Nocturne (1980) [Short Film]

It must be hard to live

inside Lars von Trier's 

head.

I have never seen a film from acclaimed filmmaker Lars von Trier before this short. I decided that It would be best to start at the beginning of his career to truly begin understanding where his work comes from, and so I arrived at this feverish little film.

Nocturne is a brief little journey into the fears and idiosyncrasies of the director, who is clearly a troubled man in many areas (look up interviews with him, he is both hysterically awkward and quiet miserable in many that I have seen). Nocturne visually brings these troubles to life in a surprisingly sophisticated manner. The visuals in this film are remarkably advanced and unique for a student film, creating a horrific and captivating atmosphere and effect. The opening shot in particular is a genuinely horrifying and made me feel uneasy to watch, and from that point the rest of the film is drenched in awkward paranoia.

Overall this film is a powerful shot of creepy uneasiness that has only increased my interest in the director. It is available to watch on Youtube and I highly recommend giving it a try, it's only eight minutes long after all.

By Jack D. Phillips

A Zoom Film Review

15 More Directors I have little/no experience with. MEGACUT

A few months ago, I released a list focused upon the forty directors I needed to experience more of. As time has gone on I have discovered even more directors I need to see more work of. So here is a list of the fifteen directors not included on that original list, who probably should have been.

15. Abel Gance

Recently I have been watching The Story of Film: An Odyssey by Mark Cousins. I will probably cover this wonderful documentary series at point during this month, however one of the interesting filmmakers I discovered during the first few episodes was Abel Gance. Considered the grandfather of French impressionism and the inspiration for many filmmakers in the decades to follow, perhaps most significantly Jean Cocteau. La Roue appears to be one of the most daring films of the early 1920's, and his four-hour epic Napoleon seems to be a sublime masterwork from only the ffew frames I have seen.

14. Michelangelo Antonioni

Considered a master of Italian neo-realism. I am fervently fascinated by his film Blow-up and it's highly influential standing amongst filmmakers across the world. Not too much more to say about this filmmaker, other than I should have included him along the other legendary Italian filmmakers on my first list.

13. Xavier Dolan

This Canadian filmmaker is perhaps the most significant homosexual director working today. His highly acclaimed body of work despite his youth shows exceptional raw talent despite inexperience. Now all I need to do is see some of his films so I can praise him even more. Would be higher on this list if not for his fairly small filmography as of the time of writing this list.

12. Kim Ki-duk

Unlike many on this list, I did consider this filmmaker for the original list. I eventually cut him as I felt there wasn't enough to truly intrigue me. Recently however Taste of Cinema posted an interesting retrospective on this director's career. From this I have gotten a better idea of exactly how influential this director is to contemporary Asian cinema, and I am now curious to say the least.

11. Spike Lee

I will admit something here. This filmmaker was not on the previous list based on entirely petty reasons. Spike Lee directed the Oldboy remake, a concept which angers me so much that I have effectively avoided the director ever since. I now realise how petty it is to to dislike an artist based on a single recent work and I now look forward to seeing his films for what they are. Namely the premier works in African-American cinema, from one of the most assertive directors working today.

10. Andrey Zvyagintsev



Some have referred to this director as the most influential Russian filmmaker since Andrei Tarkovsky. Tarkovsky himself is a director who I also need more experience with than this one, and he probably remains my priority in terms of Russian cinema. However this apparent master of humanist cinema, with a handful of outlandishly praised films under his belt, is certainly fascinating in his own right.

9. Abbas Kiarostami



The multi-lingual, multi-national filmmaker has been steadily growing in influence since the 90's. At this point he stands as one of the most influential men in all world cinema. I have little else to say, other than this filmmaker practically seems like required viewing at this stage.

8. Peter Greenaway



Peter Greenaway, one of the most enduring names in British independent cinema. By taking inspiration from baroque art and Jacobean tragedies, Greenaway has forged one of the most unique cinematic identities out there. So, I certainly have high expectations for his actual work, because he has been so interesting to read about.

