Ok I've been here before, why has taken so long for another HAVOC? I presume millions of avid fans of my blog are out there clogging the message boards etc. as to what the subject of HAVOC #13 will be.Hmm.
I could give loads of excuses,busy with ATHY FILM CLUB stuff (not really we are back to just one movie a month at the moment) the economy/recession (not true, recessions and bad times bring out the artistic streaks in most cases), is what I do artistic? hardly, hubristic maybe, ironic hopefully,sarcastic slightly.The truth is on these cold winter nights after being on ones feet all day one is inclined to be a little more tired than during the sunny? summer evenings.So one just sits and watches box sets on t.v.and generally vegetates.
But hey I'm back now,hopefully with something new every fortnight.Stability and consistency,my agent says will be good for my profile.And so to HACOC #13.
I did a HAVOC in the past dealing with THE COEN BROS. detailing my opinion on what were their best and worst films or whatever.Well this is one about RICHARD LINKLATER.Who you say?RICHARD LINKLATER ,I say.You have probably seen quite a few of his films but are just not aware of the fact.He is a director who seems at ease in any genre and is quite prolific.
After a couple of early small movies which made little impact LINKLATER burst (hardly burst more like emerged) on the scene with a teen slacker movie called.........SLACKER,one of the original of this generation of low/no budget films it was shot like a series of interviews if I remember correctly,I never saw it , only the trailer.
Then came DAZED AND CONFUSED ( the title of a LED ZEPELLIN song for all you musical philistines).This film was a lot more structured and featured a cast of young actors who have since become huge stars.MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY,BEN AFFLECK ,MILLA JOVOVICH,PARKER POSEY and WILEY WIGGINS(who?) to name a few.It was a clever coming of age film set on the last day of high school in a small Texas town.
I must warn you before we go any further that this is not a definitive list of LINKLATER movies just a selection of my favourites,so you can take it if I don't mention one of his films that YOU happen to love it means that I either hated it or didn't see it.
SUBURBIA, I dont know about,THE NEWTON BOYS was a great fun bankrobber film starring MATT McC again and ETHAN HAWKE (who also features in a few of his movies). TAPE starring ETHAN HAWKE is one I want to see.BEFORE SUNRISE and its sequel BEFORE SUNSET are two lovely romantic films which could only have been made before the introduction of FACEBOOK, see them and you'll know what I mean.
He has made a couple of films which were shot on digital film and then put through a process called rotoscoping,WAKING LIFE and A SCANNER DARKLY. The former I didn't see but the latter is based on a book by acclaimed SCI-FI writer PHILLIP K. DICK and is one of the best adaptations along with BLADE RUNNER of the writers work .TOTAL RECALL and MINORITY REPORT were also based on his writings.
LINKLATER also directed SCHOOL OF ROCK which I thoroughly enjoyed and is one of my kids favourite films.
FAST FOOD NATION.........I did not see ,but I do like a burger every now and then.
The latest movie of his I saw was ME AND ORSON WELLES ,a brilliant movie based on a young actors (ZAC EFRON) relationship with you guessed it.It was shot on the Isle of Man of all places and starred Welsh singer CHRISTIAN McKAY in a magnificent portrayal of the great ORSON in his heyday.CLAIRE DANES also stars (swoon).
That's all for today hope to have a rant for you again in a couple of weeks
Hugh Hyland
