Nightcap 12/20/15 Random comments, the Oscar Foreign Language omissions and a whole bunch of links from Randi

HIPPOPOLIS from Ugo Gattoni on Vimeo.
Happy Holidays

I suspect every one of you has seen Star Wars-how was it?

I have not seen it. I am not planning on seeing it until after New Years when the hype has died and the theaters have emptied. I know that’s sacrilege in some places, but I thought the last 3 films sucked so bad it killed any interest I had going forward.

While you have been watching the major year-end films, I’ve been watching films for the first two festivals of 2016- Neighboring Sounds and The New York Jewish Film Festival. Tickets for both are on sale and based on what I’ve seen so far both are worth your time. (Go to Film Linc for more information on both). I’ll go into the films closer to the festivals starting because to talk now will confuse you.

I’m should state that I am not going to Sundance this year again. I seriously considered it but financially I couldn’t do it. We will have some sort of coverage up because while the fest is best known for new films, it will be screening a whole bunch of stuff that’s been n he festival circuit the last year which we’ve seen.
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The short list of foreign language films for this year’s Oscar has been announced. The nine films picked cut the list down from 80. I’ve seen a bunch of the films and outside of THE FENCER I’m not enthused by any of them. Yes SON OF SAUL is the front runner, but while it’s a good film its nowhere near the masterpiece some have claimed.

For me the failure to include films such a Canada’s FELIX & MEIRA, Ethiopia’s THE LAMB, Romania’s AFERIM!, or Japan’s 100 YEN LOVE are large omissions. More glaring is the failure to include Kazakhstan's THE STRANGER which is really knocked my socks off. A tragedy of the highest order is the failure to include Chile’s THE CLUB about a priests being warehoused because of their sex crimes. I’m guessing he films deeply disturbing nature and black humor didn’t sit well with voters, and while I understand why they weren’t ballsy enough to include it I also am disappointed. (A review of THE CLUB will come in early January in connection to the Neighboring Scenes series at Lincoln Center)

To be honest this is the least interesting group of films in years.

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And now for lots of links from the one and only Randi

Bernie Sanders and Killer Mike talk shop
Was Sinatra dangerous?
Where are the female action figures?
The way to walk your dog
Everbrite
Handmade holiday cards
Pogo Christmas Countdown
Walt Kelly does The Night Before Christmas
Christmas ads
Star Wars Bit players and their convention careers
Star War in the Boston Globe
Moomin Posters
Flesh and Bone opening credits
11 hours of cats (you'll want to listen to something other than the music on the video since its the same 30 second theme for 11 hours)
50 Christmas songs
How Star Wars Awakens began with a walk
Lightsaber escape
Tina Fey-Lessons from Late Night
120 subway station is less than 120 seconds
New Yorker's Favorite Cartoons of 2015