Dooby Reviews

I'm a 19 year old Film and Art History student in Auckland, New Zealand. Here I'll talk about film, music, books and art I have encountered.

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ALL the flowers of the Spring, Meet to perfume our burying.

John Webster, The Devil's Law Case

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Matters got worse when Mum came home and discovered him dancing naked to Stravinsky's Rite of Spring.

Joseph Lanza on Ken Russell (director: Women in Love, The Devils) in the biography Phallic Frenzy.

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The Misfits - Book of Photography

I've been meaning to get the book of pictures from the troubled shoot of one of my favorite pictures, John Huston's The Misfits for a while, and it finally arrived in the post a couple of days ago! What I found particularly moving was how each character seemed to reflect their actor's tragic offscreen lives. Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Montgomery Clift each do some of the best work of their careers in this picture in my humble opinion, and it's an exquisitely shot affair as well.

I just wanted to share some of the stunning pictures from the book:

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New Edition to my film Collection: Apocalypse Now

It was in my last year of high school in which I was exposed to this masterwork. Not only is it chilling and resonant in terms of its narrative and its themes, the visual and aural components are some of the most accomplished I'd ever experienced I can't wait to dig my teeth into it again.

This collection in particular looks like it will accommodate me quite nicely: It has both versions of the film (I've only seen the Redux version, but I hear many saying that the original cut might actually be better). It also has the reportedly excellent documentary on the tumultuous production of the film "Hearts of Darkness" as well as special features disk, a 24 page collectors booklet, 16 page theatrical booklet and a postcard set.

Holla is all I can say.

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Yoko Ono, 'Beat Piece'

From Grapefruit 1964

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MS MR hit that perfect balance between sexy, repulsive and just plain weird with their video for 'Hurricane'.

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Atonement (Wright, 2007)

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Dog Day Afternoon (Lumet, 1975)

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Trance (Boyle, 2013): Rapid Review

This film had a real welcome noir aspect of it, and really decided to mess with the mechanics of the genre. By the end the character arcs ended up reading as a real 'fuck you' to film noir's glorification of a violent, morally-questionable male anti-heroes and demonisation of sexually confident and intelligent women. In that respect I really loved this, especially considering the actors all really delivered in their roles - and I have found each of them rather spotty in their recent filmographies. The cinematography and soundscape also beautfully add to the duplicitous, sexually charged and violent atmosphere that felt both 'noir' and modern. Sadly the plot is the real let down here. The script goes to some real convoluted lengths to untie itself from its knotty (yet admirably ambitious) attempt to make us constantly second guess the characters. It just gets a bit too much. Though in retrospect, it was probably because of this that Dawson impressed me so much. She was able craft such a zen, controlled, confident character, that she convinced me to buy into the absurdities the script makes her spill to further the narrative. Still, this is highly enjoyable, if you can manage to keep your eyes from rolling at the continuous double crossing. B/B+

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Nicely played Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

(Though I have been guilty of this...)

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A rapey image from the Angels & Aristocrats exhibition at Auckland Art Gallery. Great series of pictures check it out if you can - free entry.

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Artemisia Gentileschi Judith Beheading Holofernes oil on canvas 199 cm × 162 cm

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A painting that really struck me in my Baroque Art course: I find it chilling how workman-like and unfazed the women are as they decapitate Holofernes' head. They've not been sexualised or idealised like in similar pictures - it's just a violent act shown very bluntly.

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Happy Together (1997), dir. Wong Kar-Wai

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New Yeah Yeah Yeahs single "Sacrilege" & its indecently sexy.

The video is rather genius too.

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Woah.

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