10 September, 2010

Guess the Film and Other Movie News

I am reading a wonderful book called The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England which describes everyday life across The Pond in the 14th century. While reading about mystery plays (those which depict Biblical scenes) this morning I was reminded of great movie. To wit:

Each play is staged on a two-story wagon, with a stage on the upper floor and the changing room and props area below. These wagons are pulled between the twelve watching places around the city. So all you have to do is turn up at one of these places and see each play brought to you, over the course of several days.

Ring a bell? Here's a hint.





While I'm on the subject of Terry Gilliam, I was sorry to hear that funding for his take on Don Quixote has fallen through. Again. At least no equipment got washed away in a flood like the last time he tried. Well, Orson Welles couldn't pull it off either so he's in good company.

In better film news, Terrence Malick's latest effort, The Tree of Life, now has a distributor and is to be released next year.

Douglas Trumbull is doing a documentary about working on 2001: A Space Odyssey.







Rashomon opens today at the Orpheum. I saw it last Friday at the UW Cinematheque but may have to go again.

It will be interesting to see if Windfall gets shown here in Madison. The movie chronicles the town of Meredith, New York as residents debate the pros and cons of wind turbines in the area.

Do you think this movie would fly here in Madison? On the one hand, it's about renewable energy. But on the other, it tries to tack a neutral course on the issue instead of outright promoting it and, in the process, vilifying a large corporation and/or industry. Madisonians seems to have an insatiable appetite for lefty agitprop such as Food, Inc., Fresh, Crude, anything by Michael Moore, etc. but will they warm to a film that doesn't just repeat what they already believe back to them and demonize the usual suspects?

I can't see it getting a run nor being shown by the Willy Street Co-op as part of their film series but I'd be surprised if it didn't at least make it to the Tales From Planet Earth film fest.

ADDENDUM: Waiting For Superman opens at Sundance next month. Where is The Cartel?

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