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Directed by: Whit Stillman




How do i love thee Whit? let me count the ways

though many may complain that his movies tend to be a bit too Wordy, or geared toward obnoxious soul-less self absorbed Yuppies. I prefer to see it as a commentary,

A commentary on an overly analytical psuedo intellectual Populace, that tend to speak with an authority that isnt particularly earned. due to a lack of any actual life experience to draw from.

for some reason watching people like that in action amuses me to No-end, add a gorgeous and uber catty Kate Beckinsale, a suprisingly sympathetic Chloe sevigney, Banging ass disco music and an always welcome cameo from the Luscious Jennifer Beals and you've got yourself a winner.

The Third in Stillmans' "Manhattan Trilogy", The Last days of Disco follows the lives of a group of Yupsters in the early 80's as they struggle to climb the corporate ladder by day , and search for love in the bowels of the New York city club scene by night.


with fast talking witticisms that would make the Gilmore Girls envious, Whits' gaze on these types straddles the line between glorification and parody all the while maintaining that keen sense of Awareness.

yes the Film tends to be a bit long , by the end it seems to drag on, and the characters aren't particulary likeable, they even become annoying after awhile, but if you stick with it to the credits, you will be rewarded with a pleasent little number that takes place in the subway.

Though usually the lives and Loves of the waspy types dont particularly hold my interest ( never was a fan of that Sex and the city), Whit StillMan smartly keeps his narrative focus , at just the right distance from his subjects so that the viewer doesn't end up reaching for the Cyanide pills .


so if you have about 2 hours to kill check this one out, you wont love yourself for it, but you wont hate yourself either.

Written by Al J.

Where were you on 11/4/08?  I remember that day like it was yesterday, I was living in Manhattan at the time and went to an election party with some friends.  It wasn't until I got off of the subway train en route to another party that I heard Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States of America.  The city was filled with a surge of of energy and the streets were loud with the sounds of rejoicing New York City residents.

The participatory documentary film 11/4/08 shows those very images.  It depicts the day, afternoon, and evening of election night on that historical day.  The film is shot in several major metropolitan cities and edited simultaneously from cities all across the world including, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, St. Louis, New Orleans, Dubai, Geneva, Berlin, and even New Delhi.  It's pretty phenomenal to see the perspectives of voters from each American city and to see their view on Senator Obama's possible win as the next President.  It's also interesting to see the thoughts and opinions of foreign citizens of other countries give their two cents on what to expect if Barack Obama becomes the next President.

11/4/08 allows viewers to see how hard volunteers worked to streamline the election process that day, show young people give their thoughts on John McCain and Barack Obama's differences, even perspectives from people who are not eligible to vote as to what could be expected of this election.  Block parties, celebrations, speeches, and all sorts of joyous moments are shown once the campaign results are announced.

The film was shot on many different formats from several different filmmakers that allowed this film to be curated by Jeff Deutchman.  Jeff thought of the idea two weeks before the election.  He sent mass emails and Facebook blasts to friends about this experimental film which became a moment in history.

The participatory documentary is still accepting submissions of film caught on 11/4/08.  You can check out the film's website HERE. 

11/4/08 will be released in selected theaters nationwide 10/20/10

Shane Cooper moves to a small country town in Australia with his wife who's expecting a baby boy.  Shane and Alice have had a tragic past with losing their first baby and was advised under doctor's orders to move out of the city and settle into a small quiet town.

Shane thought he was doing the right thing by moving to Red Hill, but little did he know he was in over his head.  The film Red Hill starts with Shane's first day as a police officer with a small law enforcement team that already condescends their authority to him knowing that he's never pulled the trigger while on duty. 

However, fate changes for Shane and the local law enforcement quickly when an Aboriginal convict by the name of Jimmy Conway comes to town and begins killing local officers one by one.  However, more than meets the eye in this thriller as the motives of the convict truly unfold.

Ryan Kwanten (True Blood) stars in this film as the film's lead Shane Cooper.  I couldn't help but think at times he would sound so much better as the small town officer if he had his Jason Stackhouse accent.  Just my own personal opinion of course!  The film takes place in Austrailia which is where Ryan is a native. 

The film's release date is scheduled for November 5th 2010

Take a look at the trailer here:

(500) Days Of Summer is a film full of adorable whimsy and flavor.  It illustrates a refreshing look on what really happens in a relationship.  The beginning of the film lets you know right off the bat---this is NOT a love story.  Short synopsis: Boy meets girl.  Boy likes girl.  Girl kinda likes boy back.  Boy falls in love with girl.  Girl is still uncertain of what love is.  Boy falls hard and swoons.  Girl is turned off and needs space.  Boy is confused.  Girl breaks up with boy.

End of movie.

Well not exactly. The film depicts the 500 days of Tom (boy) meeting Summer (girl) and what transpires within the 500 days of their courtship.  It's a pretty creative look at the timeline between Tom and Summer of what takes place but more importantly the film also creatively uses the special effect of a split screen none like I've ever seen on celluloid before.  Very cool!

The film poses the real question, what happens when you meet someone who you love but doesn't love you back?  The questions are answered in tiny clues and day by day moments between Tom and Summer that in the end (Day 500) makes just as much sense as (Day 1).

The constant use of parentheses here by the way---is totally intentional.  If you watch the film, you'll understand why.  The film stars Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel

Take a look at the trailer below:

A 1998 independent film about young waiters working at a New Jersey restaurant waiting for their opportunity to break into the entertainment industry.  Chris (played by Adrien Brody) is a bartender who is also a struggling playwright dealing with a string of failed relationships and decides to give it one more shot with a fellow waitress who works at the restaurant (played by Elise Neal). 

However, when Chris writes a play about his former love (played by Lauryn Hill) he finds out that the actor playing her love interest is actually sleeping with her in real life which just adds to more confusion about his attachment to his ex and his new relationship with Jeanine. 

The film deals with struggles from issues of finding one's own identity to struggles with substance abuse.  It was the stand out film at the L.A. Independent Film Festival in 1998, and is one of Brody's best earlier works to date.  Take a look at the trailer below:

A whimsical film about a girl named Charlene who documents on film with her friends about a subject matter that she doesn't quite get...the four letter word.  LOVE.  Micheal Cera becomes the object of her affection and the two go on a cross-country journey together to not only discover themselves, but also understand the perspectives of others' points of view on the issue of romance. 

They meet with happily married couples, chemists, romance novelists, divorce lawyers, groups of children and more as Charlene tries to pin point what is love and what is it about this raw emotion that triggers reactions among so many people.  However, Charlene's affection to Micheal that grows during the course of the film gives her an eye opening perspective on the answer that she has been searching for.

When Charlie wakes up he sees Lola (Chiwetel Ejiofor).  He quickly realizes Lola is no ordinary woman!  As a matter a fact, she's not a woman but a man!  Dressed in full drag Lola thanks Charlie for his chivalry.  Charlie glances around the room he has woken up in and sees a room filled with sequins and lace.  More imporantly, he sees red latex high heel boots that captures his eye.  It is at that moment that Charlie decides that perhaps he should turn his father's factory---a factory that once sold men's shoes--into a factory that sells women's shoes for men!

Kinky Boots is an adorable comedy that addresses stereotypes, but also laughs at them.  It speaks to what is imporant in life, and not necessarily being concerened about what others may think of you, but how you think of yourself.  The story speaks to one can do anything if they just open their mind to it!