun 12: / RASHOMON / (Akira Kurosawa, 1950) 104. Jun 06: A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY (Edward Yang, 1991) 103. Jun 05: THE TERRORIZERS (Edward Yang, 1986) 102. May 26: GODZILLA (Roland Emmerich, 1998) *1/2 101. Apr 30: CREMASTER 5 (Matthew Barney, 1997) (54 min) 100. Apr 25: THE WOMAN IN THE DUNES (Hiroshi Teshigahara, 1964) 099. Apr 24: CHARACTER (Mike van Diem, 1997) **1/2 098. Apr 23: TOUT VA BIEN (Jean-Luc Godard and Jean-Pierre Gorin, 1972) 097. Apr 22: THE SEARCHERS (John Ford, 1956) 096. Apr 21: / THE MALTESE FALCON / (John Huston, 1941) 095. Apr 21: / CASABLANCA / (Michael Curtiz, 1942) 094: Apr 21: NOW, VOYAGER (Irving Rapper, 1942) 093: Apr 21: MILDRED PIERCE (Michael Curtiz, 1945) 092: Apr 20: THE PUBLIC ENEMY (William A. Wellman, 1931) 091. Apr 20: CITY OF ANGELS (Brad Silberling, 1998) ** 090. Apr 20: 42ND STREET (Lloyd Bacon, 1933) 089. Apr 20: THE JAZZ SINGER (Alan Crosland, 1927) 088. Apr 13: L'ENFER (Claude Chabrol, 1994) 087. Apr 12: / THE ADJUSTER / (Atom Egoyan, 1991) 086. Apr 10: / DAY FOR NIGHT / (François Truffaut, 1973) 085. Apr 07: THE APOSTLE (Robert Duvall, 1997) ** 084. Apr 07: FIREWORKS (Takeshi Kitano, 1997) ** 083. Apr 03: MEN WITH GUNS (John Sayles, 1997) *** 082. Apr 02: PRIMARY COLORS (Mike Nichols, 1998) ***1/2 081. Apr 02: THE BIG LEBOWSKI (Joel Coen, 1998) *** 080. Mar 30: LA VIE EST À NOUS (Jean Renoir, 1936) 079. Mar 29: / A MOMENT OF INNOCENCE / (Mohsen Makhmalbaf, 1996) 078: Mar 29: CLOSE-UP (Abbas Kiarostami, 1990) 077. Mar 29: MODERN TIMES (Charlie Chaplin, 1935) 076. Mar 28: STRIKE (Sergei Eisenstein, 1925) 075. Mar 27: / BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN / (Sergei Eisenstein, 1925) 074. Mar 26: LOVE AND DEATH ON LONG ISLAND (Richard Kwietnowski, 1997) *** 073. Mar 26: NIL BY MOUTH (Gary Oldman, 1997) ** 072. Mar 22: PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET (Samuel Fuller, 1953) notes 071. Mar 22: FULLER FRAME BY FRAME (André Labarthe, 1987) (20 min) notes 070. Mar 21: THE LOVES OF ONDINE (Andy Warhol, 1967) notes 069. Mar 15: JEANNE DIELMAN, 23 QUAI DE COMMERCE, 1080 BRUXELLES (Chantal Akerman, 1975) notes 068. Mar 14: VINYL (Andy Warhol, 1965) notes 067. Mar 14: HAIRCUT (NO.1) (Andy Warhol, 1963) (24 min) notes 066. Mar 14: SHOCK CORRIDOR (Sam Fuller, 1963) notes 065. Mar 12: THE BUTCHER BOY (Neil Jordan) ** notes 064. Mar 12: LA PROMESSE (Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne) ***1/2 notes 063. Mar 08: THE WEDDING SINGER (Frank Coraci, 1998) ** notes 062. Mar 08: THE CHELSEA GIRLS (Andy Warhol, 1966) notes 061. Mar 07: LONESOME COWBOYS (Andy Warhol, 1967) notes 060. Mar 07: CHANTAL AKERMAN BY CHANTAL AKERMAN (Chantal Akerman, 1996) *** notes 059. Mar 07: J'AI FAIM, J'AI FROID (Chantal Akerman, 1984) (12 min) notes 058. Mar 07: SAUTE MA VILLE (Chantal Akerman, 1968) (13 min) notes 057. Mar 06: MY HUSTLER (Andy Warhol, 1965) notes 056. Mar 06: BLOW JOB (Andy Warhol, 1963) (35 min) notes 055. Mar 05: FOUR DAYS IN SEPTEMBER (Bruno Barreto, 1997) *** notes 054. Mar 03: AFTERGLOW (Alan Rudolph) ** notes 053. Mar 02: DARK CITY (Alex Proyas, 1998) *** notes 052. Feb 28: ASSASSIN(S) (Mathieu Kassovitz, 1997) ** 051. Feb 27: MARIUS ET JEANETTE (Robert Guédiguian, 1997) *** 050. Feb 26: PARIS S'ÉVEILLE (Olivier Assayas, 