|
It’s Scaretober. It’s Spooktober. It’s Shocktober. It’s The Rocktober. But the burning question at Letterboxd HQ is, where’s the Shlocktober action at, y’all? What will we tell John Landis? And why hasn’t someone made a case for Frocktober?
Never mind that. Excitingly, it’s BackToberTheFuture! The month in which Marty McFly, Doc and Jennifer arrive in the future. Specifically: October 21, 2015, 4.29am. Set your clocks. See you on the other side.
Happy watching,
The Letterboxd crew
Opening Credits
In cinemas and coming soon
|
Spielberg’s fourth collaboration with Hanks, Bridge of Spies might be his best in years. Co-written by the Coen Brothers, which has to help.
|
|
As you’d expect, Sarah Gavron’s new film Suffragette is packed with incredible actresses, including Carey, Meryl, Helena and Romola. Damn, those UK feminists were fierce!
|
|
Opening next month, Spectre stars Ralph Fiennes as M, and Lea Seydoux out-blue-eyesing Daniel Craig in what may well be his final turn as the British secret agent.
|
For more upcoming releases and trailers, crack open some Peanuts and hang out in The Trailer Park, a regularly updated list by Letterboxd member Phips.
Life on Mars
Unpacking ‘The Martian’
Ridley Scott is back in space, and at Letterboxd HQ we are inhaling every nerdy detail of The Martian we can get our eyeballs on. Needless to say, all of the following links contain spoilers.
Letterboxd pal and theoretical cosmologist Dr Richard Easther sciences the sh*t out of his viewing experience: “If I was on Mars, I would want a high-tech electric bike towing a small tent — a bonus relative to earthbound cycling would be reduced air resistance… along with easier hill-climbs in the low Martian gravity.”
How does that spinning gym work? (And do they have spin class on the Hermes? Where do we sign up?)
Producer Simon Kinberg answers some frequently asked questions from fans.
From a few months back, the book’s author Andy Weir talks for an hour with super-fan and Mythbusters host Adam Savage.
Kyle Hill highlights the differences between the book and film, large and small, for The Nerdist.
Ridley Scott talks about his first 165-minute cut of the film, which may yet make it onto the home video release. We want our extra 23 minutes, dammit!
We’d love to hear about your favorite The Martian links, and of course, you can read everyone’s reviews right here.
Star Wars
One star vs five stars, fight!
|
“A couple of fun background performances (Corey Stoll enlivens this dead fish briefly, Adam Scott is Adam Scott to mostly winning effect) can’t save this DOA rush job and the coterie of scenery chewing nonsense that sinks it even further. Cooper comes from the ‘every last character needs to be played by a familiar face’ school of filmmaking, which he demonstrates his allegiance to wholeheartedly. … Really, I ended up just mulling over the ways this could have been good. Chop off the lazy, half-hearted framing device, push Depp into a supporting role, fire Depp, cast someone else, keep them in a supporting role, actually write a character for Joel Edgerton. Quick, someone, hire me!”
—Calamity Hey
“I had a terrible fear going in that Depp’s makeup and the impeccable cinematography would be doing the work for him — or that he would overact. While his true acting chops don’t kick in until the second half, the way he carries himself throughout this entire film is beautiful: his Whitey Bulger is a grim reaper, gliding around the South Boston he owns and runs, exuding nothing but cold chills and a gleaming sense of power over the world of death and treachery he’s constructed. This film honestly does so much more than tell a true crime story; director Cooper digs into the environment and tells the story of a cycle of corrupted and traditional values, how people cling to the familiar in the face of adversity, no matter the consequences.”
—Peter Carrellini
|
Old School
Recent reviews of the classics
|
“Others have compared Toshiro Mifune’s movements to that of a tiger. That’s fair, but in this film, it’s also too limited a comparison. When he crouches in the tree, he becomes a tree frog. When he scampers over logs, he’s a squirrel. When he drunkenly rages, he’s a bear. When he determinedly stalks, he’s a panther. And when he walks, well, yes, then he’s a tiger. I noted as I watched that he spends much of the film nearly naked (those ass cheeks just kinda call to you), and that that was fitting due to his animalistic style. His every movement is a declaration, an expression, a demonstration of some basic physical concept. He is atomic. Auteurists will point to this film as some cornerstone of their theory, but I feel it serves as a distinct counterpoint in that this film would perhaps still be great if all it had were Kurosawa’s sharp eye, but it transcends with Mifune’s graceful body.
“… It’s also worth pointing out that [Kurosawa’s] use of rain in this film from Shino’s shaming on through the last battle is inspired. Not only does it drive the beautifully shot ending to the shaming scene (as problematic as it was otherwise, it is stunning to watch), but it also provides an infusion of heightened chaos and drama to the final battle.”
—Sally Jane Black
|
Broadcast News
Letterboxd Family Podcasts (+ more!)
Before we talk podcasts, consider supporting a long-time Letterboxd member’s Kickstarter campaign to get his short film made. Cody Lawrence is behind Spectrographs and Soliloquies, a sci-fi drama about an astronomer whose life falls apart when he becomes obsessed with an anomaly approaching Earth. The project has been picked as an IndieWIRE Project of the Week and a Kickstarter Staff Pick. Heaps of cool rewards, but only a few days to go.
Another month, another handful of Letterboxd family podcasts to highlight. You’re a good-looking, prolific bunch!
Evan Crean co-hosts weekly movie show Spoilerpiece Theatre with two other Boston film critics. They cover all aspects of new-release films with no spoiler warnings to get in the way.
Letterboxd members Rembrant Q Pumpernickel, ghostdinosaur, dominoparker and cubapuddingjr are collectively the weekly podcast Loose Canons. They go right off the beaten track quite often, and they’ve filed more than 70 podcasts in their first two years in action.
If you haven’t already, reply to this email and tell us about your podcast!
This is the End
|
This month, Women in Film (Los Angeles) launched the #52FilmsByWomen project, in which you pledge to watch a film a week directed by a woman. Need ideas? Friend of Letterboxd and Art of the Title managing editor Lola Landekic has made lists of films directed by women in 2014 and 2015.
|
|
The NY Times’ A.O. Scott is a film snob — and he’s not apologizing for that.
|
|
Erin loves Wet Hot American Summer.
|
|
