From The Golem, 1920, Paul Wegener and Carl Boese.
Which reminds me, I gotta get in gear and write up the Coens’ fabulous A Serious Man soon. Not at all a self-hating Jew contempt-fest, but rather a cartoon Book of Job set in a (among other things) burgeoning counter-culture milieu. One of their richest and most profitably mischievous films.
“a cartoon Book of Job set in a (among other things) burgeoning counter-culture milieu”
I dare them to put that on the poster.
Nice to hear. I was disappointed when the writeup of the film at The Auteurs from TIFF was such an obvious piece of reflexive Coen-hate.
Glenn, I don’t know if you’ve seen this yet but I’d love to hear your comments:
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/7e2d4a6e10/birthday-suit
You can still be a douche even if you’re able to make fun of yourself, obviously.
Oh good, I’ve been looking for somewhere to complain about this: http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/cinema/2009/10/05/091005crci_cinema_denby
Is anyone aware of petition that I could sign asking The New Yorker and other responsible publications to prohibit David Denby from reviewing any more Coen Brothers movies? A more obnoxious and less generous approach to film reviewing, I cannot recall.
I see where you’re coming from, Mr. DUH, but there’s another way to look at it.
The invaluable Nick Rombes had this to say about Denby: “I was glad to see that the New Yorker’s David Denby dismissed Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds as ‘ridiculous and appallingly insensitive’ (as if insensitivity is a criterion for dismissing a movie), and as ‘shallow’ and as morally ‘callous,’ while tossing in that Tarantino has become an ’embarrassment’ etc. Denby, the Minister behind the ‘Minister’s Black Veil,’ is really good at moralizing. Damn good, as Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt might say).
“I was relieved that Denby disliked it because almost everything Denby dislikes about the movie is what makes it a great film, and of late Denby has rejected the best, most daring cinema in favor of the most bland.”
I have a co-worker who has the worst possible taste in movies. For example, OBSESSED was a great film; RATATOUILLE is not. If she recommends a movie, I know to avoid it; if she hates a movie, there’s a good chance it’s a great film. Perhaps Denby is useful in the same way.
I still remember the time on this blog that Glenn called Denby “baby puppy”, and I pretty much can’t came across his name, in print or online, without thinking of him as a “baby puppy”. Which is probably why I regard him with more kindness (well, that’s the wrong word; less unkindness?) than I do Mr. White and Mr. Reed.
I just read Mr. Denby’s review (after posting my own musings, above), and it’s interesting; aside from the misbegotten reference to Phillip Roth, it’s clear that in a way he very much “gets” the film. Only he also hates it. Just goes to show, I guess.