Nick Broomfield’s documentary-style film weaves a 360-degree story around the Haditha killings of November 2005 in Iraq. He’s put together a great cast of non-actors, mostly featuring former US Marines and Iraqi refugees in Jordan, where the movie was shot on location. Not referring to the explicit language, I found the conversations to be blunt and lacking subtleties, but you’ll find plenty of nuances in the complicated folds of the story itself. Besides, it seems Broomfield was going for rawness (there was a lot of improvisation involved), and through the events surrounding one incident, the jab is at a bigger truth. Bigger truths just happen to make perfect stories, but I suppose you’ve got to compress the lines if you’re going to get anywhere near?
Former US Marine ElliotRuiz gives an incredible performance. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay for the QA with him and Broomfield (can you believe it)! Film Forum is showing the movie through May 20.
Firstly, Bowerbirds is returning to New York for two dates:
10-01 New York, NY - The Bowery Ballroom
10-02 Brooklyn, NY - Studio B
Mark these down, because the last time they played Bowery Ballroom (video!), they were quite fabulous. Secondly, given that Dan Deacon’s shuffle iPod, which remains taped to a plastic banana, went missing during a show in London, we can assume his cousin’s friend in the State Department was able to get him a passport for his first ever trip to Europe. On his “missing beast”, he posted a MySpace bulletin saying he’s not mad, but he’d like it back.
Beth Tacular of Bowerbirds, on the other hand, claims her accordion was stolen by Gumby, and is offering a $500 reward for the Gumby, with or without the accordion.
The intrigue behind Steve Buscemi’s Interview results from it being first of the three movies that are to complete Triple Theo- a project that aims to realize murdered Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh’s wish to remake three of his movies in English, with New York City as the setting of choice. The consequent process itself is a point of interest, since not only does it adopt Theo’s stripped-down style of filmmaking, but it recruits his team to do so. As the movie’s website explains, for example, three digital cameras ran at all takes, one trained on each of the two main characters, the third capturing middle and master shots.
Paprika (Watch the trailer)
Release in New York: May 25, 2007 from Sony Pictures Classics
Language: Japanese
Satoshi Kon’s adaptation of Yasutaka Tsutsui’s sci-fi novel is an elaborate weave of endless imaginations. Animators at Madhouse, Inc. have marvelously brought this bizarre tale to a colorful life. Every bit of the flim is magical, both in idea and execution. The plot involves intrustion of dreams, so it’s free to defy physics, or any rational notion of space and time. But logic is in place, and is, at times, even profound. You’ll just have to grasp its thread and hang on tight. The song posted above, by Hirasawa Susumu, is the theme song. Showtimes at Angelika.
Ra Ra Riot drummer John Pike was found dead in Massachusetts, following his disappearance at weekend.
Pike went missing early on Saturday (June 2nd) morning after a party in Fairheaven - the band had played a show in Providence, RI on the Friday night.
His cell phone was then found in shallow water on a beach about half a mile from where the party was held, then on Sunday afternoon at around 4pm, his body was found immersed in water seven feet deep at Buzzards Bay.
Fans are now leaving messages on the Ra Ra Riot MySpace page, which can be found here.
Last night our drummer John Pike went missing at 3 am. He was last seen in Fairhaven, MA wearing a yellow t-shirt and jeans. If you have any information on where he may be, know anyone in the Fairhaven area, or spoke with him after 2 am saturday morning, please contact Fairhaven police immediately as well as John’s mother, Paula Pike - (978) 835 2140. We appreciate any information.
The intrigue behind 
From Myspace bulletin: