Broadway by Light

"Broadway by Light" never seeks to settle into one particular pattern; there are recognizable groupings of various signages, but there isn't a true sense of progression until the short's ending as dawn appears. But what is most striking is just how looming these ostensibly commercial products appear, towering over the other objects in the frame, especially the men that infrequently appear as almost automatons at work. Aside from some astonishingly flurries of signage rushing at the screen, Klein's editing is mostly static, but nevertheless "Broadway by Light" is a strange, defiant experience.

House of Little Deaths

Scout Tafoya seems to be aiming for two simultaneous and seemingly incongruous approaches here, mixing an intent eye on the prostitutes at the heart of House of Little Deaths with a more experimental and abrasive tone. The first half brazenly rejects all attempts at narrative, consisting solely of a single night in the brothel that forms the base of the film, as the prostitutes turn their tricks for a seemingly endless parade of men. Despite the observant shots of them as they get ready for the night, the women all seem to coalesce into one many-formed entity—perhaps for the best. The second half unfortunately does decide to venture into narrative, with increasingly diminishing returns from the already admittedly punishing first half. However, this is somewhat offset by the startling disruptions, such as the repeated shots, the extreme close-ups, the cuts to silence/mismatched shots with dialogue, and especially the colors, which are repeatedly tinted in many different hues, from blinding white to deep reds. House of Little Deaths is more than likely an hour too long and too impenetrable for its own good, but it is an admirable, worthy effort nonetheless.

Bad Seed

Bad Seed proceeds for most of its runtime in a pleasing and sedate pace, and perhaps the aspect that most distinguishes it is its general weightlessness. Though the narrative is set around a gang of car thieves that the main character, Henri (Pierre Mingand), is unwittingly dragged into, Wilder wisely feels no urge to infuse the film with additional urgency or weightlessness, mixing in liberal amounts of wit, ostensibly extraneous segments (the height of which is Jean's kleptomaniacal obsession with neckties), and a gleeful satirical element in showing the rich society and their haplessness in the face of the thieves. Even the potential thorns of the romance between Henri and Jeanette (Danielle Darrieux, in a wonderfully coy performance) are elided, as the general arc is preferred over any "big" moments. Nevertheless, Wilder's first film is made with a not insignificant amount of flair, using superimpositions and fast-paced editing (especially in the final chase) to match the screenplay's charms. The film does end in a shockingly melancholy fashion, but the film up to that point is so generous in its easygoing way that it almost feels like a natural transition. Bad Seed is a charm and a joy, where its lightness of tone and feeling is a feature rather than a demerit.

A David Bowie Ranking

Transferred and altered from Topsters.net.

1. Station to Station
2. Heroes
3. Young Americans
4. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
5. Low
6. Hunky Dory
7. The Gouster
8. Let's Dance
9. Diamond Dogs
10. Aladdin Sane
11. Scary Monsters
12. Blackstar
13. The Next Day
14. The Man Who Sold the World
15. Heathen
16. Reality
17. Lodger
18. Black Tie White Noise
19. Outside
20. Earthling
21. Hours
22. Space Oddity
23. The Buddha of Suburbia
24. Tin Machine
25. Tonight
26. Pin Ups
27. Never Let Me Down
28. David Bowie

2016 Halftime Scenes of the Year

So I can remember at the end of the year.

• The party or the final confrontation, My Golden Days
• Trauma montage, Cameraperson
• First night at Sound Machine, Everybody Wants Some!!
• The main event/Christine in motion/Gun range, Kate Plays Christine
• Opening credits, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
• The wedding, Sunset Song
• Rhythmic exercise, Cemetery of Splendour
• First dance/final dance, Mountains May Depart
• Opening the presents, Henry Gamble's Birthday Party
• The 12 Commandments, Love & Friendship

