Andrew Bujalski: Computer Chess, Mutual Appreciation, Beeswax

Andrew Bujalski's Computer Chess is available for purchase via iTunes, and will be available this week on other services (October 4 on Amazon Instant Video, for example).

[Edit November 7, 2013: Computer Chess is now available on Netflix Watch Instantly]

I'm quite a fan of his 2005 film, Mutual Appreciation, which many people associate with the so-called "mumblecore" movement/genre/group of films and filmmakers.  One thing that distinguished Mutual Appreciation from other mumblecore films was that it was shot on film rather than digital video, which gave it a texture more akin to an early Cassavettes film.  It is somewhat ironic that for his move to video, Bujalski went in the opposite direction of the latest digital camera and instead shot Computer Chess on old-school video cameras not unlike those that were around at the time the film takes place, the 1980s.  Beyond being just a gimmick, the technical decision creates some interesting stylistic obstacles and challenges, most of which fit well with the deadpan observational humor of the film.

Aside from one false step, an artsy flourish in color near the end, Bujalski commits himself to the technical and conceptual minimalism of observing a computer chess tournament, with most scenes taking place in a conference room and individual hotel rooms.  The film compensates for its lack of spectacle with wry humor about a complicated network of professional rivalries and relationships hampered by awkward social skills. A mix of professional and non-professional actors produces an interesting clash of tones in some scenes which again works well with this particular milieu.  Bujalski is probably more interesting in terms of the environment he creates for the actors to find their way through the scenes, rather than in terms of visual style.  Still, pulling off a period piece which is very dependent on genuine technological artifacts from the era on an independent budget is quite impressive.

Bujalski's films have been available on Netflix Instant View at various times, but they are not there at the moment.  So for this post, I'm experimenting with suggesting three films that are available on three different services, at various prices.  Of course, you could play the waiting game and see if they appear on subscription services again.

Synopses and images from The Movie Database

Computer Chess (Andrew Bujalski, USA, 2013, 91 minutes)

A 1980s-set story centered around a man vs. machine chess tournament.

[Edit November 7, 2013: Computer Chess is now available on Netflix Watch Instantly]

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Mutual Appreciation (Andrew Bujalski, USA, 2005, 109 minutes) 

Alan is a musician who leaves a busted-up band for New York, and a new musical voyage. He tries to stay focused and fends off all manner of distractions, including the attraction to his good friend's girlfriend.

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Beeswax (Andrew Bujalski, USA, 2009, 100 minutes)

Beeswax revolves around the personal and professional entanglements of twin sisters Jeannie and Lauren – played by extraordinary newcomers Tilly and Maggie Hatcher – living in Austin, Texas. Jeannie co-owns a vintage clothing store with Amanda, a semi-estranged friend who she fears is trying to end their partnership. Lauren leads a looser, less tethered existence and is considering getting out of the country altogether. When Jeannie receives an email from Amanda threatening a lawsuit, she calls her law student ex-boyfriend Merrill for help. Eager for distraction from his own problems, he begins helping the sisters with theirs. Imbued with an innate charm, Beeswax is a story about families, friends, lovers and those awkward moments that bring all of them together.

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Expiring Soon: 8 1/2, Duck Soup, The Bicycle Thief

One of the most frustrating things about the world of online streaming is that you never know when contracts between Netflix and their content providers are going to expire, until it's too late and a film in your queue is gone.  As I've mentioned in the past, a helpful resource for new release and expiration dates for Netflix is InstantWatcher, although they'll be the first to admit that the API info that feeds their system is not always accurate.  Sometimes the information just doesn't seem to make sense, like the listing for Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye (which I recently wrote about) which states that it will be streaming from September 1 to November 1, 2011--a two month contract?  We already only have 11 days left?  It was just added?  (Let's hope this is an error, but watch it just in case.)

In any case there is a long list of titles expiring on November 1 or sooner, and you might want to check InstantWatcher to see if there are any that you want to see before their gone.  I think you'll find that quite a lot of them will not be missed.  But below I've listed a few worth looking at if you haven't already (some have been discussed in earlier posts).

We begin with Fellini's 8 1/2, which many of you know is my favorite film of all time.  It seems unlikely that this will return to Netflix, but at some point it should be part of the Criterion Collection package at Hulu.

8 1/2 (Federico Fellini, Italy, 1963, 138 minutes)
Netflix: Dog-tired movie director Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni) retreats to thoughts of yesteryear when his producers, his wife (Anouk Aimee) and his mistress (Sandra Milo) all pressure him to start making another movie. Director Federico Fellini's semiautobiographical rumination on the joys and rigors of filmmaking -- as well as lovers past and present -- won two Oscars: Best Foreign Language Film and Best Costume Design, Black-and-White.  Netflix link.  Expires November 1.





If you have 68 minutes to spare, and you have never seen Duck Soup, by all means do so before October 30.

Duck Soup (Leo McCarey, USA, 1933, 68 minutes)
Netflix: Thanks to the patronage of well-heeled widow Mrs. Teasdale (Margaret Dumont), Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx) becomes dictator of the tiny country of Freedonia. But when the ambassador of the bordering nation of Sylvania declares his love for Mrs. Teasdale, Firefly declares war. The Marx Brothers are at their sidesplitting best in this raucous political satire, in which Chico, Harpo and Zeppo co-star as spies and counterspies.  Netflix link.  Expiring October 30.






And De Sica's The Bicycle Thief is simply a masterpiece of world cinema, so influential even to this day that you need to see it to understand where half of the inspiration for the international film festival circuit and American independent cinema comes from.

