Fading Light
So, The American Film Institute is my most recent alma mater ("Old Nassau" and the Gilman School notwithstanding). And, as much affection that I have and as much gratitude as I feel towards that institution, I must agree with this commentary from Patrick Goldstein in the L.A. Times that AFI does seem to have lost it's way in recent years. By losing it's tether to the National Endowment for the Arts, AFI seems really to be in danger of losing itself in the blinding light of celebrity worship instead of fulfilling its stated mission of promoting and celebrating the art of moviemaking in America.

Storytelling matters.

Not just who tells those stories, but HOW those stories are told, and WHY they are told. This is why we need places like AFI. Someone needs to make a point of remembering "how" and "why" for civilization to move forward. Otherwise, we simply undergo the same lessons over and over and over again.

"Dread. Pure dread."
You've all heard me rave about Ringu being the scariest movie I've seen in recent memory. While the Dreamworks remake, The Ring is game, it still pales in comparison. Well, the director of the original, Hideo Nakata, has a new film which is another adaptation of a novel by Koji Suzuki, author of "Ringu". The American title is "Dark Water", and, for all you Angelenos, it's screening twice at AFI FEST in the beginning of November. American horror directors should take note: sure, it's easy to make someone jump out of their seats with a loud noise and a sharp cut. But a movie that takes its time to make you afraid to go to sleep at night will stick with your audience (in other words, build buzz through word of mouth) forever. Check it, if you dare.