life via videotape

Harley, 22, part-time video store clerk, full-time Filmfinder General. an ongoing blog dedicated to my love of cinema. diary entries tagged /movie

[letrou]

Abouna, 2002, dir. Mahamat Saleh Haroun

[ozu-teapot]

Equinox Flower | Yasujirô Ozu | 1958

Chishû Ryû, Shin Saburi

[morningcapture]

I Hate But Love (1962)

[sesiondemadrugada]

Mystery Train (Jim Jarmusch, 1989).

[letrou]

@dogfang Jim jarmusch marathon sometime?

[bongcop]

RANKED - John Wayne’s Lone Star Productions

The period between The Big Trail and his big break with Stagecoach was undoubtedly one of the lowest points in John Wayne’s career. After signing a contract with the poverty row studio Lone Star, he completed a total of 16 movies between 1933 and 1935. These productions didn’t have big budgets, and I would imagine did not have big crews either, but makes up for these with typical western fare. Horse chases, gun duels, saloon fights, everything that makes up a crappy western you get right here. Hell, John Wayne even had a reoccurring character that sang. Not kidding. 

It’s 7:30AM and I can’t find my trazodone. Anyway I just finished my way through them, so here they are, ranked worst to best.

16: Texas Terror (1935)

15: The Dawn Rider (1935)

14: The Lawless Frontier (1934)

13: The Lucky Texan (1934)

12: The Star Packer (1934)

11: The Desert Trail (1935)

10: Sagebrush Trail (1933)

9: The Trail Beyond (1934)

8: West of the Divide (1934)

7: Rainbow Valley (1935)

6: ‘Neath the Arizona Skies (1934)

5: Paradise Canyon (1935)

4: Blue Steel (1934)

3: Riders of Destiny (1933)

(John Wayne walks into a gun battle while singing)

2: The Man from Utah (1934)

(Another “Singin’ Sandy” film)

1: Randy Rides Alone (1934)

(Opening scene is so fucking darksided)

[theamazingdiabetesman-deactivat]

Best So Bad It’s Good Movies!

[truecrimecringe]

[bongcop]

Ousmane Sembene is an Senegalese director who is considered the godfather of African cinema, and is responsible for bringing it into international light. His films are staunch criticisms of society and government, and often explore the effects of colonialism (Camp de Thiaroye), political incompetence (Xala), deep problems within humanity and identity (Black Girl) and, above all, feminism and women’s issues in the sub-Saharan. In 2004, Sembene released his feminist masterwork Moolaade to overwhelming international appraise. The film deals with female circumcision; a group of women rise up against the patriarchal structure of their village to end the mutilation of their girls. This is one of the only movies in the world to cover such a topic.

So why am I telling you all this?

A while back, I came in contact with a man selling a bunch of film cannisters. Most of what he was offering was trash - old 70s educational films, TV movies, home videos. Gross. As I’m picking through I’m quickly losing interest, but then come across something interesting. A listing with the blunt description “‘Tauw’ Short Film from Africa. Dir. O. Sembene”. !!!!!!!!!! I can’t believe I’m holding this!! A super obscure early short film from one of the most important people EVER in film!! I have no way of watching it cause I don’t have a projector but OMG!!!!!!

[bongcop]

A Page of Madness 狂った一頁 (1926, dir. Teinosuke Kinugasa)

[horroredits]

The Fly (1986), dir. David Cronenberg   

[ozu-teapot]

The Terrorizers | Edward Yang | 1986

[cinematicpaintings]

Blue Ruin (2013)

[antoniostella-deactivated202509]

Some of the Kusrosawa Posters.

[this-is-persona-non-grata]

Fargo, Japanese Poster Art

[contac]

Some great exteriors from Night of the Comet (1984).

[themuteprotagonist]

[supervillain]