THE BEST

i hate myself ☺ by Joanna Arnow -best American film of 2013, shows that there are still brave young filmmakers in America, something which has been easy to forget lately.

“Rhombus”- UK filmmaker Chris Marsh’s beautifully poetic, philosophical new science-fiction film.

With “MOST-72", the Markerists have arrived, and cinema is better for it.

“Several figures move through the darkness on a cliff-edge. An inaudible conversation near the brow of the cliff may be the cause for the group to disband. The rest of the film follows the solitary journey of the youngest member of the group, until she rests; where land meets the sea.” Nightwalk is a hauntingly beautiful short film by Scott Barley

““The man who burns, who runs alongside the cathedral wall, who falls down, who gets back up”– Lazarus Field, a new film by one of our most important new filmmakers, Tobias Morgan.

Good television this year? “Luther”, “Orphan Black”, “Breaking Bad” and “Boardwalk Empire”.

THE “MEH”…

No pics, and I’ll make this part quick, since it’s “meh”: overhyped, ok but not great, but also not terrible films that critics are falling all over themselves to praise… “Spring Breakers”, “12 Years A Slave”, “Blue Is the Warmest Color”, “Gravity”, “The World’s End”.

Luckily I haven’t seen many commercial films this year, otherwise this list would almost certainly be longer.

THE WORST

This kind of nonsense:

“Film industry implosion”

Spike Lee and other celebs on Kickstarter

David Lynch says state of film industry is depressing

Bela Tarr opens Film Factory for rich filmmakers

NEWS FLASH! You want things to be better? More good/interesting/brave films to be made? A healthy thriving film industry? How about showing just a teensy-weensie bit of support for the unknown, starving, talented filmmakers, who need it right now? And no that doesn’t have to be money. It can be donating equipment, talking or writing about their work, helping to produce their films- there are many things that can be done to help. How does a $19,000/year film program help change filmmaking from being a “fucking bourgeois profession”? Programmers? Program films with some guts for a change? Festivals? Stop prioritizing safe films by trust-fund filmmakers! Film magazines/sites/critics? Start talking about under-represented filmmakers!

In the 70's and 80's established filmmakers would donate stock to up-and-coming, gifted newbies! Studios would give a shot to small budget films by kids out of film school with interesting ideas. Even into the 90's people like Susan Sontag would champion the work of people like Fred Kelemen and Bela Tarr.

You want things to be better? Stop being self-serving and start making efforts to fix the overall culture and attitude of the film industry.

Here’s a start- throw a bone to the people in the first section of this post. Start seeking out filmmakers in countries that have no film industry to speak of right now- there are so many people with so many worthwhile things to share if only given the chance.

Look- I understand that in some cases, things like Bela’s Film Factory are well intentioned- however they are still highly problematic and don’t address some of the root issues that are being faced by many filmmakers and artists right now.

The score for “12 Years A Slave”, by Hans Zimmer. Manipulative and unnecessary in the worst way.

“Frances Ha”. All that is bad about American indie filmmaking in one film.

“Irritations” by Experimental Film Society- Pompous avant-garde filmmakers trashing a generic, uninspired list of popular filmmakers. Discussing film is great, positive or negative- providing there is something to discuss. Yawn.