SWAMP&REVIEWS
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ARIEL ESTEBAN CAYER, 18
Montreal, Québec, Canada

Writer, journalist, occasional bumbling filmmaker & student.

This is my film (b)log.

WORK
+Blue Sunshine
Intern
+Spectacular Optical
Contributing Writer & Translator
+Fantasia Film Festival
Translator
+Fangoria
Contributing Writer
+The Night Crew Podcast
Contributing Editor

CONTACT
tittom_21@hotmail.com

25 notes
Criterion November 50% Sale

Here we go again, spending money I shouldn’t spend. 

Total: 150$. Not too bad.


24 notes Hirokazu Kore-eda is probably my favorite contemporary director working in Japan at the moment, and while I missed most of last month’s retrospective at the Cinémathèque Québécoise, I had the chance of meeting him, though, and got to tell him about the impact Nobody Knows had on me when I first saw it, which I think he was truly happy I shared with him. I will make a point of seeing Maborosi, Distance and Hana as soon as possible. For future reference, here is his filmography, which I encourage you to jump into; in bold are the films I have seen: However… (documentary short; 1991) Lessons From a Calf (documentary short; 1991) I Wanted to Be Japanese (documentary short; 1992) August Without Him (documentary short; 1994) Maborosi (1995) Without Memory (documentary; 1996) After Life (1998) Distance (2001) Nobody Knows (2004) Hana (2006) Still Walking (2008) Daijôbu de aruyô ni: Cocco owaranai tabi [?](documentary; 2008) Air Doll (2009) The Days After (TV; 2010) I Wish (2011)

Hirokazu Kore-eda is probably my favorite contemporary director working in Japan at the moment, and while I missed most of last month’s retrospective at the Cinémathèque Québécoise, I had the chance of meeting him, though, and got to tell him about the impact Nobody Knows had on me when I first saw it, which I think he was truly happy I shared with him. I will make a point of seeing Maborosi, Distance and Hana as soon as possible. For future reference, here is his filmography, which I encourage you to jump into; in bold are the films I have seen:


7 notes
Shout! Factory’s “Roger Corman’s Cult Classics”

I don’t care about Criterion anymore: just give me all of these. Bold indicates what I own, the rest I desperately need to get. Such and affordable, near perfect collection…I kinda wish the spine to Up From the Depths/Demon wasn’t fucked (read: inconsistent with the others; nerd alert!) but otherwise, I’ve been speechless.

Upcoming


8 notes
Today was the most glorious day in recent history.

Briefly:

Best launch to a summer ever! Now I just got to take care of a translation assignement and take a shower and this day will have been perfect.


8 notes
Things on my mind…


Notes
Things on my mind - the crazy schedule edition

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a list of the shit I’ve got to do:

  1. Thursday night: Buffy Sing-a-Long at the Blue! No way I’m missing that, regardless of the editing I should be getting done at school…
  2. Friday: if I get enough work done during the week: catch a screening of Finisterrae, and/or Essential Killing (starring Vincent Gallo) and the 1968 sex farce film Candy at the Blue Sunshine! How?
  3. Saturday: Get some work done, imperatively. 
  4. Sunday: Repeat. Goddamn, how I wish I could edit.
  5. Monday: Catch two shows in the same evening: Mogwai @ L’Olympia & the Blue Sunshine Fundraiser @ La Salla Rossa. King.

7 notes I’m in love with Edward Yang’s cinema. He passed away prematurely in 2007 (aged 59) and has left behind a body of work that is mostly unavailable in the West, aside from Yi Yi. So until Criterion gets on it (GET ON IT!), you’ll have to rely on retrospectives, bad streaming or torrents. Luckilyfor me, the Cinémathèque Québécoise is currently hosting a retrospective and I was lucky enough to catch a screening of Taipei Story tonight. Yi Yi is one of my all-time favorite films and I was extremely pleased - and surprised - to see this early work shared similar themes and characterization. Following Westernized professional Chin in her longing for connection, Taipei Storyis another intimate look into the Taiwanese middle class. It’s touching, minimal in its style and subdued humor and all-around incredibly touching and fantastic. Like Ozu’s work, its slow pacing ebbs and flows in the best ways possible and offers a welcome escape from quick-paced ADD attitude that permeates everything nowadays. It’s the kind of film - like Yi Yi - that gets better with every viewing, but given its unavailability, I don’t know when that will happen. It truly breaks my heart because he’s one of the most complex, simple and captivating modern filmmakers that has ever lived. Hopefully I will be able to catch a few of his films (finances are low) and honor his memory and oeuvre. In Our Time (segment; 1982) That Day on the Beach (1983) Taipei Story (1985) The Terrorizers (1986) A Brighter Summer Day (1991) A Confucian Confusion (1994) Mahjong (1996) Yi Yi - A One and a Two (2000) I cannot wait to see A Brighter Summer Day, which runs almost 4 hours. His films are true journeys into the familiar and I can only imagine what this will be like. Next Sunday!

