2020 Top 100 -- Discussion and Blurbs

[Anders]

Slow to these, but I updated the 2001 A Space Odyssey blurb with my new one.

[kenmorefield]

18 minutes ago, Anders said:

Slow to these, but I updated the 2001 A Space Odyssey blurb with my new one.

Woot! Thanks Anders.

[Evan C]

Just published my review of Lourdes.

[Brian D]

On the Waterfront is now published as well. 

[Anders]

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives is up.

[kenmorefield]

1 hour ago, Anders said:

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives is up.

Thank you!

[Brian D]

The Grapes of Wrath has hit the page....well, not quite the 1939 version but the Arts and Faith top 100 version.  Didn't want you to get too excited.

Edited June 23, 2020 by Brian D

[kenmorefield]

Steven sent me his blurbs for Of Gods and Men and The Miracle Maker. 

[M. Leary]

I have a First Reformed blurb up now. 

Are we adding old blurbs for past films to the pages where new blurbs are also being written? Or are those being archived with past lists?

And what else remains, Ken?

[kenmorefield]

1 hour ago, M. Leary said:

I have a First Reformed blurb up now. 

Are we adding old blurbs for past films to the pages where new blurbs are also being written? Or are those being archived with past lists?

And what else remains, Ken?

I was hoping for entirely new blurbs for Top 25. For other films, I was hoping to do those that had no blurb before those that had old blurbs. 

For those that had old blurbs, my general feeling is:

1) If the person who wrote the previous blurb is still around, he/she has option to revise *or* keep their old blurb.

2) If the person is around but doesn't want to revise blurb and someone else wants to write that blurb, the newer one will replace the older one.

3) If the person who wrote the old blurb is no longer present, anyone can request to write a new blurb and is okay to do so. 

Here is what is not assigned--an asterisk means there is an old blurb that can stand unless someone else wants to write a new blub:

 

• Diary of a Country Priest (1951)*
• The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964)*
• Make Way for Tomorrow (1937)*
• Sophie Scholl: The Final Days (2005)*
• Monsieur Vincent (1947)*
• The House is Black (1963)*
• Heartbeat Detector (2007)*
•  A Moment of Innocence (1996)*
• Close-Up (1990)*
• To Sleep With Anger (1990)
• The Gleaners & I (2000)*
• The Apostle (1997)*
• The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978)
• Munyurangabo (2007)*
• Tokyo Story (1953)*
• Dead Man Walking (1995)*
• The Burmese Harp (1956)*
• The Mill and the Cross (2011)
• Chariots of Fire (1981)*
• A Serious Man (2009)*
• In Praise of Love (2001)*
• Ponette (1996)*
• Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)*
• Fiddler on the Roof (1971)*
• Silent Light (2007)*
• Schindler's List (1993)*
• The Ushpizin (2004)*
• The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005)*
• The Immigrant (2013)*
• Places in the Heart (1984)*
• Nazarin (1959)*
• What Time is It There? (2001)

 

Right now, the only films I believe with no blurbs at all are Do the Right Thing, Tree of Wooden Clogs, and What Time is it There?  Also, there are a handful of films that people have claimed that I'm sure they would probably give up if someone else actively *wanted* them, so if there is a particular film you have in mind, let me know. I don't feel much like giving anyone a deadline unless there is someone else waiting. 

Kevin S. said he'd do Do the Right Thing, and I did want a Black voice to do that, but he's understandably had his attention elsewhere the last few weeks. I'd certainly allow someone else to do it if they felt ready to tackle it.

[BethR]

I'm happy with my write-up for Places in the Heart, so that's all right.

[Overstreet]

I have utterly failed to provide new blurbs for anything. I'm going to make a run at it this weekend.

[kenmorefield]

I had this thought during the Zoom call...it might be interested to try a few video "introductions" to the films. In the app blurb list, there is a place that says "Video" and that can go to any YouTube video.We mostly use it for trailers, but some people really don't like trailers. Might be fun to do a 2 minute intro to the film or appreciation of it. I have a rarely used YouTube channel that can upload them, and that might even draw some traffic from a new source.  Any thoughts?

[Jeremy Ratzlaff]

On 6/26/2020 at 8:16 AM, kenmorefield said:

I had this thought during the Zoom call...it might be interested to try a few video "introductions" to the films. In the app blurb list, there is a place that says "Video" and that can go to any YouTube video.We mostly use it for trailers, but some people really don't like trailers. Might be fun to do a 2 minute intro to the film or appreciation of it. I have a rarely used YouTube channel that can upload them, and that might even draw some traffic from a new source.  Any thoughts?

