Congratulations Ken, a few last words on the NYFF and Comicon plus links and other things.

There is a bunch of business I need to attend to and instead of giving you a series of small posts I’m going to mash them all together in one larger post.

First and foremost everyone here at Unseen Films wants to wish our very own Ken hearty congratulations on getting engaged. I’m sure both he and the lovely Kat will be very happy.

Despite it being a kind of tradition after a film festival to do a wrap up post I find that I’m at a loss for words when it comes to this years New York Film Festival. It was not a bad experience, frankly I had a blast, but at the same time there really isn’t much to sum up after posting reviews for over 40 films.

Actually there are two things I am taking away from the festival:

First as it’s been the last couple of years the truly exciting stuff is not on the main slate but in the side bars where things like The 99 Unbound, The Ballad of Mott the Hoople and Patience (After Sebald) delighted with their unexpected charm and wonder. These were films that should have gone to the main slate and played the big room. I would like to request that whomever is doing the Special Events be given the Main Slate next year.

The second thing that the Film Festival did, was it very clearly showed why 3D needs to be used sparingly. The joys of 3D were revealed in Wim Wenders marvelous Pina. It was a film that clearly showed when and how to use the effect. At the same time the screening of Martin Scorsese’s Hugo clearly showed how the effect can even trip up a master filmmaker when the 3D doesn’t have a real point. Yes it’s a great film, and yes the 3D looks great, but the story is sacrificed for the effect in a couple of places. Worse when the film runs without the 3D its going to look awfully strange at times.

For those keeping track of such things the best worst and surprises of the Festival are as follows:

BEST
The Ballad of Mott the Hoople
My Week With Marilyn
Pina
This is Not a Film (I should mention that director Jafar Panahi has been sent to prison as his sentence has been upheld)
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
A Colt is My Passport
La Havre
Patience (After Sebald)
The middle section of Dreileben

WORST
Policeman
Miss Bala
Susan Orlean's non-discussion of Rin Tin Tin
Mud and Soldiers
Woman with Red Hair
Corpo Celeste (If you don't read the press notes)

FINDS
The 99 Unbound
444 Last Day of the Earth
We Can't Go Home Again

As with the NYFF so goes with Comicon. I had a blast there but because of things happening in and around it I can’t fully sum up other than to say I’ll be back next year.

Speaking of next year or leading into next year I want to mention that we're trying to see if we can get a special series on music together. We're still working it out but if it goes it should be close to years end.

Lastly here are a few links I've been collecting

Moving stills

William Friedkin on Comic Book movies

Who Killed 3D?

Fiona Shaw's brain while performing

Keaton and gravity

On the documentary Senna

More decaying theaters

John Carpenter's The Thing from the Monster's point of view.

On the notion of film as dare and the inability to see every film ever made