Wouldn't Know Chiaroscuro from Chicken Giblets

Reviews of Wes Anderson's gorgeous Academy Ratio live action plus a little stop-motion latest The Grand Budapest Hotel (a film I consider a magnificent culmination of his filmmaking process and style [and possibly his best yet]) are embargoed until opening day. Since I can't write a review and remain in accordance with an arcane social contract that wouldn't apply had I physically seen a movie in Berlin instead of Austin, I have to settle for merely posting and commenting on its trailer, which is full of hints of the delightful, laser-precise performances (especially that of Tony Revolori) found throughout the film.

I suppose that I did get spoiled in recording the fully Andersonian podcast that I posted on Monday.

Today, I received an email about the Zubrowka Film Commission. If they made shirts, I would wear one, and proudly. My allegiance is hereby pledged to film-friendly (and nonexistent post-WWII) Zubrowka.

Electric Shadow #2: Recommended Reading & Viewing

Read/Watch

Electric Shadow #2 finds Matt Zoller Seitz, Merlin Mann, David Loehr and I discussing the substance and style of Wes Anderson's films, particularly Fantastic Mr. Fox. This week's interview is with The Criterion Collection's Susan Arosteguy, producer of all Criterion special editions of Wes Anderson's films (the full, uncut interview is available as Screen Time #55). There's a Test Pattern with some deleted material, if you're into that.

Subscribe to the Electric Shadow Channel (iTunes/RSS) to get Electric Shadow, Screen Time interviews, and related Test Patterns all in the same feed. If you really want to put on your Bandit Hat, you could subscribe to the ESN Master Feed (iTunes/RSS).

Nearly all of Anderson's ouvre is available on DVD and (minus Zissou) Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection: Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Darjeeling Limited, and (as of tomorrow, 18 February 2014) Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Moonrise Kingdom will get there eventually, and The Grand Budapest Hotel isn't yet in cinemas. Patience.

First Andersons

Kubrick

Roger Ebert on Yasujiro Ozu

More Wes Anderson

Hal Ashby

Wonder Boys

The Midnight Coterie of Sinister Intruders

Screen Time #55: Recommended Reading & Viewing

Screen Time #55 begins a long-in-the-planning series of interviews with the people behind The Criterion Collection. Susan Arosteguy and her colleagues do amazing preservation, restoration, and appreciation work, and it shows in their beautiful special edition releases. In particular, Susan's eye as a designer results in a widely-varied array of striking aesthetics in her releases.

Her latest Wes Anderson special edition, for Fantastic Mr. Fox, arrives in a Criterion Blu-ray/DVD Dual Format Edition tomorrow (18 February 2014).

Subscribe to the Electric Shadow Channel (iTunes/RSS)
Subscribe to the ESN Master Feed (iTunes/RSS).

Bandit Hats (Frame 175)

I'm still in awe of this movie's level of craftsmanship. We recorded the second episode of Electric Shadow (focusing on it and Anderson in general) this morning. Expect it later in the week.

Kumar Pallana

Kumar Pallana has always been one of my favorite parts of my very favorite Wes Anderson movies. He lived a long life, to the age 94. I would defy anyone to prove that he is not just as important to the success of Bottle Rocket as superstars-to-be Owen and Luke Wilson. I've really missed seeing him in post-Darjeeling movies from Anderson.

Kumar also founded Dallas' Cosmic Cafe, a much-beloved haunt. 

I took some fresh grabs from his performances in his four turns with American Empirical Pictures. Enjoy.

Daily Grab 125: Off to Adventure

Kids never go out and play like they used to do.

The Daily Grab 33: Eyes Meet

Among many favorite Wes Anderson movies, Moonrise Kingdom shot up on the chart in its opening frames, but especially so once it hit this moment. Simple cuts and gorgeous shot composition combined with the precise moments of action make this another great film among many he's made.

I haven't bothered with the extras on the Blu-ray, but the movie has played around four times since I received it.