I’ve been asking myself lately, what makes me want to blog about a film? Is every new release worth blogging about? Only new releases? Nope and nope; Extra Criticum is not The New York Times, thank god. Is it enough that I think it’s interesting or should it be interesting to others as well? The latter, no doubt, but to how many others? 5? 10? 50? 1,000?
With these questions and more on my mind, I present some films I’ve seen recently but that I did not blog about and why.
Elegy - A good film, but I can’t find anything to write about it. It was nice to see Deborah Harry, and the thought of her and Dennis Hopper as a married couple is deliciously mind-blowing. I did enjoy watching Penelope Cruz and got a special tingle every time I heard her say my name in her lovely Spanish accent. “David . . .” But other than that, I got nothing.
Great Expectations (1946) - A tremendous amount of brainpower has already been exerted on all things David Lean. What could I possibly say about this film that hasn’t already been said?
Hellboy II: The Golden Army - I would have blogged about this film, because I think director Guillermo del Toro is one of cinema’s great fantasists, but I couldn’t in good conscious since I fell asleep at the climax. This was not the film’s fault, but instead due to what they call in Hollywood “physical exhaustion.”
White Diamond - See my post about Encounters at the End of the World.
Buena Vista Social Club - I’ve tried to watch this film twice now. I got further along this time, 21 minutes and 47 seconds. Anyone who knows me would be surprised at this admission—documentary, Wim Wenders, Cuban music, I’m all over it. But I just can’t stay interested in this film. If I were a professional critic, I would have to give a valid reason why, and I simply can’t. It’s a good think I’m not a professional critic.
Sakuran – A luscious Japanese film I saw at a film festival. I could have written something about style and substance, or using current pop music in a period piece (a practice I approve of, if done with intelligence and not just to sell a soundtrack album or prove how hip the director is), but the chances of anyone reading this having access to this film is remote. Plus, whenever I go on about Kurosawa or Mizoguchi or Naruse or Ozu, my friends roll their eyes.
3 Needles – A great cast (Lucy Liu, Chloe Sevigny, Stockard Channing, Olympia Dukakis, Sandra Oh) and gorgeous cinematography by Thomas M. Harting, CSC, power this dramatic trilogy. But Thomas M. Harting, CSC is a friend and colleague, so I must disqualify myself from discussing the film.
So, what makes a film blogworthy? Here now, my Declaration of Principles.
• It need not be great, but must contain something unique about it.
• It must inspire me to write a new-ish appreciation or thought or point of view.
• It must be seen in its entirety.
• It must not inspire me to write the same post.
• It must provide an onramp for discussion.
• It must be available as a product and accessible emotionally and/or intellectually to someone other than me.
• It must not be associated with someone I’m associated with. That’d be wrong.
Of course, like Kane’s Declaration of Principles, these are bound to be broken. And in fact, I think I’ve broken a few already, maybe even in this post.