I’m in love with Edward Yang’s cinema. He passed away prematurely in 2007 (aged 59) and has left behind a body of work that is mostly unavailable in the West, aside from Yi Yi. So until Criterion gets on it (GET ON IT!), you’ll have to rely on retrospectives, bad streaming or torrents. Luckilyfor me, the Cinémathèque Québécoise is currently hosting a retrospective and I was lucky enough to catch a screening of Taipei Story tonight. Yi Yi is one of my all-time favorite films and I was extremely pleased - and surprised - to see this early work shared similar themes and characterization. Following Westernized professional Chin in her longing for connection, Taipei Storyis another intimate look into the Taiwanese middle class. It’s touching, minimal in its style and subdued humor and all-around incredibly touching and fantastic. Like Ozu’s work, its slow pacing ebbs and flows in the best ways possible and offers a welcome escape from quick-paced ADD attitude that permeates everything nowadays. It’s the kind of film - like Yi Yi - that gets better with every viewing, but given its unavailability, I don’t know when that will happen. It truly breaks my heart because he’s one of the most complex, simple and captivating modern filmmakers that has ever lived. Hopefully I will be able to catch a few of his films (finances are low) and honor his memory and oeuvre.

I cannot wait to see A Brighter Summer Day, which runs almost 4 hours. His films are true journeys into the familiar and I can only imagine what this will be like. Next Sunday!


7 notes
The 48h Horror Filmmaking Contest Aftermath's Feed: The King Returns

devour-my-underwear:

Howdy-back, y’all!

I’m feeling so fucking relieved/proud/excited/bad/stressed out/tired. Currently wishing college didn’t exist. I was so tired I couldn’t wake up in time for my class and the only reason why I’m awake right now is hunger. Let’s catch up a bit about my last week non-existence on Tumblr:

Anyway, the films are screening tonight at the Blue Sunshine (3660 Boul. Saint-Laurent) at 7:30. For those of you who live in Montreal, I recommend that you check it out. There’s a 9$ admission fee.

The Ruler’s Back (cue trumpets)…

Everything he said. We burned the DVD on the freakin’ cab, that’s how close we got to disqualification. We finished the film rather early, never expecting that burning a DVD would take so much time. I made an effort of going to my first class, only because I had to return the T2i, H4 and lenses at 10h anyway and the additional hour and a half of sleep wouldn’t have been worth the trouble.

Fatigue shivers are possibly the worse, but I’m happy. My review is in the can and the screening is tonight so if you’re in the Montreal area, I want to see you there! What would you do for Valentine’s Day anyway?


10 notes The Valentine’s Day feed: I’m so tired I could puke. So stressed out about my writing and tonight’s screening. Missing class to write a very important review for a very important publication. Thank you Adam for your Blu-ray-playing laptop. Doesn’t show but I’m wearing my new Toshiro Mifune shirt. You can’t see it either but there’s Yojimbo’s tsubaki emblem in the back. I love my Dad for making it for me. So forever alone and busy I couldn’t care less about VD. Safe sex y’all: you don’t want VD’s VDs. Oh acronym humor. More on how we came this close to being disqualified from the contest and on the screening and winners. Stay tuned and such.

The Valentine’s Day feed:

More on how we came this close to being disqualified from the contest and on the screening and winners. Stay tuned and such.


3 notes
BLOODY VALENTINES 48H FILMMAKING CONTEST STARTS TOMORROW!

Extremely excited. I will take it easy tonight and clock in homework and films, as the madness starts tomorrow! Let me share my personal reminder:

Rick Trembles (Motion Picture Purgatory) and Douglas Buck are part of the Jury and you can win 10 tickets for Fantasia, amongst other stuff! Can’t wait!

If you live in the Montreal area, by all means COME SEE THE FILMS on MONDAY FEBRUARY 14th, 19h30 @ the Blue Sunshine (3660 Blvd. St-Laurent, 3rd floor)! Hope to see you there!


9 notes
About my first day of PAing ever!


Notes
Insane amount of stuff I got at the Ciné-Bazaar today

So broke but it doesn’t really matter. Dying of happiness. There was also a raffle to win a bundle that includes the first Essential Art House set, a DVD of The Social Network and the 2011 DVD guide. It’d be ridiculous if I won.


Notes
Things on my mind, the crazy times edition.

Holy shit! Feels good to be busy again, though. Need to get everything done before next weekend too, so I don’t have to worry about anything else than shooting. Giddy!!!


5 notes
Another theatrical releases checklist

Now that 2010 is over, it’s time to actively cover the 2011 releases. With no income (no real income), it’s going to be hard to pull off, but you know like me it’s half the fun right there.

The films I wouldn’t mind seeing for free/combined with another:


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