7. Pedro Almodovar



What do I even say about this filmmaker? Almodovar is considered by many to be one of the definitive idols of current world cinema. He is known for his boundary pushing concepts and his peerless raw delivery. These are all qualities that I highly admire within directors and I am once again surprised that I have not come across his work before now.


6. Buster Keaton



If you saw my previous list you will remember that silent film legend Charlie Chaplin featured near the top of the list. My lack of experience with the only other silent comedy legend on par with Chaplin, leads me to conclude that I need more silent comedy in my life. Once again, I have The Story of Film to blame for my increased interest in this filmmaker, particularly his magnum opus The General.

5. Roberto Rossellini



The man that pioneered Italian neo-realism, perhaps the most important period in Italian cinema history (alongside the Spagehtti Western and the giallo horror periods). His most well known film Rome Open City is even written by Fredrico Fellini, so I have no excuse to have not seen it yet. A beloved and highly important historical icon.

4. Ben Wheatley



This filmmaker is currently dominating British independent cinema and from sheer reputation alone is set to be the definitive British filmmaker of the 2010's. I have a friend who has bombarded me an order to see A Field in England and so due to this, I will probably see a film from this director before any other on this list.

3. Yimou Zhang



It is surprising that Chinese cinema has so little representation on this blog. Zhang is perhaps the most enduring idol of Chinese cinema, outside of the legendary Jackie Chan and the also legendary John Woo. With a a vast and highly varied filmography, Zhang seems like yet another gem of world cinema which I have failed to pay my respects to as of now. And also, Raise the Red Lantern looks absolutely phenomenal from what I have seen of it.

2. Wim Wenders



In retrospect, this director was probably the most egregious snub from my last list. Wim Wenders stands with Werner Herzog as the most influential German director of the last several decades. His filmography is praised beyond rationality and I am honestly shocked that I was not made aware of this filmmaker before recently. When this list was originally sketched out, Wenders was #1. However then I began watching The Story of Film... 

1. Carl Theodor Dreyer



Mark Cousins introduced me to so many filmmakers in the first few episodes of his documentary alone. This director, although I had some prior knowledge of The Passion of Joan of Arc, was by far the most fascinating. One of the most influential filmmakers in European history, hell, world history and with a career spanning several decades. Carl Theodor Dreyer was the obvious and indisputable choice to top this list, and I eagerly await tucking into his filmography.

By Jack D. Phillips
A Zoom Film List

15 More Directors I have little/no experience with (5-1)

5. Roberto Rossellini



The man that pioneered Italian neo-realism, perhaps the most important period in Italian cinema history (alongside the Spagehtti Western and the giallo horror periods). His most well known film Rome Open City is even written by Fredrico Fellini, so I have no excuse to have not seen it yet. A beloved and highly important historical icon.

4. Ben Wheatley



This filmmaker is currently dominating British independent cinema and from sheer reputation alone is set to be the definitive British filmmaker of the 2010's. I have a friend who has bombarded me an order to see A Field in England and so due to this, I will probably see a film from this director before any other on this list.

3. Yimou Zhang



It is surprising that Chinese cinema has so little representation on this blog. Zhang is perhaps the most enduring idol of Chinese cinema, outside of the legendary Jackie Chan and the also legendary John Woo. With a a vast and highly varied filmography, Zhang seems like yet another gem of world cinema which I have failed to pay my respects to as of now. And also, Raise the Red Lantern looks absolutely phenomenal from what I have seen of it.

2. Wim Wenders



In retrospect, this director was probably the most egregious snub from my last list. Wim Wenders stands with Werner Herzog as the most influential German director of the last several decades. His filmography is praised beyond rationality and I am honestly shocked that I was not made aware of this filmmaker before recently. When this list was originally sketched out, Wenders was #1. However then I began watching The Story of Film... 