My feeling is that perhaps the "purest" option for these slots would be short, unedited clips from the films, unspoiled by trailer conventions. This clip from the beginning of Andrei Rublev is a good example.

Alternatively, an option that would require a little more work could be something similar to the Criterion Channel's "Three Reasons" edits. I've always found those understated and brilliant, the way they wet your appetite for the film.

[Michael S]

Just posted my write-up on Blade Runner. I went even longer on this one than usual -- writing or discussing Blade Runner is always a labor of love for me.

[Joel Mayward]

I have been neglectful in writing my blurbs due to a near-obsession with finishing an academic article I'm writing on Malick's A Hidden Life. Hopefully I can get those done this week.

[kenmorefield]

On 5/23/2020 at 3:39 PM, kenmorefield said:

By the way, I was going to talk to a filmmaker friend of mine who is not part of the community, but if anyone here is interested, so much the better. I was wondering how hard it would be to create a 2-5 minute video along the line of a filmfestival trailer that has clips from various films on the list. I'd be willing to pay $$.We should have something like this for the Top 100. 

Something like:

 

or 

 

I have seen the near-finished trailer that one of our own created, and it is spectacular. Can't wait to share it with you all, you are going to love it.

[kenmorefield]

Kevin Sampson has given us a blurb for Do The Right Thing: http://artsandfaith.com/index.php?/films/film/374-do-the-right-thing/

[BethR]

2 hours ago, kenmorefield said:

Kevin Sampson has given us a blurb for Do The Right Thing: http://artsandfaith.com/index.php?/films/film/374-do-the-right-thing/

May I suggest that this sentence "Wisely, he implores French New Wave (FNW) characteristics..." should read "he employs"?

That is so minor, though--I found the commentary very insightful.

[kenmorefield]

16 minutes ago, BethR said:

May I suggest that this sentence "Wisely, he implores French New Wave (FNW) characteristics..." should read "he employs"?

That is so minor, though--I found the commentary very insightful.

Thanks Beth, I'll fix it now. I've been thinking some all day about the idea of representation. I know Kevin, didn't know he dreamed of being a director when he was a kid. It's hard to imagine having so few role models in your dream vocation.

 

[kenmorefield]

I have updated the blurbs for This is Martin Bonner (me), The Mission (Rob Z), and The Man Who Planted Trees (Rob Z).

[Joel Mayward]

On 7/2/2020 at 8:20 AM, Joel Mayward said:

I have been neglectful in writing my blurbs due to a near-obsession with finishing an academic article I'm writing on Malick's A Hidden Life. Hopefully I can get those done this week.

My neglect persists. I'll see if I can make this happen ASAP.

[kenmorefield]

I've been playing around with videos since Pandemic has moved instruction online, and I'm thinking about making some brief introductions to films on the list. No more than 5 minutes. If you have interest in doing something like this either with me or on your own, let me know. 

 

[kenmorefield]

Putting out a last call for blurbs before I close the security loop of having so many people with editing permissions for the lists. Here are the films from the 2020 Top 100 without a blurb. If there is an asterisk (*) that means no blurb at all:

 

• Silence*
• Diary of a Country Priest*
• The First Reformed blurb is unsigned -- does anyone remember who wrote it?
• 2001 blurb is unsigned...don't know if it is new or not.
• Night and Fog*
• Monsieur Vincent*
• To Sleep With Anger*
• Tree of Wooden Clogs*
• Frisco Jenny*
• Amazing Grace*
• The Best Years of Our Lives*
• The Music Room*
• Dead Man Walking*
• Cameraperson*
• The Mill and the Cross*
• Secret Sunshine*
• In Praise of Love*
• The Act of Killing*
• Witness*
• Timbuktu*
• Nazarin*
• What Time is it There?*
• Uncle Boonmee review is unsigned....anyone want to claim it?

 

There are many others that have an old(er) blurb. If you want to write a new blurb for any of these, let me know...whoever wrote the previous blurb had ample time to update it or indicate that he/she was happy to let it stand. I'm not averse to keeping some of the old(er) blurbs, but if anyone wants to blurb one of these films, he/she should feel free to do so. 

[Anders]

10 hours ago, kenmorefield said:

Uncle Boonmee review is unsigned....anyone want to claim it?

That was me. Signed it.