R.I.P. Harris Yulin

I know, I said I would ease up on the death reports…but damn it, Harris Yulin has left us. And the man was just too good to ignore.

In 2005 he had a brief role in the Michael Keaton drama Game 6, as an actor struggling with his lines because of a brain condition. It’s such a small piece of the film’s overall story, but Yulin is staggering. (The image below is shoddy quality, clipped-from-a trailer on YouTube because I couldn’t find anything sufficient online for the film, and for that I apologize.)

I always liked Yulin’s big scene in Scarface as the dirty cop, Bernstein: sitting quietly, arms crossed, he watches as Tony Montana confronts and kills Frank. Tony then turns on Bernstein, who remains relatively calm even after being shot in the gut. His final line is angrily barked “FUCK you” before being shot a second time. (The scene is closed out exquisitely with Arnaldo Santana’s sweaty relief at being given a reprieve, and offered a job.)

Yulin was a stage actor first, starting in 1963, with his first film role as Wyatt Earp in 1971’s Doc, a supremely dusty western co-starring Stacy Keach and Faye Dunaway. Another overlooked gem.

R.I.P. Mara Corday

One of my earliest science-fiction experiences was 1955’s Tarantula, which co-starred Leo G. Carroll and Mara Corday. Corday passed away earlier this year.

Clint Eastwood plays a very small role in Tarantula as a pilot. According to Wikipedia:

“A few years after her husband's death in 1974, Corday's old friend Eastwood offered her a chance to return to films with a role in his 1977 film The Gauntlet. She also had a brief but significant role in Sudden Impact (1983), where she played the waitress who dumped sugar into the coffee of Det. Harry Callahan in that film's iconic “Go ahead, make my day” sequence. She acted with Eastwood again in his 1989 film Pink Cadillac, as well as in her last film, 1990's The Rookie.”

TARANTULA, 1955

R.I.P. Marcel Ophuls

The only reason in 1977 that 13-year-old Steve knew the name Marcel Ophuls - and was aware of the existence of a documentary titled The Sorrow and the Pity - was thanks to Annie Hall, arguably Woody Allen’s best film.

Ophuls died yesterday at the age of 97. I hope he found the McLuhan scene amusing.

ANNIE HALL, 1977

I know...

It’s starting to look like an obituary site. Sorry. After the end-of-year stuff, I kind of let things slide a bit. But now, everything is about loss. I’ll try to get back on track, promise.

TO BE CONTINUED…

(WESTERN, 2017, dir. Valeska Grisebach)

R.I.P. Ted Kotcheff

“Journeyman” should not be seen as a slight. Ted Kotcheff worked in film and TV for four decades, and in that time, he made Uncommon Valor (1983), a nostalgic, emotional favorite; First Blood (1982), a film that has grown in my estimation with each passing decade as a great example of not only whip-smart action but post-Vietnam cinema; and what I would argue is the man’s masterpiece - yet only his fourth directorial effort - 1971’s Wake in Fright.

R.I.P. Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer’s death is particularly sad, not just because - from a sturdy overall career - you could claim a handful of his performances are timeless, but in the years since illness diverted his path, he managed to commit to film a loving salute to one character, and an engrossing document on his entire life.

And sure, I know everyone has been copying and pasting images from Tombstone and Heat today…I get it. His work in those two films is top-tier stuff. But let’s go back to the start.

I mean, just imagine starting your film career with these four films…

Top Secret! (1984)

Real Genius (1985)

Top Gun (1986)

Willow (1988)

R.I.P. Bruce Glover

Bruce Glover was one of those actors I didn’t see a lot during my lifetime, but when I did he was a memorable presence on screen. Whether in smaller supporting roles (Chinatown, or much later in Ghost World) or as a heavy (with or without tongue firmly planted in cheek, as in Diamonds Are Forever), he was always a pleasure to watch work.

Addendum to the End-um.

So, in January I stopped watching films to sum up my 2024 list, yet since that day I’ve seen a number of other missed 2024 films that blew me away. I feel they are worth mentioning here:

-Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat (2024, dir. Johan Grimonprez)

As dense as it is energizing, as beautiful as it is powerful, this jazz-based documentary about Patrice Lumumba is a remarkable work, immediately leaping to the top of my 2024 list.

-Mars Express (2023, dir. Jeremie Perin)

An animated science fiction detective conspiracy thriller - set on Mars - flips so many satisfactory triggers for me that I’m shocked I didn’t know about it sooner. Action and humor and pathos from unexpected sources, it’s a terrific piece of work.

