Elsewhere Digital
edited by Moisés Chiullan
The Third Man (Criterion Blu-ray)
This title in particular has been the subject of a good deal of controversy on Elsewhere (among other sites), message boards, and email lists across the web. No one seems to talk about much aside from the "Grain Issue." Since the grain (or overabundance thereof) is the obvious elephant in the room, I'm going to address it before getting on to the additional content on display here, of which there is much to see and thoroughly enjoy. (continued)

Upcoming

December 31

Defiance

Good

January 2

Cargo 200

January 7

Silent Light

January 9

After Dark Horrorfest 2009

Bride Wars

How About You

Not Easily Broken

The Unborn

Yonkers Joe

January 16

Chandni Chwok to China

Cherry Blossoms

Hotel for Dogs

My Bloody Valentine 3-D

Notorious

Paul Blart: Mall Cop

January 21

Of Time and the City




The debate, not the winners

Two days ago Red Carpet District's Kris Tapley said I was "back on the 'Oscar prognostication should be about spotlighting quality' thing again." No -- last Thursday's post was about how the Oscar race is about the debate -- pushing and ragging on this and that contender and what the various views and convictions that emerge say about who and what we are -- and not the winners, which nobody except Oscar queens ever remembers.

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on December 30, 2007 at 5:53 PM

comment #1

Gaydos Author Profile Page says ...

Just chatted tonight with an Academy voter who saw "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" for the first time and couldn't wait to talk about it as they were completely blown away. They ranked it just above "Blood" as the one and two best of the year.

It reminded me that this probably is the most underrated film of the year, even though a dozen major critics hailed it as a major return to form for Lumet, it's got a small company backing it, it's finished out of the money with many Guilds and Critics groups and I think many pundits have given up on it as a serious contender for Oscar glory. Which may be right, but it's still a damn shame.

Thankfully, AFI did include it in the ten best of the year list (And thanks to Senor Wells for putting it in his top five).

And the LA Critics are honoring Lumet for his career.

But screw that, let's give Sidney some love for making one of the best American film noirs ever made, WITHOUT copying film noirs of the past. And the Kelly Masterson script is just a brilliant, dark jewel, welding an O'Neill family tragedy with a classic heist tale. And Hoffman has never been better. Which is saying A LOT.

Anyway, hearing this voter go crazy for it the way I did months ago when I saw it at the New Orleans Film Festival gave me a glimmer of hope.

There's one best pic vote; 999 to go.

Posted by Gaydos Author Profile Page at December 31, 2007 12:08 AM

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