Change Your Image
gudolph
Reviews
Art School Confidential (2006)
Naked models!
Yeah! Naked!
This was really delightful, Clowes' most recent endeavor in the cinematic wonderland. And I say, it doesn't need to be defined to a specific genre. Another reviewer seemed caught up in trying to "box" in films into their respective categories like some Blockbuster clerk. Letting go of these holds and not being afraid to just enjoy the show for what it is, this is really a great time.
Especially striking are the characters he presents. Of course, they are extremely typical of Clowes' GNs, anyone with a degree of familiarity to his work can easily pick out similar thematics - underdog sexually frustrated male protagonist, antagonizing schlock jocks, soft and big-butted babes who experience a revelation in what they really have been looking for in a man, and a host of living stereotypes.
But comics aside and judging this plainly as a film, I'd have to concede Zwigoff did a fair job. Not flashy of course, but then not distractingly good or bad. He directed without making me notice he was directing- A+ in my book.
So even if you have no interest in Clowes and his graphic novels, this is an excellent flick. Good laughs with fair pacing. Great characters. Though as annoying as it has been seeing all these "cameos" at the film festival (and this has its fair share- Anjelica Houston and Steve Buscemi, though frankly the latter HAS to make an appearance, he is a Daniel Clowes sketch in flesh and blood) despite these, this still maintains an "indie" feel to it, which I like in my moving pictures. Ca va?
The Phone Call (1977)
The Ugly Car
The Phone Call is perhaps one of the best Church Educational System film I've ever seen. We were watching it in my seminary class (I too am Mormon) and a classmate of mine made a startling discovery. At one point, the main character was crossing the street to a payphone to call Pam, in the background, a car drives by. My classmate, Peter recognized it as his car, with the same paintjob, dent on the passenger side and bumper stickers. So if anyone was wondering where the stupendously hideous car went to, it's in Grand Junction.