1991) 049. Feb 23: TIME OF THE GYPSIES (Emir Kusturica, 1989) 048. Feb 23: THE COUNTESS OF BATON ROUGE (André Forcier, 1997) ** 047. Feb 20: L'EAU FROIDE (Olivier Assayas, 1994) 046. Feb 19: WAREHOUSE (Yasuzo Masumura, 1969) 045. Feb 16: MA VIE EN ROSE (Alain Berliner) **1/2 044. Feb 15: GREAT EXPECTATIONS (Alfonso Cuaron) ** 043. Feb 13: GIANTS AND TOYS (Yasuzo Masumura, 1958) 042. Feb 11: THE IDENTIFICATION OF A WOMAN (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1982) 041. Feb 09: THE DESIGNATED MOURNER (David Hare, 1997) *** 040. Feb 09: / L.A. CONFIDENTIAL / (Curtis Hanson, 1997) ***1/2 039. Feb 09: HOUSE OF YES (Mark Waters, 1997) ** 038. Feb 08: BENT (Sean Mathias, 1997) *1/2 037. Feb 08: LIVE FLESH (Pedro Almodovar) **1/2 036. Feb 07: FELLINI SATYRICON (Federico Fellini, 1969) 035. Feb 06: / BLOW UP / (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1966) 034. Feb 05: CHRISTMAS ON EARTH (Barbara Rubin, 1963) (29min) 033. Feb 05: SCORPIO RISING (Kenneth Auger, 1963) (29 min) 032. Feb 05: WINDOW WATER BABY MOVING (Stan Brakhage, 1959) (13 min) 031. Feb 05: UN CHANT D'AMOUR (Jean Genet, 1950) (26 min) 030. Feb 05: / L'AVVENTURA / (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1960) 029. Feb 05: / RITORNO A LISCA BIANCA / (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1983) (9 min) 028. Feb 04: / BEYOND THE CLOUDS / (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1996) ** 027. Feb 03: SURVIVING MEMORY (Ellen R. Flanders, 1996) (video) 026. Feb 03: ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF WESTERN MUSIC (Dennis Day, 1997) (video) 025. Feb 03: / THE UNFINISHED VIDEO / MONTREAL OR HEAVEN / (Dennis Day, 1995) (video) 024. Feb 02: FETISHES (Nick Broomfield, 1996) **1/2 023. Feb 02: FEMALE PERVERSIONS (Susan Streitfeld, 1996) **1/2 022. Feb 01: EVE'S BAYOU (Kasi Lemmons, 1997) ** 021. Feb 01: THE WINTER GUEST (Alan Rickman, 1997) ***1/2 020. Jan 31: ZABRISKIE POINT (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1969) 019. Jan 30: FLAMING CREATURES (Jack Smith , 1963) (42 min) 018. Jan 30: BLONDE COBRA (Ken Jacobs, 1958-63) (33 min) 017. Jan 30: THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN (Josef von Strenberg, 1935) 016. Jan 29: RED DESERT (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1964) 015. Jan 26: / KUNDUN / (Martin Scorsese, 1997) **** 014. Jan 26: OSCAR AND LUCINDA (Gillian Armstrong, 1997) **1/2 013. Jan 25: THE KINGDOM II (Lars von Trier, 1997) *1/2 012. Jan 24: L'ÉCLISSE (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1961) 011. Jan 24: / LA NOTTE / (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1961) 010. Jan 23: / L'AVVENTURA /(Michelangelo Antonioni, 1960) 009. Jan 23: / RITORNO A LISCA BIANCA / (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1983) (9 min) 008. Jan 22: A CHEF IN LOVE (Nana Djordjadze, 1996) ** 007. Jan 19: SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET (Jean Jacques Annaud, 1997) ** 006. Jan 17: FAST CHEAP AND OUT OF CONTROL (Errol Morris, 1997) *** 005. Jan 16: KUNDUN (Martin Scorsese, 1997) **** 004. Jan 09: WAG THE DOG (Barry Levinson, 1997) **1/2 003. Jan 06: / TITANIC / (James Cameron, 1997) *** review 002. Jan 04: GOOD WILL HUNTING (Gus van Sant, 1997) **1/2 001. Jan 02: THE BOXER (Jim Sheridan, 1997) *** |