Another Previous Favorites List

1. Mulholland Dr.
2. Eraserhead
3. Paris, Texas
4. Blade Runner
5. Close-Up
6. Yi Yi
7. In the Mood for Love
8. A Brighter Summer Day
9. Sans soleil
10. Persona
11. Heat
12. A.I. Artificial Intelligence
13. Seven Samurai
14. "La jetée"
15. Trust
16. Sunrise
17. The Night of the Hunter
18. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
19. Stop Making Sense
20. Blue Velvet
21. Carol
22. The Young Girls of Rochefort
23. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
24. Mistress America
25. The Battle of Algiers
26. Manhunter
27. 2001: A Space Odyssey
28. Lost in Translation
29. Tokyo Story
30. The 400 Blows
31. The Devils
32. Journey to Italy
33. Vertigo
34. Inland Empire
35. "Duck Amuck"
36. Jeanne Dielman
37. Out 1
38. Meek's Cutoff
39. Sunset Blvd.
40. Lolita
41. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
42. "Outer Space"
43. The Passion of Joan of Arc
44. Miami Vice
45. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
46. "Night and Fog"
47. Paths of Glory
48. Death Proof
49. Public Enemies
50. The Double Life of Veronique
51. My Golden Days
52. M
53. Casablanca
54. "World of Tomorrow"
55. Eyes Wide Shut
56. Phoenix
57. Last Year at Marienbad
58. Singin' in the Rain
59. Brazil
60. Wild at Heart
61. The Shining

Oeuvre Lists

Taken from Letterboxd.

The Coen Brothers "Sometimes it's a hard world for the little things."

1. Barton Fink (Best Picture, Best Direction, Best Actor (John Turturro), Best Performance (John Turturro), Best Art Direction, Best Ending; Palme d'Or, FIPRESCI Prize, Vulcan Award (Dennis Gassner, Nancy Haigh))
2. Fargo (Best Screenplay, Best Actress (Frances McDormand), Best Cinematography, Best Score; Grand Prix)
3. Inside Llewyn Davis (Best Sound, Best Scene ("Fare Thee Well"), Best Use of Song ("Fare Thee Well"), Best Original Song ("Please Mr. Kennedy"); Jury Prize)
4. Raising Arizona (Best Costumes; Cannes Best Actor (Nicolas Cage))
5. The Man Who Wasn't There (Best Supporting Actress (Scarlett Johansson), Editing; Cannes Best Screenplay)
6. A Serious Man (Cannes Best Direction, Prize of the Ecumenical Jury)
7. Intolerable Cruelty
8. Burn After Reading (Best Ensemble)
9. No Country for Old Men (Best Supporting Actor (Javier Bardem))
10. Hail, Caesar!
11. The Big Lebowski (Best Visual Effects)
12. True Grit (Cannes Best Actress (Hailee Steinfeld))
13. Miller's Crossing
14. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Best Makeup)
15. Blood Simple
16. The Ladykillers
17. The Hudsucker Proxy

Paul Thomas Anderson "We may be through with the past, but the past is never through with us."

1. Inherent Vice (Best Picture, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress (Katherine Waterston), Best Ensemble, Best Editing, Best Costumes, Best Makeup; Palme d'Or, FIPRESCI Prize)
2. The Master (Best Supporting Actor (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Scene (Informal Processing); Grand Prix, Prize of the Ecumenical Jury)
3. There Will Be Blood (Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis), Best Performance (Daniel Day-Lewis), Best Visual Effects, Best Score, Best Ending; Jury Prize, Vulcan Award (Johnny Greenwood))
4. Punch-Drunk Love (Best Actress (Emily Watson), Best Sound, Best Use of Song ("He Needs Me"); Cannes Best Direction)
5. Magnolia (Best Original Song ("Save Me"), Cannes Best Actor (Tom Cruise))
6. Boogie Nights (Cannes Best Actress (Heather Graham))
7. Hard Eight (Cannes Best Screenplay)

Stanley Kubrick "Gentlemen of the court, there are times that I'm ashamed to be a member of the human race and this is one such occasion."

