“So, where's the Cannes Film Festival being held this year?”

Little Joe

So Cannes is over anyway and Melbourne International Film Festival is just around the corner. Since I've been snowed under with work, work, work and, oh I know, more work and due to the later release of the program this year my nerdy scheduling which normally would have been done by now has been a bit lapse. However I've booked about five films so far and have another 5-7 to book in...but you'll see everything below...(in no particular order)

1. Beaches of Agnes - I love Agnes Varda (director of Cleo from 5 to 7) and every film of hers I've seen so there is no way I'd miss this one.

2. We're Living on Dog Food - Dogs in Space is probably the best Australian film ever. It actually makes Australians look cool and interesting - which seems to be (on film at least) no mean feat - also it reminds me of the 1991 US film Slacker (by the amazing Richard Linklater) meshed with Smithereens and Trainspotting. Anyway in short (?) We're Living on Dog Food (after the Iggy Pop song?) is a doco about Dogs in Space.

3. Antichrist - like I'd take the risk of missing out on a film as controversial as this one!

4. Anna - weirdly enough I blogged about this a little while ago - I've never seen it (incredibly rare) but it features Gainsbourg and Karina and its a musical - 'nuff said.

5. Exploding Girl - Kids in New York in the summer. I love this stuff - especially in Melbourne winter when I'm in hermit mode.

On another note Melb Film Blog have a cool little list outlining which films are getting general release and when which is really helpful if you want to cut down your list - here's the rest of my maybes below....

6. Still Walking - Kore-eada's 6th film - if you haven't seen the other 5 well they're incredible (esp. After Life) - similarly to Varda I want to see it because he owns.

7. Burning Down The House - The Story of CBGBs - sucker for NY Punk docos - a lot of them are good e.g. End of a Century, New York Doll, and Dream of Life. This doesn't look quite as good as the others from the preview material - but I might try and see it anyway.

PS I'd really like to see an excellent Television / Voidoids doco, and book - if anyones looking for a project.

8. Moon - David Bowie's son hits the big screen - as a director. Looks like Space Odyssey meets Cast Away - oh wait I just talked myself out of this film. Its coming out soon anyway....

9. Outrage - I never saw Not Yet Rated as it was never given general release - that makes me feel like I should see this just in case.

10. Humpday - I dig on mumblecore (Puffy Chair, Hannah Takes the Stairs, Mutual Appreciation, Funny Ha Ha etc) I think the Duplass bro's are kinda genius. Not for everyone but most definitely for me.

11. Kisses - I hate Once btw - I turned it off after half an hour and wanted to turn it off earlier but the guy I was watching it with was like 'it was so well reviewed lets give it a chance' what a waste of time that turned out to be. I will actually probably not see this film based on how much I hate Once.

12. Awaydays - all the running in the trailer kind of turns me off. I hate running scenes. However the shots look good, the soundtrack looks good. Its a definite maybe. Also Selling Fast get in while you can.

13. Fish Tank - I haven't seen Red Road - but apparently it was really good - so this might be as well.

14. Looking for Eric - Not getting general release at this stage which I think is weird. Apparently this is Loach doing a Mike Leigh a la Happy Go Lucky aka downer director makes first feel good.

15. Hurt Locker - getting general release but apparently its the best film of this year according to the blogosphere. Plus Kathryn Bigelow (the dir.) also directed Point Break which kind of owns.

16. Stolen - more controversy - see it while you can?

17. Unmade Beds - I really wanted to see Glue (also directed by Alexis Dos Santos) a couple of MIFFs ago but somehow missed it - which was devastating as it was never released here but will do my utmost to catch this one.

18. Louise - Michel - Kind of looks like something in the vein of Working Girl or 9 to 5 - both of which I love - meets Delicatessen.

19. Little Joe - I was reading about this recently - it sounds fascinating. Its a doco on Joe a former Warhol 'Flesh' star who followed that with appearances in films by Jacques Rivette and Louis Malle?! He is also mentioned as "Little Joe" in Lou Reed’s 1972 song “Walk on the Wild Side" and he posed as the jeans-clad male hips on the cover of the Rolling Stones’ album “Sticky Fingers." Um, can you say 'Icon'?

20. Nymph - Supernatural love story from 'the' Thai director (Pen-ek Ratanaruang ) to watch. Perfect MIFF fodder in the best possible way.

21. Morphia - Apparently. Best. Amputation. Scene. Ever. Also the script is loosely based on a Mikhail Bulgakov story aka the only Russian Writer I've ever read.

22. Bluebeard - Catherine Breillat - not to sound like a broken record but....She directs. I watch.

23. Blank City - actually this looks totally up my alley and fast making its way to the definite list - NY art scene, Warhol, No Wave, Buscemi and Gallo. Yep pretty sold.

24. A Lake - by Philippe Grandrieux one of 'the' French arty directors to watch - whose also done cool installations at MoMa etc - I haven't seen anything of his yet, so maybe I should.

25. Deathbowl to Downtown - Skating in New York film - even if this is only half as good as Dogtown and Z Boys then it'll still be pretty awesome.

26. Tony Manero - for a film about a SNF/Travolta obsessed guy this sounds pretty brutal and amazing.

27. Embodiment of Evil- I haven't seen any of the preceding Coffin Joe films in this trilogy, so will I know whats going on?

28. Living Together - Anna Karina's first auteur adventure. Hard to find, prob worth trying to catch.

29. Chinese Roulette - Fassbinder and Karina - amazing!

30. Treeless Mountain - stunning trailer - also So Yong Kim produced Exploding Girl (see above).

Also I saw Guest of Cindy Sherman o/s its worth seeing if you're into that sort've thing. There are heaps of other good looking flicks that I'll wait for General Release to check out e.g. Valentino: The Last Emperor, September Issue, Girlfriend Experience, An Education, Tyson, White Ribbon etc.

Just as a side note I can't believe how expensive the films are...17 dollars is too much (helloooo Hoyts). Films used to be 10-12 and in the last 6 years it seems that 20 dollars will soon be a reasonable price to pay. Its ridiculous. I would see so much more at MIFF if there were 14/15 dollar tickets.

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