The Bicycle Thief (Vittorio De Sica, Italy, 1948, 89 minutes)
Netflix: Widely considered a landmark Italian film, Vittorio De Sica's tale of a man who relies on his bicycle to do his job during Rome's post-World War II depression earned a special Oscar for its devastating power. The same day Antonio (Lamberto Maggiorani) gets his vehicle back from the pawnshop, someone steals it, prompting him to search the city in vain with his young son, Bruno (Enzo Staiola). Increasingly, he confronts a looming desperation.  Netflix link.  Expires November 1.


Here's a short list of some other titles that jumped out at me on the expiration list (this is by no means exhaustive).

Broken Blossoms (D.W. Griffith, 1918)

The General (Buster Keaton, 1927)

October (Sergei Eisenstein, 1927)

Alexander Nevsky (Sergei Eisenstein, 1938)

The Palm Beach Story (Preston Sturges, 1942)

Ivan the Terrible (Sergei Eisenstein, 1944)

Unfaithfully Yours (Preston Sturges, 1948)

Flesh (Paul Morrissey, 1969)

Putney Swope (Robert Downey, 1969)

Women in Revolt (Paul Morrissey, 1971)

Blue Velvet (David Lynch, 1986)

Mutual Appreciation (Andrew Bujalski, 2005)

British TV Comedy: That Mitchell and Webb Look, Saxondale

I'm taking another side trip into the world of television for a quick sample of British television comedy streaming on Netflix Watch Instantly and Hulu.  This trip is inspired by watching all of the new episodes from season four of That Mitchell and Webb Look that were posted a few days ago on Netflix.  Season four is particularly strong, and highlights include the grammarian with a gun, the gift shop sketch, and the conspiracy to get rid of Princess Diana.

That Mitchell and Webb Look (2006-2010, 24 episodes)
Netflix: The tradition of award-winning, British sketch comedy is alive and well in the team of David Mitchell and Robert Webb, a raucous and razor-sharp duo who specialize in pop culture parodies, mockumentaries, game show spoofs and more. Among their recurring skits are "Numberwang," about an impossibly ridiculous game show; "Lazy Writers," which looks askance at the creative process; and "The Helivets," about heroes who rescue pets in danger.  Netflix link.

If 24 episodes of That Mitchell and Webb Look are not enough for you, Hulu is streaming all seven seasons of their sitcom, Peep Show. (Hulu is also streaming some episodes of That Mitchell and Webb Look.)

Peep Show (2003-2010, 42 episodes)
Hulu: Peep Show is a brand-new narrative comedy series seen through the eyes of the core characters. And in another inventive twist, each character’s inner thoughts can be heard – whether they be dark, stupid or embarrassingly overblown. At the centre of Peep Show are Mark and Jeremy, who have an unhealthy reliance on one another – a dependence that can turn to frustration. Mark – in his cack-handed way – is in pursuit of the love of his life, co-worker Sophie (Olivia Coleman), while Jeremy lives in awe of his idiotic and manipulative mate Superhans and their beautiful but brittle neighbour Toni.  Hulu link.

On television Steve Coogan is best known for his character Alan Partridge, but he has created another memorable self-delusional character in Tommy Saxondale, a former rock-and-roll roadie who is now an exterminator.  There are subtle changes in the costume, make-up and tone in the second season which fine-tunes the character and makes him a bit less of a buffoon, but overall both seasons are very funny and worth looking into while we wait for Coogan's latest project, The Trip, to come to Netflix.

Saxondale (2006-2007, 13 episodes)
Netflix:  This quirky Britcom profiles Tommy Saxondale (Steve Coogan), a former roadie stuck in his rockin' glory days who isn't afraid to speak his mind -- loudly and offensively -- despite the anger management sessions his friends hope will calm him. Tommy now has a sexually adventurous girlfriend, Magz (Ruth Jones), and his own pest control "empire," which consists of hesitant assistant Raymond (Rasmus Hardiker) and annoying receptionist Vicky.  Netflix link.

When I first saw Little Britain I had to get my own copy and show it to as many people as I could.  A lot of the first season still holds up to multiple viewings, but you do have to get familiar with the characters before you appreciate some of the humor.  The subsequent seasons are not as strong, but almost every episode has a memorable highlight.

Little Britain (2003-2004, 14 episodes)
Netflix: With an impressive lineup of quirky characters, including troubled teenager Vicky, clueless caregiver Lou, plus-sized female Bubbles and Scottish hotel manager Ray, this popular sketch comedy show cleverly pokes fun at all sectors of British society. Created by and starring Matt Lucas and David Walliams, this television series boldly tackles hot-button issues such as homosexuality, obesity, poverty and aging.  Netflix link.

Jeff Bridges: The Big Lebowski, Tron: Legacy, Cutter's Way

Two of the films in today's entry probably don't need to be brought to your attention because you've probably noticed them popping up in Netflix's "New Movie Arrivals" on Watch Instantly.  But in the spirit of creating themed entries to encourage you to explore the less familiar on Netflix, I've matched them with a lesser known Jeff Bridges film from the early 1980s.

The Big Lebowski is one of those strange films that might not impress you on first viewing, but gets significantly better as you think about it and talk about it and revisit it with repeat viewings.  Certainly that was my experience watching it when it was initially released, and many considered it an odd misfire after the critical success of Fargo.  But it has subsequently been absorbed into pop culture to such a degree that perhaps it's quotes and references ("It really ties the room together," "The Dude abides," see The Big Lebowski Random Quote Generator for more) are better known than the movie itself.  So whether you're seeing it for the first or fiftieth time it is well worth checking out on Netflix Watch Instantly.