1. Carl Theodor Dreyer




Mark Cousins introduced me to so many filmmakers in the first few episodes of his documentary alone. This director, although I had some prior knowledge of The Passion of Joan of Arc, was by far the most fascinating. One of the most influential filmmakers in European history, hell, world history and with a career spanning several decades. Carl Theodor Dreyer was the obvious and indisputable choice to top this list, and I eagerly await tucking into his filmography.

By Jack D. Phillips
A Zoom Film List
Part 3 of 3

Bronson (2008)

A surreal and potent

biopic, with one of the most

devoted performance of 

the last decade.

Despite what IMDB would have you believe, this film is what broke Tom Hardy onto the scene, no Inception. This is also, more importantly, the reason the man is so well respected and in demand, for the outstandingly involved and methodical performance he gives here. Like several of the films I have covered on this blog, this is a film which is worth watching for its lead performance even without the film's other merits.

Tom Hardy is simply phenomenal as Charlie Bronson, he immerses himself completely in the role and is terrifyingly realistic in every single scene. Hardy is this film, he embodies it's very soul. He provides the film's greatest thrills, chills and moments of levity in some of his hilariously off-the-wall inner monologues. I cannot emphasise how much I adore this performance, and how worthy a start to a career this is, if Hardy fails to give an equal performance in the rest of his young career, then I'll totally understand why. The other actors in the film are also believable, however they don't hold a candle to Hardy and they aren't meant to, this is 100% a character study.

The film's cinematography and editing are also both fantastic. Refn brings his iconic style into every scene, and makes this a truly unique dive into a mind of madness The soundtrack, featuring many of the artists who would one day form the backbone of the mindblowing Drive soundtrack,  is a joy to listen to and carries true menace and weight in its use. The film has sublime presentation on the whole and feels deranged and unhinged in all the right places. Special mention goes to the choreography in the brawl scenes, if there even was any. It felt appropriatly rough and unrehearsed, whilst being stunning to behold in lavish slow-motion. Whether this was due to detailed choreography, or simply the work of Hardy and the stunt-men, I give somebody huge credit for their work in this area.

However, I did have some issues with this film. There was a middle section, detailing Bronson's brief period as a free man, which felt quite sloppily done and ultimately irrelevant. I understand it would probably have been hard to cut out entirely as it is part of the real events, however it is clear that Refn didn't particularly care about this part of the story. There was also a groan-worthy pole-dance scene which connected to literally nothing and was almost tone destroying. Also, if I were to get very nitpicky, I would argue that the film's final few scenes were also slightly less powerful when connected to the film's first half or so.  However, that issue in particular was quite minor and didn't affect my enjoyment very much at all.

Overall, I love this deranged little waltz through the mind of violent sociopath. Hardy was magnificent, the directing was magnificent, and even if the film is ultimately slightly less than the sum of it's parts, I enjoyed it all the same.

By Jack D. Phillips

A Zoom Film Review

The Top 40 Directors I have little/no experience with. MEGACUT

In order to showcase my own ignorance, and to celebrate the vast number of wonderful and diverse filmmakers in the world, here is a list of the directors who I have almost no first-hand experience with. Ranked based on my desire to experience their work and my embarrassment at lacking this experience. In addition I have included the poster to the film from each of these directors I intend on starting with.


40. Michael Mann




Micheal Mann is at the bottom of this list mainly due to the fact that I have seen one of his films (Manhunter 1986). However I did highly enjoy Manhunter and have heard great things about some of his other works, I will get to Heat someday I swear.

39. Kar Wai Wong



Mainly this low do to the fact that I have very little information on this filmmaker. However I do wish to dip into more Hong-Kong cinema, and The Grandmaster looks very interesting to me.

38. Jean Cocteau




Very interested in La Belle et la Bete, and early surrealist cinema. Also fascinated by the works of France's supposedly definitive post-war filmmaker.

37. Sergio Leone



Once again low o the list because I have seen one of his films already (The Good, the Bad and the ugly 1966). However I need to experience more of this wonderful filmmakers epic filmography.


36. Takashi Miike



The unpronounceably named mad genius of current Japanese cinema. His lust for violence and breaking taboos fascinates me greatly, especially the film that made him a cult icon. Audition.

