shippingfromcrimsoncove

Gene Siskel summed up his opinion of Prince of the City by saying it was "as smart as a film can be." He and Roger Ebert were right about that under-appreciated film, and Artifice Girl clears the same hurdle and has many of the same characteristics. Its sometimes rapid fire, complex and overlapping dialogue calls for subtitles at times, and a second viewing perhaps to fully appreciate. Artifice Girl is a tour de force with great performances from all of its actors. It has technological foundations that are up-to-date and well-grounded in current speculations about the likely evolution of A. I. This makes it credible and involving; thereby drawing us into its story despite the stage-like simplicity of some of its sets. Its cinematography is excellent, which complements its focus on the personalities, ideas, and conflicts at its core. Don't miss it. I predict that it will come to be seen as a classic.

Want a replacement for GOT? I watched the pilot for The Deuce last night--it's up on HBOnow, even though it is not scheduled to premier until Sept 9. Wow! If it holds up, it will be a masterpiece. Don't say I didn't tell you. Recreation of the era is mesmerizing for those of us who lived through it. The writing, acting, mise en scene, all jaw dropping. James Franco playing two characters is accomplished simultaneously in a few scenes with special effects that are worth the price of admission alone. Directed by one of the Breaking Bad regulars.

One of the most hypnotic shows on TV and Sui generis. Great acting and writing in the service of an agnostic, post-theological theology of the absurd. The comic book roots help to grease the tracks for the wary, and we slide into a phantasmagoric meditation on the deadly carnival of life on this planet. Not for everyone--thank goodness! The show has evolved from a disorienting madcap dadaism to a more thoughtful and slower paced exposition of its themes and points of view. It is gory and not above sensationalistic violence, but its wit and serious themes balance out the pop elements. I doubt that it will survive because it asks a lot from its viewers--such as intelligence, experience, familiarity with cultural history ("What do you expect? It's Chinatown."), focus, and attention to fast moving dialogue. I hope I am wrong about its prospect for survival. It has become one of the few shows that I look forward to each week, along with Silicon Valley.

Thank you masked man, from all of us to all of you. It is 4 am, woke out of a dream and thought of you after watching the last episode of Mad Men last night. I had bailed from the series somewhere around the middle of the 5th season, bitterly disappointed with the collapse of what had been perhaps the best art I had experienced in that medium. Well, I'm glad I went back, for old time sake, and gave you another chance. You did not disappoint. You now reside in that place that seems to be where the brain meets the gut, writhing in that crazy feedback loop of thought and emotion called humanity, along with Magic Mountain, Shooting an Elephant, Lem's Solaris, Tarkovsky's Rublev, and other chimeras.