The Big Lebowski (Joel Coen, USA, 1998, 117 minutes)
Netflix: Slacker Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) gets involved in a gargantuan mess of events when he's mistaken for another man named Lebowski, whose wife has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom. All the while, Dude's friend, Walter (John Goodman), stirs the pot. Brothers Joel Coen and Ethan Coen write and direct this cult comedy classic that also stars Steve Buscemi, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore and John Turturro.  Netflix link. 

Okay, so Tron: Legacy is not as good as most of the films that I post here, but it is still worth watching at least one time, if only for the performance of the CGI generated young version of Jeff Bridges as Clu (Codified Likeness Utility).  I thought the film took too much time making sure that it showed updated versions of the famous sequences from the first film, rather than going wherever the imagination could go in the Tron universe.  But that said, the visual design is often quite stunning.

Tron: Legacy (Joseph Kosinski, USA, 2010, 125 minutes)
Netflix: While investigating the mysterious disappearance of his father, Kevin (Jeff Bridges), techie Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) lands in a beguiling computerized world of enslaved gladiators, where his dad has been living for more than 20 years. Joined by Kevin's trusted friend (Olivia Wilde), the father and son must journey across a breathtaking -- and perilous -- cyberscape in this 21st-century update to the beloved 1982 sci-fi classic. Netflix link.

I'm not familiar with Cutter's Way but after looking into it I placed it in my queue and I look forward to catching up with it.  From the trailer it looks like it might resonate in interesting ways with The Big Lebowksi, not for Bridges's role, but for John Heard's role (almost unrecognizable, until you hear his voice) as the eccentric Alex Cutter.  This film had an interesting distribution history, getting mixed to negative reviews on first release, but subsequently found more receptive critics after United Artists turned it over to its classics division.

Cutter's Way (Ivan Passer, USA, 1981, 109 minutes)
Netflix: Burned-out beach-bum Richard Bone (Jeff Bridges) and his best friend, disfigured Vietnam veteran Alex Cutter (John Heard), stumble on a murder cover-up involving a powerful landowner in director Ivan Passer's brooding crime thriller. But Bone gets more than he bargained for when Cutter insists on blackmailing the suspect, who forces them into a cunning cat-and-mouse game that ignites a full-blown war. Lisa Eichhorn plays Cutter's neglected wife.  Netflix link.

Classic Television: Kovacs, Hitchcock, and Thriller

Netflix defines "classic television" pretty broadly (and includes some truly horrible television shows from the 1970s in the category just because they are "old").  But there are some gems in the Netflix Watch Instantly collection, and this weekend The Ernie Kovacs Collection began streaming.  Not enough people know Kovacs, perhaps because not too many black and white shows shot on video from the 1950s have had a significant life in syndication.  But Kovacs's experiments with the new medium of television has influenced subsequent playful late night television personalities, and his influence extends to the world of video art as well.

To round out today's entry, I've included one well known and one not so well known suspense shows.  The opening credits for Alfred Hitchcock Presents have been parodied in so many ways that people recognize his silhouette without ever having seen an episode of the show.  But it's worth going back to watch these well made shows, including the episodes Hitchcock directed himself.  I was recently introduced to Thriller with host Boris Karloff by fans of the show, and I'm slowly working my way through its episodes as well.

The Ernie Kovacs Collection (1952-1961, 21 episodes)
Netflix: In the infancy of any medium, there will be some who realize its potential well before anyone else, Ernie Kovacs was such a visionary. Between 1951 and 1962 he broke rules that hadn't been made yet and created a "language" that is taken for granted. Netflix link.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955, 39 episodes)
Netflix: Master of the macabre Alfred Hitchcock brings his creepy-droll sensibility to the small screen in four seasons -- 1955 through 1958 -- of this mystery series that features a parade of stars from that era in chilling stories by leading authors. The legendary helmsman himself directed a number of the episodes, including two -- "Lamb to Slaughter" with Barbara Bel Geddes and "The Case of Mr. Pelham" -- that received Emmy nods.  Netflix link.

Thriller (1960, 37 episodes)
Netflix: The legendary Boris Karloff serves as host for this vintage television series, which began as an anthology of crime dramas and mysteries but later morphed into chilling tales of the supernatural and gothic horror. With episodes based on novels and short stories, the show features a roster of guests ranging from big-screen veterans such as John Carradine and Mary Astor to soon-to-be-stars such as Cloris Leachman and William Shatner.  Netflix link.

Jackie Chan: Little Big Soldier, Project A, Wheels on Meals

Back in June in one of my Miramax/Dimension entries I mentioned that Jackie Chan's Operation Condor (Armour of God) films were streaming on Netflix Watch Instantly.  Some of his other early classics, unfortunately dubbed (although reasonably well dubbed), are now also available.  They might make a good pairing with what critics have called a nostalgic return to his roots in last year's Little Big Soldier.

Little Big Soldier (Sheng Ding, Hong Kong, 2010, 95 minutes)
Netflix: Jackie Chan stars as a grizzled veteran who kidnaps a young enemy general (Lee-Hom Wang), then escorts him on a long journey to collect a reward, in this comic martial arts extravaganza set in the days of ancient China. But as their perilous road trip unfolds, the old soldier soon realizes he's bitten off more than he can chew. Chan also wrote the screenplay for this film directed by Sheng Ding.  Netflix link.

