Cold Weather

director: Aaron Katz

I'm only going to use this word once here, and only as a necessary corrective: Aaron Katz is not a "mumblecore" filmmaker. I'm not even sure that label means anything anymore, but evidently some secret law demands that it appear in every review of every indie movie made by anyone under 40, so there you go: compliance to the letter. Now get thee to the theater, because this movie is pretty sweet.

A few things happening this week, movie-wise:

Beer and Movie fest

BAM is bringing some top-notch sci-fi/fantasy movies to the Academy Theater this week, Feb 18-24. The program includes:  

 This should be very cool, although it's probably not for everyone: Dan Halstead of the Grindhouse Film Festival is bringing a rare (maybe the only) print of the Chinese psychedelic horror film Boxer's Omen (1983) to the Hollywood Theatre, 7.30pm Tuesday, Dec 7. It's a classic tale of revenge, but sounds even weirder than the usual Grindhouse fare. The description on the Grindhouse website promises monks on a rampage, evil wizards, black magic, "laser beams, crocodile carcasses, and a levitating alien head that hatches from a psychedelic egg" - for starters.

There will also be beer.

For more details, and advance tickets, check out www.grindhousefilmfest.com.

Scott Pilgrim vs The World

 Dir: Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz)

With: Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin, Ellen Wong, Alison Pill, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Anna Kendrick, Jason Schwartzman

Finally, a movie that does the one thing I always wish for whenever I see a "mumblecore" film: it sends in a bunch of enraged avatars to beat the snot out of the so-called protagonist. And it's even more fun than I thought it would be.

This is awesome: the Northwest Film Center is showing South Korean director Chan-Wook Park's groundbreaking Vengeance Trilogy starting tonight, with two chances to see each film. The very strong could even opt to spend all of Saturday in an ultraviolence marathon; this would earn you major toughness points, as these movies, though glorious, are not so easy to watch. Park specializes in a sophisticated brand of excruciating, hall-of-mirrors tragedy that makes Shakespeare kinda seem like Jane Austen. The atrocities pile up, delivering unbelievable yet somehow inevitable punishment to pretty much everyone. Moments of startling violence follow scenes of terrible calm, with bits of humor and tenderness laced throughout.

The Edge of Heaven, screening at the Northwest Film Center this Saturday, June 5, at 7pm.

The Portland International Film Festival continues at the NW Film Center this week. I haven't seen as many this year as I'd like to, but the ones I have seen have been good. Recommendations (be sure to check nwfilm.org for an updated schedule):

Bluebeard
France
dir: Catherine Breillat
(6pm Thurs, 6pm Fri, and 3pm Sun)

Catherine Breillat is brilliant but a little wacky. Her films aren't for everyone, but if you like her previous work (Sex Is Comedy, The Last Mistress, among others), Bluebeard will be a treat. It's a retelling of the bloody fairy tale about a wealthy ogre of a man whose new brides keep disappearing.

I missed the Best/Worst of 2009 show, so here, briefly, is my list:

Favorite 15 from 2009:
Antichrist
Tetro
The Fantastic Mr Fox
Inglourious Basterds
It Might Get Loud
A Serious Man
Moon
Coraline
Public Enemies
Zombieland
Star Trek
Avatar
(500) Days of Summer
The Young Victoria
Duplicity

Three I Hated:
Angels & Demons
The Proposal
Friday the 13th Remake
 

Director: Kinji Fukasaku

With: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Yukihiro Kotani, Takeshi Kitano, Aki Maeda

One of legendary Japanese director Kinji Fukasaku's last films, Battle Royale (2000) is an awesome, ultraviolent near-future tale of a government gone crazy. Each year, officials round up a herd of young teenagers and have them battle each other to the death. It's fitting for the times: the introduction explains that an economic crisis has put millions out of work and driven everyone to desperation.

DIRECTOR: JIA ZHANGKE

The Northwest Film Center's "Lens on China" series continues tonight at 7pm with The World, from 2004. It's a totally absorbing, two-hours-plus visual carnival of a movie, set in a Chinese theme park. The film is gorgeous enough to be definitely worth seeing on the big screen. Director Jia Zhangke touches on the alienation of youth in contemporary China, urban-vs-rural societies, entertainment as culture, and lots more. 

At tonight's screening, Wendy Larson, professor of East Asian Languages and Literatures at the University of Oregon, will introduce the film and facilitate a post-film discussion.