Screening Log
This new site feature is a collective effort to summarize our viewing habits. Occasionally, you will find titles here that are coming to a theater near you, in addition to films viewed on television, and even films viewed in piecemeal. The screening log is archived each month; to view past entries select a month in the menu below.
November 2005 activity
Total Log Entries: 41
- Adam (0)
- Andrew (0)
- Chet (0)
- Chiranjit (8)
- David (0)
- Eva (0)
- Evan (0)
- Ian (7)
- Jenny (0)
- Katherine (0)
- Leo (8)
- Megan (0)
- Rumsey (15)
- Teddy (0)
- Thomas (0)
- Timothy (0)
- Victoria (0)
Total Comments: 15
- Untitled 3b (0)
- Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (0)
- Made In Britain (0)
- Chungking Express (0)
- Changing Times (0)
- War of the Worlds (14)
- The Wages of Fear (0)
- Le Samouraï (0)
- The Tales of Hoffmann (0)
- Bring It On (0)
- War of the Worlds (0)
- The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (0)
- Battle in Heaven (0)
- Everlasting Regret (0)
- The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (0)
- The Thin Blue Line (0)
- The Devil’s Rejects (0)
- House of 1000 Corpses (0)
- Grizzly Man (0)
- Jonah Who Will Be 25 in the Year 2000 (0)
- An Angel at My Table (0)
- Eyes Without a Face (0)
- Se7en (0)
- Pride & Prejudice (0)
- Dude, Where’s My Car? (0)
- Good Night, and Good Luck (0)
- Pickpocket (0)
- masculin féminin (0)
- The Manxman (0)
- Land of the Dead (0)
- Oldboy (0)
- Bully (0)
- Signs (1)
- Jarhead (0)
- Perfumed Nightmare (0)
- Evil Dead II (0)
- Champagne (0)
- Return of the Dragon (0)
- Spring in a Small Town (0)
- Hong Kong Nocturne (0)
- Reassemblage (0)
Full Archive
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War of the Worlds / U.S.A. / 2005
Considering the connotations of the name Spielberg (not to mention Cruise) and the severe reactions his name causes among cineastes, I think I’ve unconsciously started evaluating his films within a vacuum where I simply compare each new film to the previous films in his body of work. This approach is seriously flawed, but I must say it makes Spielberg’s latest efforts much more rewarding.
At the risk of sounding like Armond White (who just seems to enjoy anything Spielberg throws at him, as if by embracing Spielberg’s filmmaking he can balance out his prejudiced view of any other Hollywood film) I have to say that other than the focus on family that typifies Spielberg’s films, War of the Worlds is unlike most of his other work. It’s a vicious road-trip that kind of resembles Godard’s Week-End in spirit rather than form (or content) – though my comparison may be due to having watched the films within days of each other. Spielberg parallels family battles with global chaos, as kids are reluctantly left at the home of their neglectful father, while a bunch of aliens try to eradicate a species and occupy foreign soil. Here, Spielberg examines the idea of habitation and the natural tendency to struggle against either an environment we are uncomfortable within or a hostile presence we resent.
Spielberg’s subtext of war and terrorism isn’t entirely coherent, but it is enthralling. I think I was hooked when he threw in the Welles-like touch of all that overlapping dialogue, including Dakota Fanning’s annoying shrieks, which only heighten the confusion of the moment. It’s also quite apparent why Spielberg just sat back all summer and allowed Cruise to self-destruct in the public. Considering we all realize he’s completely bonkers, it becomes that much easier to accept Cruise as an immature, clueless, inept parent within the film. However, I’d have to say this is one of Cruise’s better performances, though that’s probably because he’s been preparing for the invasion for half his life.
by Chiranjit Goswami | Source: Paramount Pictures/Dreamworks Entertainment Limited Edition DVD
27 Nov 2005 5:46 PM | Submit Comment