Some of Chan's best films from the 1980s teamed him up with Sammo Hung.  This is the period where Chan perfected the comic kung-fu genre (which really kicked in with his Drunken Master (1978), also streaming), and many critics subsequently compared his work with the great silent comedians like Chaplin and especially Keaton.  In addition to Project A, Netflix is also streaming Project A 2 (1987)

Jackie Chan's Project A (Jackie Chan, Hong Kong, 1983, 98 minutes)
Netflix: This acrobatic action flick stars the inimitable Jackie Chan as an upright sailor in turn-of-the-century Hong Kong who's out to stop buccaneers from running roughshod over the South China Sea. So far, the crooked police captain and a band of thugs in league with the looters have hamstrung all efforts to battle the problem. Can Jackie foil the culprits with a little help from a wily con man (Sammo Hung)? Netflix link.

Wheels on Meals (Sammo Hung, Hong Kong, 1984, 108 minutes)
Netflix: Chan and Biao operate a catering van in beautiful Barcelona, Spain. They team-up with a bumbling detective to help him find a pickpocket named Sylvia. When they discover she's been kidnapped by a local gang, they swing into action.  Netflix link.

Dragons Forever (Sammo Hung, Hong Kong, 1988, 93 minutes)
Netflix: Jackie Chan is a lawyer defending a shady businessman. When he realizes that his client is involved in the drug business, he teams up with his buddies to take on the villians and their polluting ways.  Netflix link.

Independents: Little Fugitive (1953) and O.C. and Stiggs (1985)

Fittingly my last entry on the wave of new films arriving on Netflix Watch Instantly on April 22 is on the day itself.  There too many worthy films to mention in one entry, so feel free to check the Google Reader Shared Links widget on the right hand side of this blog or visit my Shared Items page.

Today is also the first time I've focused Quick Pick selections on American independent features, and as you'll see I'll use the category very broadly to discuss films that are part of the history of American independent filmmaking.

Morris Engel had the "independent spirit" long before that became a widely used term.  He and his collaborators, his later wife Ruth Orkin and writer Raymond Abrashkin, produced The Little Fugitive on a $30,000 budget, and its influence has been significant and long reaching.  It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screen Story, and it won a Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival.  It's immediate influence was felt in the work of American independent pioneers such as John Cassavetes and French New Wave filmmakers like Francois Truffaut.  Truffaut later said about The Little Fugitive, "Our New Wave would never have come into being if it hadn't been for the young American Morris Engel, who showed us the way to independent production with [this] fine movie."  In 1997, the film was inducted into the Library of Congress National Film Registry for its historical and aesthetic significance.

The Little Fugitive (Morris Engel, USA, 1953, 80 minutes)
Netflix: Sibling relations get tested when Lennie Norton (Richard Brewster) must care for his younger brother, 7-year-old Joey (Richie Andrusco). Lennie and his friends soon tire of Joey always being around, so they pull a practical joke on Joey: They tell him he killed Lennie. Believing Lennie's pals, Joey heads for one of the world's largest playgrounds -- Coney Island, where the amusement park and its characters come to life through a child's eyes. Netflix link.





Robert Altman always had a liminal status in as a maverick in Hollywood, but even when he was working overtly in genre filmmaking, he has had a lasting influence on American independent filmmaking.  If we take Popeye (1980) as the box-office bomb that exiled him from Hollywood, and The Player (1992) as his return to the fold, then O.C. and Stiggs is an interesting example of what Altman was up to out in the wilderness. The truth is that he made 7 1/2 feature films in that period (if we include his segment from Aria) and several other television projects like Tanner 88, so he always considered calling The Player a comeback film somewhat absurd.  But the mid-1980s was indeed a rough period for Altman.

I had a chance to talk to producers of O.C. and Stiggs, Ted Mann and Peter Newman, when they were in Madison, Wisconsin for a screening of Stuart Gordon's Space Truckers.  They explained that Altman was not always easy to work with during the production, and that Altman had significantly changed what they believed had been a very strong script.  While Altman was known for intelligently deconstructing many popular genres, perhaps assigning him to helm a 1980s teen-sex comedy was not the best idea for anyone concerned.  MGM shelved the film for several years, giving it only a limited release in 1988.  Altman later conceded in an interview included in the Tanner 88 DVD that the film didn't work, and he elaborated on those comments in the eventual DVD release of O.C. and Stiggs ("The screenwriters hated me and I hated them in return").

But the film does have its supporters, and perhaps the best articulated defense (which acknowledges its shortcomings) is Nathan Rabin's entry on the film in his My Year of Flops series.  Rabin writes:  

Altman argues that audiences and National Lampoon wanted Robert Altman's Porky's and were flummoxed when he delivered a satire of teen schlock instead. I think O.C And Stiggs is a satire, but less of teen sex comedies than of the things that always enraged Altman: consumerism and hypocrisy and racism and the narcissistic self-absorption of well-fed Caucasians. Here Altman occasionally comes off like the misanthropic cheap shot artist his critics have always accused him of being–like pretty much all '80s teen sex comedies, this seems to think homosexuality is inherently a laff riot–but behind the snark lies a genuine shiver of revulsion towards the complacency and sun-baked decadence of the Reagan '80s.

Several Netflix users have joined Rabin in the defense of O.C. and Stiggs in the comments section for the film.  Personally, I believe that there is nothing better than Altman in top form (McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Nashville) and nothing worse than Altman when he's bad (Beyond Therapy, Pret-a-porter).  But I'm looking forward to finally catching up with O.C. and Stiggs, if only to see how I feel about the debate over the film.

