Director, screenwriter, and film professor Chantal Akerman was born on this day June 6, 1950 in Brussels, Belgium. Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) is Akerman’s most highly acclaimed film. Here is the trailer:
Category: Film
Jun 04
Remembering the Shining Charisma of Rosalind Russell
You’re guaranteed to get at least this from seeing a movie starring Rosalind Russell: the sheer pleasure of watching a sparkling, sharp-witted, and warm character. Russell is well known for her lovable characters, especially her high energy socialite role in Auntie Mame (1958), her sharp repartee in His Girl Friday (1940), and her stern yet …
Jun 01
Soviet Film Wednesday: Mirror
Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, and much like Norstein’s animation Tale of Tales, Mirror (Зеркало, Zerkalo) is another stream of consciousness film that strings together memories. The film is not meant to symbolize anything, but rather uses intuition as a means of expression. The main character, loosely based on Tarkovsky himself, is a dying poet contemplating his …
May 19
Pollyanna Was Released on This Day One Fine May
On May 19, 1960 this cheery Disney film was released to the public. It is the story of an orphaned girl raised by missionaries who arrives in a town fraught with feuds, and transforms the community with her positive attitude. Pollyanna’s shining quality is that she can always find the good in something. Yes, it …
May 16
On This Day: Henry Fonda
Film and stage actor Henry Fonda was born on this day May 16, 1905 in Grand Island, Nebraska. Pictured: Henry Fonda as Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, an excellent performance for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. Here are his children Jane and Peter Fonda discussing his role in the film The …
May 13
On This Day: Chishū Ryū
Actor Chishū Ryū was born on this day May 13, 1904 in Tamamizu, Japan. His most well known films include Late Spring (1949), Early Summer (1951), Tokyo Story (1953), and An Autumn Afternoon (1962).
May 11
Soviet Film Wednesday: The Little Mermaid
This wonderfully illustrated 1968 Russian animation is based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. It begins with a Copenhagen tour guide’s introduction to Andersen’s story, which is not quite the same as the Disney version. As is usually the case, the older tale is much darker. Much of the imagery in this animation is also dark, yet …
May 02
One to Watch: Satyajit Ray
Born into a talented Indian family, Satyajit Ray is not only regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, but he was also a screenwriter, author, music composer, illustrator, and calligrapher. His most well known films include his debut self-financed film Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956), Apur Sansar, (The World of Apu) (1959), The Music Room (1958), The Big …
Apr 30
On This Day: Jane Campion
The ever talented Jane Campion was born on this day April 30, 1954 in Wellington, New Zealand.
Apr 29
“Meshes of the Afternoon” by Maya Deren
Here is the avant-garde film “Meshes of the Afternoon” (1943) by experimental filmmaker Maya Deren, born on this day April 29, 1917 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Made with a budget of $250, “Meshes of the Afternoon” is Maya Deren’s most well-known work and considered to be an influential film.