-Heretic (2024, dirs. Scott Beck & Bryan Woods)

What I thought was going to be another overhyped elevated horror flick turned out to be immensely smart and unsettling, with another latter-career performance by Hugh Grant. So damned good.

-A Complete Unknown 92024, dir. James Mangold)

This beat all my expectations, and destroyed all my concerns. I was on a terrific high from start to finish. The first Chalamet performance I’ve really been wowed by; and Mangold maintains his record as one of the most reliable directors around.

NorwoodEye: 2024 Hat Tip

This year there were 13 films that made the HT list (my version of that weird place between “best” and “favorite”).

Later than most years, also…I did not get access to a few key films until after January 1st.

13. Green Border (dir. Agnieszka Holland)

“…20 minutes into Green Border, I was emotionally wrecked. By the end I was equal parts angry, hopeful, and wrecked…the craft on display is excellent...though to be clear I don't feel a need to re-watch this one…”

12. Made in England (dir. Martin Scorsese)

At 60, I only discovered the Powell & Pressburger films in 2024, and was bowled over by the crisp precision, rich beauty, and wholeheartedness of their work. I had only seen The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, Black Narcissus, and The Red Shoes when I learned of Scorsese’s documentary, which is as lovingly thorough as it is cautiously worshipful. It is a worthy accompaniment to the filmmakers’ careers.

11. The Brutalist (dir. Brady Corbet)

“The film opens like few can: churning darkness, overwhelming audio, a gentle narration that is almost consumed by the sounds, all culminating in a rapturous explosion of daylight, jubilation, and the Statue of Liberty, though to the viewer that symbol is askew, upside down, shaken...the composition, scoring, acting, the scale and scope and intent, were all amazing. I think this almost becomes the new epic I've been searching for…”

10. Pictures of Ghosts (dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho)

“…a fondly pieced-together scrapbook of a man's home, family, passions, and the shifting landscape that surrounded him…the overall vibe is one of deep appreciation and love for fixtures that move with time, sometimes built upon and improved, sometimes gutted and left to rot, and occasionally holding steady with new generations…what struck me about the film was how simultaneously confident and relaxed it felt…a comfortable ride through someone's world, but one made with just as much precision as care…”

9. Oddity (dir. Damian McCarthy)

“A highly satisfying mix of craft, performance, atmosphere, mood, and writing.”

8. Conclave (dir. Edward Berger)

“As visually attractive as it is tightly wound, Conclave comes across like a murder mystery, with a faintly arch score underlying layers of papal subterfuge. But damn it, the cast and writing are equally impressive. It's a standout for the year. And that rarity, a film I can recommend to my aging mother.”

7. Thelma (dir. Josh Margolin)

“I cannot remember the last film that combined jubilance, poignancy, and laugh-out-loud comedy so effortlessly. It was immensely satisfying and hit home in a number of ways.

The cast is perfect. Everyone is on point.

Just wonderful.”

6. Hundreds of Beavers (dir. Mike Cheslik)

In 2022 I reviewed this and placed it in my end-of-year list. At the time I said: "I didn't know a slapstick film about observation and problem-solving was what I needed this late in my life…a film so creative, hilarious, and giddily in love with the oldest of old school. It's one of the most inventive comedies I've seen since A Town Called Panic. I absolutely love this film."

5. Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World (dir. Radu Jude)

“…the film is successful in its three-hour biting assessments of gig economy, Tik-Tok culture, the insensitivity of corporations (rivaling that of governments), and the impact of everything wrong with the country on those of the lowest societal strata…it's brilliant, and increasingly uncomfortable…”

4. Flow (Straume) (dir. Gints Zilbalodis)

“I can't tell you how intently I was leaning forward during this, and how many times I clasped my hands over my mouth. I thought it would just be a charming piece of animation, but it really got under my skin. What a beautiful, lovely surprise.”

3. Evil Does Not Exist (dir. Ryūsuke Hamaguchi)

“…this film is beautiful…light and colors, exquisitely framed, and thoughtfully edited…and not concerned with your sense of urgency…the town meeting scene was one of the most invigorating this year…”

2. Perfect Days (dir. Wim Wenders)

“…simple, elegant, and powerful…providing me rare, profound emotional reactions that maybe happen with a film once or twice a year…”

1. Anora (dir. Sean Baker)

Something darkly familiar becomes a rollicking, chaotic comedy, unexpectedly touching, cast with a crew of on-point actors, with visual vibrancy to match its slick pacing. Sean Baker is the director you may not be aware of but should be seeking out. He has a remarkable winning streak, you just have to appreciate the kind of people who populate his stories.