O.C. and Stiggs (Robert Altman, USA, 1985, 109 minutes)
Netflix: Two teens try to destroy a suburban family in director Robert Altman's risqué comedy, which follows misfits O.C. Ogilvie (Daniel Jenkins) and Mark Stiggs (Neill Barry), who see red when an insurance salesman cancels the policy of O.C.'s grampa (Ray Walston). Bent on revenge, the youngsters carry out a vendetta against the loutish salesman (Paul Dooley). The high-powered cast includes Jane Curtin, Martin Mull, Dennis Hopper and Louis Nye. Netflix link.

Cult Satire: Wild in the Streets (1968) and Smile (1975)

As mentioned earlier this week, Friday, April 22 is a particuarly good day for new films coming to Netflix Watch Instantly.  Whether this is because of the sheer number of new titles, so that a certain percentage just ends up being good, is unclear.  But in any case, there are many titles worth considering for your queue.

Here are two satires, one pretty broad the other more nuanced, worth looking at.  I haven't seen Wild in the Streets since it played at Starlight Cinema at the UW-Madison campus back in the 1990s.  Starlight Cinema specialized in cult classics, underground documentaries, and experimental films.  In the case of Wild in the Streets, we had a Hollywood film produced in that awkward period of the late 1960s when the studios were still trying to figure out the baby-boomer youth market and the counter-culture success of films like Easy Rider.  The presence of both Richard Pryor and Shelley Winters should tip you off that they didn't get the balance between the counter-culture and the mainstream quite right in Wild in the Streets.  But it is still well worth your time, for both the intentional and unintentional humor. 

Wild in the Streets (Barry Shear, USA, 1968, 96 minutes)
Netflix: A few years ago, suburban teen Max Flatow (Christopher Jones) was making bombs and LSD. Now he's a rock star using his fame to urge young people to vote at the behest of a senator (Hal Holbrook). But Max hasn't abandoned his love of anarchy. Soon, the voting age is lowered to 15, Max is elected president, and everyone over 30 is shipped to retirement homes. Richard Pryor and Shelley Winters co-star in this satirical cult classic. Netflix link. 




Smile is often considered one of the more underrated American films of the 1970s (it has a 100% rating with 12 reviews at Rotten Tomatoes), and I'm adding it to my list of films that I need to see.  Ritchie had a respectable run in the late 1960s and 1970s, starting with Robert Redford films like Downhill Racer (1969) and The Candidate (1972) and continuing with sports themed films like The Bad News Bears (1975) and Semi-Tough (1977).    In a sense, these are the kind of films that benefited from the experimentation in content and style in Hollywood that began with the films in the late 1960s mentioned above, which eventually led to a period of quality filmmaking in the early 1970s that people now consider a golden age.  Richie's career declined into middle-of-the-road comedies (or sometimes outright bad ones) in the 1980s, when that period of experimentation ended with the Blockbuster era. While Smile might not be a peak film from that period, when the tide comes in all the boats rise, as they say. 

Smile (Michael Ritchie, USA, 1975, 113 minutes)
Netflix: This sharp-witted satire stars Barbara Feldon as Brenda DiCarlo, an icy taskmaster and former beauty pageant contestant charged with coordinating the final round of the Young American Miss contest -- the pride of Santa Rosa, Calif. But despite the pageant's squeaky-clean image, the townspeople are far from model citizens: The contestants are cutthroat, Brenda's husband is suicidal and the head judge's son is a peeping Tom. Bruce Dern co-stars. Netflix link.

International: OSS 117 Double Feature

Today's international recommendation is a pair of spy parodies from France featuring the well known character, Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, or OSS 117.  Parodies of 1960s spy films have been common long before the Austin Powers films, in fact the parodies began even before the end of the 1960s with Our Man Flint and The Silencers.  While most parodies take the James Bond films as their frame of reference, OSS 117 actually pre-dates Bond, both in the novels and films; Tu parles d'une ingénue (Ici OSS 117) was published in 1949 and OSS 117 Is Not Dead premiered in 1956.  At the bottom of this post I've embedded some trailers from the original films (the second trailer, for Panic in Bangkok, seems closer to what these new films are parodying).

While neither of these new OSS 117 parodies are covering particularly new ground, they are genuinely funny and they both feature a great comic lead performance by Jean Dujardin.  The first film also goes beyond just parodying the sexism of the spy genre by addressing post-colonial racism inherent in the genre as well.  

OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (Michel Hazanavicius, France, 2006, 99 minutes)
Netflix: This parody of the original "OSS 117" series of the mid-20th century follows OSS agent 117 (Jean Dujardin) as he is sent to investigate the disappearance of fellow agent Jack Jefferson (Philippe Lefebvre), along with a Russian cargo ship, from Cairo. While on his mission, OSS 117 becomes entangled in a web of international espionage involving French, Russian, Egyptian, Belgian and neo-Nazi representatives, while also juggling multiple romances. Netflix link.

OSS 117: Lost in Rio (Michel Hazanavicius, France, 2009, 100 minutes)
Netflix: When outrageously chauvinistic French secret agent OSS 117 (Jean Dujardin) journeys to Cold War-era Rio de Janeiro to recover a top-secret microfilm, gorgeous Israeli Nazi-hunter Dolorès Koulechov (Louise Monot) joins in the quest. But as the pair zero in on their quarry, the hapless Frenchman's disdain for Koulechov's gender and nationality threaten their mission. Michel Hazanavicius directs this delightful parody of James Bond-esque films. Netflix link.

Richard Lester's The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers

Richard Lester is possibly best known for his work with the Beatles (A Hard Day's Night and Help) and the Superman franchise (II and III), but another mini-franchise he directed in the 1970s was a pair of films adapted from the Alexandre Dumas classic, The Three Musketeers.  Actually, the project was originally intended to be one film, but Lester and producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind split the film into two parts (leading some of the cast to sue them for breach of contract).  A good summary of the production of the film(s) can be found at the Turner Classic Movies website. Both films are a great deal of fun, and they were added to Netflix Watch Instantly just this past week.