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Best Picture, Best Direction, Best Visual Effects, Best Use of Song ("Also sprach Zarathustra"), Best Scene (Frank's birthday); Palme d'Or, FIPRESCI Prize, Prize of the Ecumenical Jury)
2. A.I. Artificial Intelligence
3. Paths of Gory (Best Ending; Grand Prix)
4. The Shining (Best Actress (Shelley Duvall), Best Performance (Shelley Duvall), Best Editing, Best Sound; Jury Prize)
5. Eyes Wide Shut (Best Ensemble, Best Art Direction; Cannes Best Actress (Nicole Kidman))
6. Lolita (Best Supporting Actress (Shelley Winters); Cannes Best Actor (James Mason))
7. Dr. Strangelove (Best Screenplay, Best Actor (Peter Sellers), Best Supporting Actor (George C. Scott); Cannes Best Screenplay)
8. Barry Lyndon (Best Cinematography, Best Costumes, Best Makeup, Best Score; Cannes Best Direction, Vulcan Award (John Alcott))
9. Full Metal Jacket
10. The Killing
11. Spartacus
12. A Clockwork Orange
13. Killer's Kiss

Quentin Tarantino "Do you know what I do? This is what I do. I kill people and sell their corpses for cash."

1. Death Proof (Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Editing; Palme d'Or, FIPRESCI Prize, Vulcan Award (Sally Menke))
2. Inglourious Basterds (Best Direction, Best Supporting Actor (Christoph Waltz), Best Performance (Christoph Watlz), Best Art Direction, Best Scene ("Cat People (Putting Out Fire)"), Best Ending; Grand Prix)
3. The Hateful Eight (Best Actor (Samuel L. Jackson), Best Supporting Actor (Jennifer Jason Leigh), Best Ensemble, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Makeup, Best Score; Jury Prize)
4. Pulp Fiction (Cannes Best Screenplay)
5. Jackie Brown (Best Actress (Pam Grier), Best Use of Song ("Didn't I"); Cannes Best Direction)
6. Kill Bill Vol. 1 (Best Sound; Cannes Best Actress (Uma Thurman), Prize of the Ecumenical Jury)
7. Kill Bill Vol. 2
8. Django Unchained (Best Costumes, Best Original Song ("Ancora Qui"); Cannes Best Actor (Christoph Waltz))
9. Reservoir Dogs

Michael Mann "There is a flip side to that coin."

1. Heat (Best Picture, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Ensemble, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Score, Best Scene (The heist), Best Ending; Palme d'Or, FIPRESCI Prize)
2. Manhunter (Best Use of Song ("In-A-Gadda-Vida"); Grand Prix)
3. Miami Vice (Best Supporting Actress (Gong Li), Best Costumes; Jury Prize, Vulcan Award (Dion Beebe))
4. Public Enemies (Best Supporting Actor (Christian Bale; Cannes Best Actress (Marion Cotillard))
5. Thief (Best Art Direction; Cannes Best Direction)
6. The Insider (Best Actor (Russell Crowe), Best Performance (Russell Crowe); Cannes Best Actor (Russell Crowe))
7. Ali (Best Makeup; Cannes Best Screenplay)
8. Blackhat (Best Visual Effects; Cannes Best Actress (Tang Wei))
9. The Last of the Mohicans (Prize of the Ecumenical Jury)
10. Collateral
11. The Keep

David Lynch "Mother, they're still not sure it is a baby!"

1. Mulholland Dr. (Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Justin Theroux), Best Supporting Actress (Laura Harring), Best Ensemble, Best Use of Song ("Llorando"), Best Scene (Club Silencio), Best Ending; Palme d'Or, FIPRESCI Prize)
2. Eraserhead (Best Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction, Best Original Song ("In Heaven"); Grand Prix, Vulcan Award (Frederick Elmes, Alan Splet, and David Lynch), Prize of the Ecumenical Jury)
3. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (Best Actress (Sheryl Lee), Best Performance (Sheryl Lee), Best Score; Jury Prize)
4. Inland Empire (Best Editing; Cannes Best Actress (Laura Dern))
5. Blue Velvet (Cannes Best Screenplay)
6. Wild at Heart (Cannes Best Direction)
7. "Premonitions Following an Evil Deed"
8. "Lady Blue Shanghai"
9. Twin Peaks
10. The Elephant Man (Best Costumes, Best Makeup)
11. The Straight Story (Best Actor (Richard Farnsworth), Cannes Best Actor (Richard Farnsworth))
12. Lost Highway
13. Dune
14. "Sailing with Bushnell Keeler"
15. "The Alphabet"
16. "Six Men Getting Sick"
17. "The Amputee"