The Cinema Show

If, like me, you are a cinephile living here in Madison, then you too probably feel frustrated at reading film critics' year-end best-of lists. Many of the films populating those lists were either released late in the year and had yet to make their way to our neck of the woods or will only see release here on DVD. For instance, how many Madisonians got to see The Death of Mr. Lazarescu on the big screen? (I'm almost positive it never screened here.) Now that it is January, it seems like the big budget films that snuck in under the wire with a December release date are finally making their way here.

Tomorrow sees the opening of Guillermo del Toro's El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth) at the major theatres here in town. Considering it is in Spanish and that Curse of the Golden Flower will also be playing in those same theatres, it' will probably mark the first time in a while that the non-arty cinemas in town will be showing 2 films that are not in English at the same time.

I'll be spending some time next week at Westgate as it'll be showing a couple films I am keen on seeing. Firstly is Letters From Iwo Jima, the second of Clint Eastwood's two-part look at the battle. Also is Tom Tykwer's Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. Tykwer is best-known for Run Lola Run, though I preferred The Princess and the Warrior.

In Chicago, the Gene Siskel Film Center has another great month ahead. February brings a retrospective of one of my favorite directors, Werner Herzog, including what will probably be the only showing of his 2005 "documentary", Wild Blue Yonder, within several hundred miles of Madison. There is also a look at Contemporary Croatian cinema and a lengthy look at African American Auteurs which runs through 8 May. Featured directors will be Oscar Micheaux, Spencer Williams, Charles Burnett, and Spike Lee. Who wants to join me in a roadtrip?

I've noted here previously that David Lynch's latest opus, Inland Empire, is now making its way around the country. It opens on the 26th of this month at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago. Lynch himself is scheduled to appear at the 2 late shows on the 27th, but they are currently sold out. If the film makes it to Madison, look for it next month.

Speaking of David Lynch, I recently got a hold of a copy of Mulholland Drive – the TV pilot. Before it was a feature-length film, Mulholland Drive was to be Lynch's foray back into television. For better or for worse, ABC rejected it and Lynch developed the pilot into the film we know today. As soon as I get the ability to screenscrape it, I'll do a post on the differences between the two versions. Actually, I hope to make this into an occasional feature with a review of a film or TV show that has been lost in the vaults or has had no US release to speak of.