The Three Musketeers (Richard Lester, UK, 1973, 106 minutes)
Netflix: After moving to Paris and skillfully dueling with musketeers Athos (Oliver Reed), Aramis (Richard Chamberlain) and Porthos (Frank Finlay), inexperienced adventure-seeker D'Artagnan (Michael York) joins forces with the talented trio to foil the cunning Cardinal Richelieu (Charlton Heston). Featuring a Golden Globe-winning performance by Raquel Welch, this slapstick take on Alexandre Dumas's classic also stars Faye Dunaway and Christopher Lee. Netflix link.

The Four Musketeers (Richard Lester, UK, 1975, 106 minutes)
Netflix: After infuriating the utterly contemptible Lady de Winter (Faye Dunaway), newly inducted musketeer D'Artagnan (Michael York) teams up with his swashbuckling cohorts to avenge a close friend's death and rescue kidnapped maiden Constance (Raquel Welch), whom he loves dearly. A refreshing take on Alexandre Dumas's classic adventure, director Richard Lester's comedic sequel delivers slapstick antics mixed with awe-inspiring action. Netflix link.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet: Micmacs, Delicatessen, Amelie

This week I will be in Madison, Wisconsin for the 2011 Wisconsin Film Festival, where I was invited to be a juror for the Wisconsin's Own competition (for filmmakers and films with ties to Wisconsin).  I will post Quick Picks this week, and upon my return I will resume the normal schedule.

If I can, I will try to post some dispatches from Madison to let you know what I've seen, so that you can keep those films on your radar for when they come to a theater near you.




This week Netflix Watch Instantly has added the latest film by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Micmacs (2009).  Fans of his other films should appreciate his unique mix of eccentric characters and imaginative art direction.  Watch Instantly has several of his other films, including perhaps his most famous, Amelie (2001).

Micmacs (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, France, 2009, 104 minutes)
Netflix: French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet takes a satirical look at the global arms trade with this foreign-language comedy starring Dany Boon as Bazil, who rallies his friends to take down weapons manufacturers responsible for his father's death. Bazil also discovers a dump into an underground haven for cool tools and sculptures crafted from discarded junk. Dominique Pinon, André Dussollier and Jean-Pierre Marielle co-star. Netflix link.

Delicatessen (Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro, France, 1991, 99 minutes)
Netflix: Gentle clown Louison (Dominique Pinon) moves into a tenement with a deli on the ground floor and falls for the butcher's daughter, Julie (Marie-Laure Dougnac). But it's soon discovered that her father (Jean-Claude Dreyfus) is really butchering people (à la Sweeney Todd) and selling the meat to tenants. At a crossroads, Julie must decide whether to remain loyal to her father or expose him to save Louison from becoming the next entrée. Netflix link.

Amelie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, France, 2001, 122 minutes)
Netflix: When impish gamine Amélie (Audrey Tautou), who lives alone, finds a long-hidden trove of toys behind a baseboard in her apartment, she's inspired to repatriate the items, an impulse of generosity that sparks more benevolent acts. A celebration of life and love, French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Oscar-nominated charmer stresses the importance of small wonders that surround us, if only we paused to look. Netflix link.

A Very Long Engagement (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, France, 2004, 133 minutes)
Netflix: Amelie's Audrey Tautou stars as Mathilde, a young Frenchwoman who vows to find out what happened to her missing fiancé (Gaspard Ulliel) during World War I. He appears to have died after a court-martial, but she needs to know for sure. As she looks for the truth, she discovers unexpected things about herself and the people she meets along the way. Jean-Pierre Jeunet directs this foreign-language adaptation of Sebastien Japrisot's novel. Netflix link.

Quick Picks: Several Woody Allen Films Leave Watch Instantly April 1.

Edit 6/4/11: Several of these have returned to Netflix View Instantly, noted in the edits below.

Just a quick reminder that the following Woody Allen films will be leaving Netflix View Instantly on April 1.

Bananas (1971)
Has returned.

Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
Has returned.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask (1971)

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
Has returned.

Interiors (1978)

Manhattan (1979)
Has returned.

The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

Howard Hawks: Scarface, Rio Bravo, Ball of Fire

Short on time today, so lets go for a classic auteur who needs little introduction: Howard Hawks.  Unlike some directors who specialized in genres, Hawks directed several classic films in diverse genres.  In the list below there's a gangster film, a romantic comedy, a musical, and a western. For those of you unfamiliar with Hawks (although you probably are more familiar with him than you realize) check out this essay at Senses of Cinema.

Scarface (Howard Hawks, USA, 1932, 93 minutes)
Netflix: Mobster Tony Camonte (Paul Muni) seizes control of Chicago's bootlegging racket in this classic crime drama, which also stars George Raft, Boris Karloff and Osgood Perkins (Anthony Perkins's father). From director Howard Hawks and producer Howard Hughes, Scarface set the benchmark for future gangster films. Karen Morley portrays Camonte's love interest and Ann Dvorak the gangster's beloved sister. Netflix link.

