A Different View of Hollywood

by Kimberly Lindbergs | July 22, 2010

Categories | Movie Reviews, Documentaries, Movie Morlocks, TCM

Last year I made note of a new documentary about photographer Julius Shulman called Visual Acoustics (Eric Bricker; 2008). I’m happy to report that the film was released on DVD a few months ago and I finally got the opportunity to watch it over the weekend. You can find my review of Visual Acoustics at TCM’s Movie Morlocks Blog.

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Monsieur Hulot vs. The Modern World

by Kimberly Lindbergs | July 15, 2010

Categories | Movie Reviews, French Cinema, Comedies, Criterion, Movie Morlocks, TCM

Images from Jacques Tati’s Mon Oncle (1958)

I recently caught up with Jacques Tati’s delightful French comedy Mon Oncle (aka My Uncle; 1958). I had previously only seen one Tati film, Les Vacances de M. Hulot (aka Mr. Hulot’s Holiday; 1953) and frankly it didn’t engage me as much as I wished it had so I put off watching other Tati films, but that was a mistake. Mon Oncle completely won me over thanks to the brilliant color cinematography, incredible set design, wonderful performances and sentimental storyline involving a unconventional uncle who has trouble finding his footing in the modern world. The film is really a feast for the senses and a whole lot of fun to watch. You can read my further thoughts about Tati’s Mon Oncle at TCM’s Movie Morlocks Blog.

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Saying Thanks

by Kimberly Lindbergs | July 14, 2010

Categories | News

I’m surprised and honored that the writers of Film Comment (in association with The Film Society Center of Lincoln Center) think Cinebeats is worthy of being included in their list of “The Top Film Criticism Sites.” Benjamin Shapiro has written a flattering appreciation of Cinebeats that I’m extremely grateful for and I can’t thank him enough. I’m also in some amazing company so it’s a little intimidating.

I’ve never really considered what I do here at Cinebeats to be “film criticism” since I tend to focus on my personal preferences, obsessions and interests. I personally find film history much more rewarding than film criticism so I often weigh down my own writing with lots of facts and little tidbits of information that some people probably find rather dull. When I started self-publishing zines with my own pennies in the ’80s I was motivated by an overwhelming (and often impractical) need to share my discoveries and passions with others. That feeling has never went away so I’m thankful that blogging has given me the opportunity to continue doing a similar kind of “personal reporting” online.

Of course any “Top Blog” list is always problematic since they tend to exclude many great blogs that are also worthy of inclusion so I have a suggestion. If you like what you see here please take a moment to pursue some of the links I have listed on my blog. Just scroll down until you come across “Film Links” and start clicking on titles that grab your attention. I guarantee that you’ll discover at least one or more film blogs written by talented folks who are also well worth reading.

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Alfred Hitchcock Needs Our Help

by Kimberly Lindbergs | July 8, 2010

Categories | Directors, British Cinema, Alfred Hitchcock, Movie Morlocks, TCM

From my newest post at TCM’s Movie Morlocks Blog:

“This week the BFI (British Film Institute) launched a new campaign called “Rescue the Hitchcock 9” that asks the public to help them rescue 9 of Alfred Hitchcock’s earliest films. The original movies were shot on nitrate film, which is notorious for its incendiary properties. Nitrate film can also decompose over time and film archivists are forced to take drastic measures in order to preserve and restore these old films. The 9 silent films that Hitchcock made during the 1920s have badly deteriorated through the years due to general use and they’re currently in dire need of restoration. Thankfully there is new digital technology in place that can help repair worn and damaged films but the process is time consuming and costly.”

You can read the entire piece here.

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Happy 4th of July!

by Kimberly Lindbergs | July 2, 2010

Categories | News, Actresses

I hope all my US readers enjoy the holiday weekend!

