02.09

Floating Clouds (Mikio Naruse, 1955)

Maybe the peak of narrative cinema.  Sometimes opts for Bressonian economy, other times indulges in, well I can't call it excess, but how do you milk so much emotion from a long take of people slurping noodles?  I don't normally like scenes where people break down crying, but Takamine pulls it off multiple times with no diminishing returns.  Aside from its obvious aesthetic and emotional richness this hits the sweet spot for me in terms of scope.  It's the kind of film that generates responses in me I tend to associate more with reading than watching movies, which might explain the extent of its appeal at a time when I'm doing a lot more of the former.  Mortified to have ever compared Naruse to Mankiewicz.

02.07

Hell on Earth (Mobb Deep, 1996)

Havoc kills it on the production side; neither of them have enough presence as rappers to carry a whole album though.  One of the things I most admire about Prodigy is his unconventional storytelling, especially how he plays with climax and catharsis, but he doesn't have nearly enough opportunities to display it.  With more guest verses and less battle rap it could've been a great album.

Repast (Mikio Naruse, 1951)

One of those movies about domestic ennui where nothing really happens, but one of the better ones.  If I had read the description before I watched it I probably wouldn't have gone ahead but I'm glad I did, it ended up being hard to turn away from.  I'm not quite sure how to interpret the ending but I dig it.  I still don't like Haha Setsuko much but I think I have a better handle on her schtick and its appeal at this point.

Sicilia! (Daniele Huillet and Jean-Marie Straub, 1999)

Had trouble getting involved in this one, probably would've helped if I'd paid more attention to the dialogue (there's nowhere their case against subtitles is more incisive than in their own films); hopefully it'll hit its mark more on a second go-round.

02.06

The Sacrifice (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1986) (rewatch)

The only Tarkovsky film I'd only seen once prior, and that may have been a good idea.  Much of it struck me as so clunky and dull this time, though the dreamlike period of time between the apocalypse scare and the protagonist's visit to Maria's remains one of Tarkovsky's greatest achievements in fucking with time and space.  For the second time I feel like nothing happened there but I know it was more than half an hour of the film and I'm left with a great atmospheric impression of it.  The famous scene felt a bit anticlimactic this time but the very ending with the tree was surprisingly emotional for me.

02.05

Pieces of a Man (AZ, 1998)

Boy, AZ has some terrible album covers.  I'm glad a took a chance on this though, since it's probably his best album; less gritty than Doe or Die but no Hoe Happy Jacky or anything either.  When he's most on point -- and it's rarely that he's not on point, he just gets too caught up in the wrong things to be exciting sometimes -- he's got some of the best rapping New York has to offer, as in the introduction or the title track.  Definitely the best production of the three and Nature, Nas, and RZA all kill their guest spots, especially the former, whose work I'm inclined to explore on the basis of these 16 alone.

Neva Again (Kam, 1993)

One of those albums I'm not in a particular rush to listen to again but holy shit, what an experience!  One of the most focused and complete political manifestos in hip-hop, and unlike a lot of political MCs Kam can fucking spit too.  Nice to see god cypher divine shining on the west coast.

A Tribute to Jack Johnson (Miles Davis, 1971)

Initially struck me as a bit generic (inasmuch as that can be applied to any of Davis' later work), but it ends up going to some marvelous places, especially in its second half.  Along with Dark Magus one of the rock-ier albums I've heard from him but there's also a surprising amount of space.

02.04

Fantasia (various, 1940)

The live action sections are enjoyably kooky, but what a tedious and unimaginative experience overall.  The Sorcerer's Apprentice is okay, but after half an hour of dinosaurs doing jack shit in vague approximation of the music's rhythm I was about ready to turn it off.

02.02

Listen to Britain (Humphrey Jennings, 1942)

Been curious about this British propaganda short for years to see what distinguishes to such a degree amongst its myriad peers.  It's difficult to put my finger on in writing but I can see now why it's become such an article of fascination.  For me the most interesting aspect is the flow of ideas; I haven't seen much else like it in that regard, especially in wartime propaganda.

The Wolf of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese, 2012) (rewatch)

Seeing it for a second time cements it as one of Scorsese's most impressive, but I can't believe I somehow overlooked DiCaprio's performance.  Another deceptively odd movie from a genre that usually shuns ambiguity.

02.01

Agharta (Miles Davis, 1975)

Feels like it's set on the same tropical island as Dark Magus, but whereas that took place in the caves and volcanoes this one's more beach and forest oriented.  Another incredibly immersive experience with more replay value than the aforementioned.

Andrei Rublev (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1966) (rewatch)

I was having trouble finding any film that looked appealing this night, so I gave this another shot.  As I experienced watching Mirror earlier this year, Tarkovsky's not quite that untouchable dude he used to be for me, but there's still something unique about his work that speaks to me in leaps and bounds.  This might not be my favorite movie anymore but I certainly feel enriched by seeing it again.

01.31

Aziatic (AZ, 2002)

How much you like this probably depends largely on your tolerance for multi-syllabic rhymes and soul samples, and you can certainly find more creative displays of both elsewhere.  AZ never seemed to have all that much material to work with but this is limited even by his standards, though there's more emphasis on his soft side than on his earlier work.  I'm glad Ghostface and AZ got a chance to work together, this definitely calls to mind Pretty Toney, though it's not nearly as good.

There's a Riot Goin' On (Sly and the Family Stone, 1969)

At its best utterly sublime but there are duller or at least less out there stretches.  Time, Spaced Cowboy, and Runnin' Away is an incredible run.

01.29

Miles in the Sky (Miles Davis, 1968)

Pretty groovy, complements the album art well but not necessarily the way you'd expect.  I found myself paying by far the most attention to Tony Williams' contributions, and I've really been digging Emergency! subsequently; hopefully I'll have a chance to listen to it front to back soon.