IMAGI-BLOG

SIFFlog, days 16-20: the century mark

Joan Crawford in 'The Damned Don't Cry'Whoa.

I just updated my SIFF '07 scorecard and realized that I passed the 100-film mark last night! If my calculations are correct, my hundredth was the trashy-licious 1950 Joan Crawford flick The Damned Don't Cry, part of an excellent (and surprisingly well-attended) evening of archival films noirs at SIFF Cinema.

Quoting Joan's character, who skips out of her drab housewife existence and ends up being a ruthless, stop-at-nothing gangster moll:

"Don't talk to me about self-respect. Self-respect is what you tell yourself you got when you got nothing else."

Wisdom for the ages. Damn, I love me some noir.

Anyway, If I'd realized I was approaching the century mark, I'd've sneaked in a flask of hooch to celebrate. Which would have been highly appropriate given the genre and subject matter.

There's less than a week to go. My recommendations and warnings for the final days can be found here.

Who else is SIFFing? What are your faves (or not-so-faves) so far?

categories: SIFF 2007
1

imaginary char said on June 12, 2007:

My least favorite so far was About a Son (the Kurt Cobain film). The Seattle scenery was cool, but listening to Kurt whine for nearly 2 hours was too much.

I LOVED Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap Box and In the Shadow of the Moon (partially because one of the astronauts was there to answer questions and he was really charming).

I also loved Broken English mostly because of Parker Posey. She makes the world go 'round.

I haven't hit the century mark, but I did hit the baker's dozen mark on Sunday.

2

imaginary dana said on June 12, 2007:

100 films?!??! Embracey, you are AMAZING.

3

imaginary embracey said on June 12, 2007:

I regret missing the lone Seattle screening of Broken English and I totally share your sentiments on La Posey. Hopefully it'll screen here again during its limited theatrical release (late June).

4

imaginary char said on June 12, 2007:

Oh, I also forgot to say that I loved my burrito. Thanks Chipotle!

5

sally said on June 12, 2007:

emmas bliss was great, thx for recommending

wow you see alot of movies

6

imaginary embracey said on June 12, 2007:

Oh yeah, the tasty burritos! Good of McPotle's to give 'em away to SIFF passholders and ticketholders last weekend!

7

reticent said on June 12, 2007:

I saw Goya's Ghost with Natalie Portman. It was good, though the accents were inconsistent (I have a weird thing about that). It might have been better in Spanish. It did feel a little long and seemed to try to weave multiple historical events of Spain within it. I think I was a little disappointed that it was less a story about the art of Goya and more a story about the Inquisition and the power of the Church. I wouldn't have strongly recommended it.

However, I throughly enjoyed 2 Days in Paris with Julie Delpy. It was better than I thought. And, having a French brother-in-law that I tease often, I found it particularly entertaining. Only the French can make fun of the French well. Delpy was positively entertaining and adorable in her quirky, intelligent way. I patricularly appreciated the fact that the movie had a good amount of unpredictable, non-formulaic humor that was still laugh-out-loud funny. I'm not known for cackling throughout movies, but my face was a little sore at the end of this one.

8

reticent said on June 12, 2007:

Oh, sorry about the misspelling of "thoroughly." (I have a thing about spelling, too.... I think I have too many "things".....)

9

imaginary char said on June 12, 2007:

I did like 2 Days in Paris. I didn't realize until the end that the man that played her father (Albert Delpy) is her father in real life.

10

imaginary embracey said on June 12, 2007:

Yes, 2 Days in Paris is great, and very funny, and that's totally her dad. I wonder if he keys random cars like that in real life?

The thing about Goya's Ghosts is that it's not to be taken seriously. It's good trash. A Swede playing Goya? I hate to think Milos Forman was seriously going for an international feel.

And I was stifling howls at Natalie Portman when she got out of jail all jibbering and crazy, then again at her double-role as the first character's dentally-challenged prostitute daughter. She had to know she was camping. Much fun.

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