Fuck You I'm From Austin Film Talk

My moviegoing is really gearing itself toward female roles this year. I have a history of looking at two things each Oscar season..writing and best supporting actor. Those two categories usually thrill me more than most. That being said, I was a little irritated that Michael Fassbender's wonderful portrayal in The Killer was looked over. But from the land of another Fassbinder , The Teachers' Lounge has been nominated for best International Feature Film. I'd mistaken The Zone of Interest , a United Kingdom film, was also a German entry. The Teachers' Lounge knocked my socks off. I like a film that hasn't been overly promoted and reviewed before I have a chance to see it for myself. Although this feature has tons of articles, I was able to view it in an almost empty theater with only one guy and myself. Strangely enough, I'd selected my seat from the online chart only to discover I was next to a wall with no way to exit other than trip over that poor man on the...

Two of the best films I've seen in the race for Oscar this years are The Zone of Interest and Anatomy of a Fall. In The Zone of Interest Sandra Hüller plays the wife of a Nazi commandant who runs Auschwitz. She brings depth and a human quality to a loathsome type of character. That takes some rare skill. In Anatomy of a Fall, Hüller takes on the role of Sandra Voyter, a novelist who's been accused of murdering her husband. The story is told well as the French can do. I often think of something I read years ago about French filmmaking. Something about a French film with long take for no reason on say a cloud. And it means something. Almost as if we're used to the French means of inserting some sort of element because they can. I was reminded of this when I watch Anatomy of a Fall. A lot of bold moves, fast editing, almost too much dialogue which really worked with the entire feel of the film. You felt uncomfortable. I kept getting that weird "don't open the door...

Amidst the Temu spots, here's the roll out that struck my fancy. I've been a long time Super Bowl ad watcher, even more so than the game. These ads are in order of presentation, not necessarily best or worst. Vince Vaughn reads on Tom Brady for BetMGM - who doesn't love Vince?  This from somebody who believes Christian rock is for people who can't make it in real rock...the Jesus commercials were pretty great..esp. the INXS one with the AI pictures... Let the good times roll, ya'll...Kawasaki puts a mullet on everybody including the eagle...how American is that? It's the real deal, Chris...more cowbells! Oh no..that was something else...Take me home, Jesus...no wait..back to the REAL Chris..featuring Usher...who put on a really good 1/2 time show ... Christopher Walken really is a national treasure... Kate McKinnon and the mayo cat...MAYO...p.s. if anybody's interested in my feature length screenplay and book The Meanest Cat in the World... I'm one of th...

I'm dropping the "The" from The Zone of Interest , my only humble suggestion. Jonathan Glazer's film is about a real family living on the grounds of Auschwitz - we all know about it - Auschwitz concentration camp was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II and the Holocaust. Glazer's work takes a look at Rudolf Höss, his wife Hedwig and their children living a fairy tale type of life with the big dark shadow of Auschwitz always looming in the backdrop. The film is difficult to watch and was difficult to make. The director's choice to wire cameras hidden amidst plants and staged scenery creates a documentary feel to the piece and it works. In fact, the camera takes on it's own persona, something I'm mesmerized with in filmmaking. As when something magical happens and the 'film goddess' takes command as she will do. There is definitely another dimension added t...