Cinema world converges on Hardyville
Movie Week continues here in advance of the premiere of the Big Damn Movie. Sweetie and I caught "The Incredibles" on Starz the other night, so now I've seen three of the five nominated "animated features/family films" in the 2005 Hardyville Freedom Film Festival. At this pace, I'll have watched all 16 nominated films I've never seen by 2007. Better get busy; the voting ends Oct. 20.
I love the idea of saluting films that have themes about liberty and freedom - and, as I mentioned yesterday, I love lists. I note there's been some grousing about some of the picks, but that's the beauty of lists: They start a conversation, they never end them.
Random thoughts: I do agree with David Codrea's astonishment that the anti-gun, anti-hunting screed "The Iron Giant" would be placed in a list of pro-liberty films. I suppose, as a pacifist individualist, I should applaud the theme of defending the peace-loving robot "against the entire might of the U.S. government," if only I hadn't been offended by the film's message that guns and killing animals to eat them are inherently evil. Co-judge Wally Conger says he doesn't agree with all of the picks; I'm guessing this is one of them.
It was hard for me to get into "Traffic," the acclaimed film that is little more than an Americanized, watered-down version of the compelling European TV mini-series "Traffik," having seen the original, but any list of nominated contemporary dramas that includes "Tucker: The Man and His Dream" is OK by me. The Coppola masterpiece has one clunker moment when a juror stands up and says "Let the man speak" and the judge, insteading of declaring a mistrial or tossing the juror out of the box, lets the man speak. But the rest of the movie is a wonderful love note to one of the coolest cars ever made and the forces that rose against it.
I still have to see "Team America: World Police" to confirm that it's the class of the "contemporary comedy" category, but the concept is so funny I may vote for it sight unseen. I have to see "Equilibrium," the only science fiction entry I haven't seen, even though my vote likely will go to "Serenity" - oops, I guess there are two entries I haven't seen. One thought: One day the judges will get over the Jar-Jar Binks/casting Hadyn Christensen debacles and "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" will be recognized as one solid indictment of the seductive power of Power. Neither the Sith nor the Jedi come across as especially noble in Lucas' Big Damn Finale.
I'm shocked that I got this far in life without seeing "The Outlaw Josey Wales," and of the remaining action-adventure entries, I think I'm buying into "Conspiracy Theory." But I have to experience the Clint Eastwood classic before I vote. Hey, wait a minute, howcome Josey Wales isn't nominated in the "classics" category? Oh, wait, I see: "classics" must be at least 30 years old, and "Josey Wales" was released in 1976. They couldn't wait a year to nominate it?
Speaking of classics, all five films that did get nominated are worthy. I like "Shenandoah" because the libertarian message is so damn in-your-face that you can't miss it, even if the price of liberty turns out to be so high in the end.
Foreign language flicks? I haven't seen any of 'em. I'd better plead ignorance and leave that category blank. New Year's Resolution to self: Don't be so darn xenophobic. You love that show where they swear in Chinese, for gawd's sake.
Go check out the list, vote early and often. Unless you don't believe in voting, of course ...
I love the idea of saluting films that have themes about liberty and freedom - and, as I mentioned yesterday, I love lists. I note there's been some grousing about some of the picks, but that's the beauty of lists: They start a conversation, they never end them.
Random thoughts: I do agree with David Codrea's astonishment that the anti-gun, anti-hunting screed "The Iron Giant" would be placed in a list of pro-liberty films. I suppose, as a pacifist individualist, I should applaud the theme of defending the peace-loving robot "against the entire might of the U.S. government," if only I hadn't been offended by the film's message that guns and killing animals to eat them are inherently evil. Co-judge Wally Conger says he doesn't agree with all of the picks; I'm guessing this is one of them.
It was hard for me to get into "Traffic," the acclaimed film that is little more than an Americanized, watered-down version of the compelling European TV mini-series "Traffik," having seen the original, but any list of nominated contemporary dramas that includes "Tucker: The Man and His Dream" is OK by me. The Coppola masterpiece has one clunker moment when a juror stands up and says "Let the man speak" and the judge, insteading of declaring a mistrial or tossing the juror out of the box, lets the man speak. But the rest of the movie is a wonderful love note to one of the coolest cars ever made and the forces that rose against it.
I still have to see "Team America: World Police" to confirm that it's the class of the "contemporary comedy" category, but the concept is so funny I may vote for it sight unseen. I have to see "Equilibrium," the only science fiction entry I haven't seen, even though my vote likely will go to "Serenity" - oops, I guess there are two entries I haven't seen. One thought: One day the judges will get over the Jar-Jar Binks/casting Hadyn Christensen debacles and "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" will be recognized as one solid indictment of the seductive power of Power. Neither the Sith nor the Jedi come across as especially noble in Lucas' Big Damn Finale.
I'm shocked that I got this far in life without seeing "The Outlaw Josey Wales," and of the remaining action-adventure entries, I think I'm buying into "Conspiracy Theory." But I have to experience the Clint Eastwood classic before I vote. Hey, wait a minute, howcome Josey Wales isn't nominated in the "classics" category? Oh, wait, I see: "classics" must be at least 30 years old, and "Josey Wales" was released in 1976. They couldn't wait a year to nominate it?
Speaking of classics, all five films that did get nominated are worthy. I like "Shenandoah" because the libertarian message is so damn in-your-face that you can't miss it, even if the price of liberty turns out to be so high in the end.
Foreign language flicks? I haven't seen any of 'em. I'd better plead ignorance and leave that category blank. New Year's Resolution to self: Don't be so darn xenophobic. You love that show where they swear in Chinese, for gawd's sake.
Go check out the list, vote early and often. Unless you don't believe in voting, of course ...
posted by B.W. Richardson at
9:35 AM
2 Comments:
VERY good of you to promote the Hardyville contest so often and so well. As one of the judges/nominators, I suppose I should do the same.
I liked Iron Giant, b'way. I'm not a hunter, but I do own guns and oppose all gun controls. But I found Giant charming and a rather hardcore indictment of massive state power. However, I wasn't responsible for its inclusion on the Hardyville nominations list.
I've adored Shenandoah since I first saw it on TV in 1971. Also love Josey Wales.
But for comedy, you can't beat Team America. Some people just can't get past the (extremely) naughty bits -- even those who would otherwise applaud its anti-politics. But I can watch it over and over, and laugh just as hard the 10th time as I did the first. I'm just careful who I watch it with.
Naughty bits?
I'm going to have to rent that one. :P
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