Ball of Fire (Howard Hawks, USA, 1941, 111 minutes)
Netflix: Gary Cooper plays a serious but lovable English professor working with his colleagues on a dictionary of American slang. When a red-hot nightclub singer (Barbara Stanwyck) on the run from the mob takes refuge in their house, she also finds a place in their hearts. But where there's a ball of fire there's bound to be trouble, and before they know it, the professor and his cohorts are learning a lot about language -- and life. Howard Hawks directs. Netflix link.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, USA, 1953, 91 minutes)
Netflix: Two American showgirls in the mood for love board a luxury liner to Paris. Engaged to be married, fair-haired Lorelei (Marilyn Monroe) is unknowingly tracked by a private investigator who was hired by her future father-in-law. But the detective only has eyes for her brunette friend, Dorothy (Jane Russell). Based on the Broadway musical starring Carol Channing, the film features the memorable tune "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend." Netflix link.

Rio Bravo (Howard Hawks, USA, 1959, 141 minutes)
Netflix: Sheriff John Wayne has a problem: He must keep killer Claude Akins from escaping the town lockup (with outside help from his brother and a cadre of hired guns). The only people Wayne can call on for support are an alcoholic Dean Martin, a well-meaning Angie Dickinson, a crippled Walter Brennan and an eager Ricky Nelson. Netflix link.

New to Netflix Watch Instantly (3/21/11)

We'll start the week off right with some Quick Picks of films that are new to Netflix Instant View as of last week.

Alphaville (Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1965, 99 minutes)
Netflix: Directed by cinematic legend Jean-Luc Godard, this mesmerizing sci-fi noir centers on secret agent Lemmy Caution (Eddie Constantine) and his mission to destroy Alpha 60, the sentient computer that controls Alphaville by destroying freedom of thought or individuality. Brilliantly realized and crafted, Godard's 1965 film helped to lay the foundation for future sci-fi classics such as Blade Runner, The Terminator and The Matrix. Netflix link.

The last sentence in the Netflix summary is true, but not in the way that you're probably imagining in your head as you read it.  What is brilliant about Alphaville is that it makes almost no attempt to futurize the mise-en-scene, and instead sets the futuristic action in the streets of 1965 Paris, resulting in a jarring mixture of film noir, science fiction, and art cinema.  The hero, Lemmy Caution (American Eddie Constantine) appears as a classic detective hero as he arrives in Alphaville from the Outlands in his Ford Mustang. Caution's ultimate goal is to destroy Alpha 60, a supercomputer that has enslaved Alphaville by outlawing free thought and emotion.  So what makes Alphaville special in relation to Blade Runner, The Terminator, and The Matrix is how it explores ideas without any dependence on spectacle for its own sake, which is often a weakness of mainstream American science fiction films.  In Alphaville, Godard is also at his most flamboyant and audacious in terms of playful narration and visual style.  This isn't for everyone, but it is great fun if you're game.
 

The Taking of Pelham 123 (Joseph Sargent, USA, 1974, 104 minutes)
Netflix: Deep in the bowels of New York City, a gang of men led by "Mr. Blue" (Robert Shaw) hijacks a subway car and radios the transit authority with a demand: Deliver $1 million in cash in the next hour, or they'll shoot one passenger each minute. Now, it's up to Lt. Zachary Garber (Walter Matthau) to keep a cool head, secure the money and deliver the ransom before time runs out. Martin Balsam, Hector Elizondo and Earl Hindman round out Mr. Blue's crew. Netflix link.

No this is not the John Travolta / Denzel Washington remake (which I have not seen but have not heard good things about); this is the original with Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw (Quint from Jaws).  There's a reason they remade this: the original is quite good.  Now I know what you're thinking: "Walter Matthau?"  But you must remember that Matthau was in a wider range of roles than the comic ones we most remember him for; another well respected action film with Matthau was Don Siegel's Charley Varrick (1973).  While The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is not as innovative or adventurous as other films of the period, it does benefit from many of the qualities that made 1970s mainstream American cinema interesting and vibrant.  Perhaps taking its cue from grittier action films like The French Connection and Dirty Harry, Pelham does try to capture the feel of New York City at the time, and the unglamorous qualities of urban life.  And while in the end it might be a genre film, it is a tight and well executed genre film with more interest in suspense than spectacle. 

The Man in the White Suit (Alexander Mackendrick, UK, 1951, 85 minutes)
Netflix: Sidney Stratton (Alec Guinness) invents an indestructible cloth that never gets dirty and celebrates by having a white suit made of the fabric. But soon, the lowly mill workers start fearing for their jobs while the mill owners worry about their profits. Chase scenes and double-crosses ensue as the impish Stratton struggles to defend his discovery from the mob. Ernest Thesiger portrays decrepit mill owner Sir John Kierlaw. Netflix link.

Ealing Studios in England became famous for their comedies in the 1940s and 1950s.  Other famous Ealing comedies included Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), The Lavender Hill Mob (1951),  and The Ladykillers (1955), all of which featured classic performances by Alec Guinness.  The Man in the White Suit came in at number 58 in the British Film Institute's list of the top 100 British films of all time.  It has been a while since I've seen this (probably since high school) so I'm looking forward to visiting it again soon.

Darling (John Schlesinger, UK, 1965, 122 minutes)
Netflix: Up-and-coming fashion model Darling (Best Actress Oscar winner Julie Christie) burns with ambition. First, she falls hard for married television interviewer Robert (Dirk Bogarde). Next, Darling meets Miles (Laurence Harvey), who knows all the right people in London's swinging '60s film industry. But he's just another stepping stone as Darling scrambles her way to the top. The trouble is, the pinnacle of success can be deceiving. Netflix link.

I've put this on my list of films that I really should have seen by now.  This was the breakout role for Julie Christie, who is quickly becoming on of the most cited actresses on this blog.  On the same BFI list mentioned above, Darling came in at number 83.