Notables (alphabetical):

Alien: Romulus was pristine in design, atmosphere, and even some of the acting was on point. That it was an almost carbon copy of the best of Alien films was its only real flaw. Fede Alvarez is one of the genre guys to watch.

Anselm, technically a 2023 release, was Wim Wender’s remarkable look at the artist's work, frequently doing justice to the scale and texture of every piece within the confines of the screen.

My gosh, I got a kick out of Coup!, Austin Stark & Joseph Schuman’s social satire wrapped in dark comedy. When I wasn’t gut-laughing, I was riveted.

Adam Rehmeier’s Dinner in America was made before COVID, with a very limited release in 2022, but only broadly available to American audiences until it was placed on VOD this year. Any other year it would be in the proper list: it's a wildly entertaining, smartly written, enthusiastically acted film, and funny, and touching, and funny. I absolutely love this film and hope people will seek it out.

Disco Boy is lush, vibrantly scored, exquisitely acted (Franz Rogowski cannot miss, y'all); an all-around beautiful film with just the barest wisp of an actual plot.

Dogman may seem generic at times, but I would argue that Caleb Landry Jones' performance elevates the film, and I hope he is remembered for his stunning work.

Exhuma offers up a supremely good genre package: a supernatural procedural; an exquisitely paced horror tale; a set of well-drawn characters brought to life by a crackerjack cast; and it's all filmed and edited to perfection.

The Invisible Fight: "Delirious...an Estonian project that steeps kung-fu desires in religious vigor, with a decidedly 70's vibe, an original score by turns funky and ethereal that surrounds a deep love of Black Sabbath, characters draped in Jodorowsky and The Silent Flute, and a sly sense of humor that never really goes away but sometimes is as quiet as a monk."

Passages meanders a bit but has both Rogowski - again, wow - here as a less sympathetic character, buoyed by Ben Whishaw, who absolutely ruins you with his performance. It's a dour romantic triangle, but supremely well done.

And lastly, The Zone of Interest, which I would have included in last year's list (at the top) if it had been available to me earlier. What can you say? Glazer is masterful; the cast is impressive; the sound design and mood are borderline oppressive in their respective impacts. Truly amazing cinema. Just not terribly funny.

Oh, and I probably should mention that one film I really wasn’t looking forward to, do not like its kind, yet still found it to be perfectly mesmerizing, dizzying, and even made me laugh out loud a few times. Yes…

The Substance.

Y’all take care in 2025.

-Steve

FLOW Comments

https://letterboxd.com/norwoodeye/film/flow-2024/

Michael Nesmith Appreciation Society

Here I am, riding out 60 years, and I just last year discovered the late Michael Nesmith’s solo catalog, including this beauty that I snagged for Christmas (on vinyl). His easygoing country-rock style is really hitting me in the right way.

Scenes That Make Me Sit Up Straight - Asteroid City

Sometimes I don’t respond in a wholly favorable manner to a film made by and cast with people I somewhat - or even largely - adore. Surely this is not uncommon? After finding two thirds of The French Dispatch to be more remarkable than anything the director had made up to that point, Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City left me in a shrug two years later. It was fine, in the way most of his films are fine. Cheery, colorful, quippy, and cast supremely well, even if the characters are frequently given little to do (though as the opening of The Grand Budapest Hotel shows us, sometimes the ones with less than five minutes of screen time impact us the most).

But in Asteroid City there is a backstory that I quite liked, which is infrequently shown, where the creators behind the televised play we are watching go about their processes, voicing concerns with how characters are to be played, and What It All Means. Here, we find Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, and Edward Norton, discussing with a class of actors how to approach “a sleeping scene/a scene of sleep”. Of all the comfortably B&W behind-the-scenes pieces of Asteroid City, I love this one the most…

…because words and gestures and movements within the scene feel so off-the-cuff and natural, occasionally giddy, that it doesn’t at all feel as tightly wound and precise as I know Anderson’s films are.

McGinnis - The (Cinematic) Goods

Before Christmas hit, I bought myself an early gift of the Robert E. McGinnis art collection, an excellent “coffee table book” that has an extensive review of the artist’s history. What caught me by surprise was how many movie posters used his art. For your review: concept pieces for Arabesque, A Fistful of Dynamite, and Live and Let Die, and the final version of Comes a Horseman.