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Scopitone A Go-Go

by Kimberly Lindbergs | July 1, 2010

Categories | Musicals, Movie Morlocks, TCM

Like a lot of people I probably first came across Scopitone films while watching Something Weird Videos. These short music films or stripteases were often included as extras on Something Weird Videos. That all changed thanks to the world wide web. Now you can find lots of information about Scopitones on great sites like Bedazzled and on Youtube there are now hundreds of Scopitone films available for viewing. Want to know more? Read my brief piece on Scopitones at the Movie Morlocks - Scopitone A Go-Go

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The Glamorous World of Paul Hesse

by Kimberly Lindbergs | June 24, 2010

Categories | Actresses, Elizabeth Taylor, Movie Morlocks, TCM

Four of my favorite actresses photographed by Paul Hesse
Top: Gene Tierney and Elizabeth Taylor
Bottom: Bette Davis and Ava Gardner

Like most film buffs, I absolutely love old Hollywood glamor photography. I’m an amateur photographer myself so I own a lot of photography books and some of my favorites are jam-packed with beautiful photos of classic Hollywood film stars. In the ’70s the practice of taking glamorous head-shots of the stars and hiring photographers to shoot on sets seemed to quietly fade away. Studios didn’t want to spend money on it and the public became more interested in fashion photography, rock stars and realistic portraits. But from roughly the ’30s to the ’60s movie magazines around the world were overflowing with glamorous photographs of movie stars. One of the most interesting photographers working during this period was Paul Hesse who helped pioneer the use of color film in commercial art. His colorful and hyper-realistic portraits of celebrities still grab my attention every time I come across one. Hesse had a very distinct style that is still noticeable today. If you’d like to learn more about Paul Hesse or just enjoy some of his other photos you can read my brief write-up about the man and his work at TCM’s Movie Morlocks Blog.

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Talking With Trina

by Kimberly Lindbergs | June 17, 2010

Categories | Movie Reviews, Spies & Secret Agents, Comedies, Actresses, Blaxploitation, Interviews, TCM

Trina Parks in Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

I recently had the opportunity to interview the actress Trina Parks who appeared in the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever (1971) and the fascinating blaxploitation movie Darktown Strutters (1975). Trina was really fun to talk to and I learned a lot about her during our exchange. You can read my interview with Trina Parks over at TCM’s Movie Morlocks Blog. Darktown Strutters will be playing on TCM Underground tomorrow night (June 18th) and if you haven’t had the opportunity to see the movie yet I highly recommend giving it a look. I guarantee that it’s unlike anything you’ve seen before.

Recommended Links:
- Super Sisters On Cycles! - My review of Darktown Strutters (1975).
- Trina Parks Tribute

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Old Rubber Lips

by Kimberly Lindbergs | June 10, 2010

Categories | Actors, British Cinema, Donald Cammell, Nicolas Roeg, Gay Interest, Movie Morlocks, TCM

Tomorrow night TCM Underground will be airing one of my favorite films, Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg’s Performance (1970) starring The Rolling Stones’ frontman Mick Jagger. I’ve spent a lot of time writing and thinking about Performance but I couldn’t resist the opportunity to express my affection for the movie again. In a post that I unimaginatively titled The Many Roles of Mick Jagger I delve into my early obsession with The Rolling Stones and discuss the various acting roles that Mick Jagger has taken over the years. Naturally I focused most of my attention on Performance since it provided Jagger with his best role and I never get tired of revisiting it. It’s a movie that I’ve seen countless times but I’ll probably be watching it again when it airs on TCM tomorrow evening. Visit the Movie Morlocks Blog if you’d like to read more about Mick Jagger’s movie roles.

Other recommended links where I opine about my love for Performance:
- The British are Coming to DVD
- Performance VHS VS DVD
- James Fox: Subverting Sexual Identity & Social Class in British Cinema
- 10 Characters I Love

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Jewel Thieves & Giant Monsters

by Kimberly Lindbergs | June 3, 2010

Categories | Movie Reviews, Japanese Cinema, Crime, Science Fiction, Ishiro Honda

After recently reading and writing about Peter H. Brothers’ book Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda, I was motivated to watch one of Honda’s lesser-known films that I hadn’t had the opportunity to see yet, Dogora (1964). I’m not sure how I managed to overlook this little gem involving a giant jellyfish from space with an appetite for diamonds but I’m glad that I finally caught up with it on DVD. It’s undoubtedly one of the oddest monster movies produced by Toho Studios in the ’60s and it has quickly become one of my favorite Ishiro Honda films.

Want to read more? You’ll find the rest of my post over at the Movie Morlocks.

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