If you get a chance to see Darling before I do, or if you have any other thoughts about these films, please let me know in the comments section below.  --JLK

Animation: Archer, FLCL, and Cartoon Brew

Here's another quick set of recommendations for recent animated television series and some interesting animated shorts. 

Archer: Season One on Netflix
Archer: Season Two on Hulu
Netflix: Set amid the world of international espionage, this irreverent animated comedy from the FX network revolves around the exploits of smart-mouthed superspy Sterling Archer (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin) -- code name: "Duchess." For Archer, taking on top-secret missions around the world is a breeze compared to dealing with his fellow agents, notably his overbearing mother, Malory (Jessica Walter), and his ex-girlfriend Lana (Aisha Tyler).

Archer is the latest series from Adam Reed, best known for his work on Cartoon Network Adult Swim series such as Sealab 2021 and Frisky Dingo.  Archer also features the voice talents of H. Jon Benjamin, a veteran of such series as Home Movies (Coach McGuirk), Dr. Katz (Ben) and another current series, Bob's Burgers (Bob Belcher).

Some may object to this recommendation in an animation entry since Archer might qualify as what Chuck Jones called "illustrated radio" (in reference to stiff Hanna-Barbera television animation). But what can I say...I think this is a funny, entertaining show.  A good short interview with Archer creator Adam Reed can be found at The Onion's A.V. Club

FLCL on Hulu
Edit 4/23/11: FLCL on Netflix Watch Instantly
Hulu: Naota's a bit quirky, but he can still pass for normal. Haruko's totally quirky and she'll never pass for normal. When she runs over Naota with her motorscooter and brains him with a bass guitar, his world doesn't get turned upside down - It gets incredibly weird. There's nothing else in the world like FLCL. This one's going to change your life.

In contrast with Archer, FLCL is often jarring in its often flamboyant and over-the-top animation style.  Currently Hulu has only the first two episodes out of the total of six episodes.  In the event that Hulu does not end up posting the remaining episodes, the series was just re-released on DVD and Blu-ray last month.



Animation historians Jerry Beck and Amid Amidi have a wonderful website devoted to animation at Cartoon Brew.  In addition to being a wonderful resource for animation history and recent animation news, the website also has a feature called CBTV, which showcases recent animated shorts, often from student filmmakers.  I encourage you to bookmark their website and continue to check in for new work; meanwhile, here are a few of my favorites from their recent posts.


“The Cyclotrope” by Tim Wheatley


The Cyclotrope from tim Wheatley on Vimeo.

“Hotcorn!” by Juan Pablo Zaramella


Hotcorn! from Juan Pablo Zaramella on Vimeo.

“Inception” in 60 seconds, with paper cut-outs by Wolfgang Matzl



“One Minute Puberty” by Alexander Gellner


One Minute Puberty from bitteschön.tv on Vimeo.


“Orpheu’s Pony” by Michael Fragstein


Orpheus´ Pony from Michael Fragstein on Vimeo.

Preston Sturges: Hail the Conquering Hero, The Palm Beach Story

This week I'm returning the Quick Picks closer to their original inspiration: less talk, more titles and links.

Preston Sturges was one of the first great writer-directors of comedies in the 1940s.  Besides the classics listed here, he also wrote and directed Christmas in July (1940), Sullivan's Travels (1941), and The Miracle at Morgan's Creek (1944).  Last year Vanity Fair published a good survey of Sturges's career by Douglas McGrath.  If you're just now introducing yourself to Sturges's films, you're in for a treat.

The Lady Eve (Preston Sturges, USA, 1941, 94 minutes)
Netflix: Seductive gold-digger Barbara Stanwyck and her conniving father (Charles Coburn) set out to fleece wealthy but naïve ophiologist Henry Fonda, the socially inept heir to a brewery fortune. But the tables turn when Stanwyck falls for her prey and Fonda gets wise to their scheme. Stanwyck then goes all-out to recapture Fonda's heart in this raucous battle of the sexes from renowned writer-director Preston Sturges. Netflix link.

The Palm Beach Story (Preston Sturges, USA, 1942, 87 minutes)
Netflix: Preston Sturges helmed this screwball comedy about Gerry Jeffers (Claudette Colbert), a woman who'll do anything to help her struggling architect spouse, Tom (Joel McCrea), succeed. When she realizes Tom will never strike it rich, Gerry decides to divorce him, wed a wealthy man and finance Tom's projects -- so she heads to Palm Beach, Fla., where she tries to land eccentric billionaire John D. Hackensacker III (Rudy Vallee). Mary Astor costars. Netflix link.

Hail the Conquering Hero (Preston Sturges, USA, 1944, 101 minutes)
Netflix: Discharged from the Marines for a hay fever condition, Woodrow Lafayette Pershing Truesmith (Eddie Bracken) is too embarrassed to return home. Encouraged by some fellow soldiers to fabricate a story of being wounded in battle, Truesmith soon finds himself in over his head as he's treated to a hero's welcome. Written and directed by the great Preston Sturges, this comic satire also stars Ella Raines, Raymond Walburn and William Demarest. Netflix link.

Unfaithfully Yours (Preston Sturges, USA, 1948, 105 minutes)
Netflix: In this pitch-black comedy from legendary writer-director Preston Sturges, Rex Harrison stars as Sir Alfred De Carter, a world-famous symphony conductor consumed with the suspicion that his wife's having an affair. During a concert, the jealous De Carter entertains elaborate visions of vengeance, set to three separate orchestral works. But when he attempts to put his murderous fantasies into action, nothing works out quite as planned. Netflix link.