35. Jean-Pierre Jeunet



I will be honest, I have been told to watch Amelie so often that it has had the opposite effect. I have become less interested in seeing it. However I am sure I will love it when I see it, I am just less enthusiastic than I probably should be, That is why, this acclaimed master filmmaker is fairly low on the list.

34. Steve McQueen



This director is fairly low on the list, mainly because he is a relative newcomer. He has also only made three films to date, few when compared to some of the other directors on the list. However I am very fascinated by all three of them, and I am sure he will go on to have a great career in the future.

33. Sam Peckinpah



One of the men who helped to usher in the Hollywood new-wave. His movie Straw Dogs certainly looks like an emotional roller coaster in particular.

32. Roman Polanski



Perhaps one of the most acclaimed and diverse filmmakers of the last fifty years. Despite this however, I have seen one of his films already (Chinatown, 1974) and therefore I have decided to place him on the lower side of the list despite his massive filmmaking weight.

31. Steven Soderbergh



One of the kings of recent American independent cinema. Highly influential and with some very interesting films under his belt, defiantly interested in checking out.

30. Joon-ho Bong



The first director from Korea on this list. With a handful of highly intriguing and varied films under his belt, including a recent foray into non-Korean cinema (Snowpiecer 2013), this relatively new face is bursting with promise.

29. Oliver Stone



This director is also slightly lower on the list due to the fact that I do have some experience with him, namely Scarface (1983), which he did not direct, but did write. Based on that, and his highly illustrious and acclaimed filmography, I have a great interest in this filmmaker.

28. Micheal Haneke



I have very little clue where to start with this guy. I've chosen Funny Games (1997) however this Haneke's filmography is so odd and varied, that I have almost no clue to begin. However I would have to say, that although his films are quite alienating on the surface, I hear nothing but wonderful things about them.

27. Satyajit Ray



The only Indian filmmaker here, and a renown pioneer of not only India cinema, but emotive cinema on the whole. The only reason this guy is not higher, is a slight lack of knowledge on my part.

26. Jane Campion



There is a sad lack of female directors in the world of cinema. Jane Campion is one of the few have managed to carve out an acclaimed career for herself. I greatly anticipate viewing The Piano (1992), I have heard nothing but glowing praise for the visual style of Campion's films.

25. Krzysztof Kieslowski



I have heard that the three-colours trilogy is fantastic in every way. I am sure it is, I have high expectations. Not much more to say.

24. Jean-Luc Goddard

 

The crazy and radical wonderboy of the French New-Wave, an era which I have little experience with in general. A highly influential auteur with a long and adored filmography, quite intriguing.

23. Takeshi Kitano

 

A multi-talented and erratic mad genius. This is perhaps the director I am most surprised that I have not experienced before this point. I desperately want to step into this man's odd and undoubtedly brilliant mind. However, I have seen Battle Royale (2000) in which he plays a prominent acting role, so he is not a high as he could have been, as I do have some first-hand experience with this filmmaker.

22. Kathryn Bigelow



A highly significant director, if not only for being the first Woman to direct a Best-Picture winning movie, Hurt Locker (2009 [seriously? It took over 80 years? That is very worrying]). Her career is not only historically significant, but long and varied. I am certainly looking forward to seeing a horror/comedy/western.

21. Billy Wilder



The final director on this list whom I have already seen a movie from. Namely Some Like it Hot (1959). However despite this, Billy Wilder is perhaps the definitive icon of 'Old Hollywood' and perhaps the most acclaimed and revered American filmmaker of the time. Despite my past experience, I am hungry for more.

This where the list gets really good.

20. Kim Jee-Woon



With a vast and acclaimed filmography, this guy is one of the most predominant rising stars in modern Asian cinema. Or so I am told at least. So many films from this guy that I need to see.

19. Gasper Noe



This filmmaker is perhaps one of the most daring working today. Although Irreversible is the film that people keep talking about (10 minute rape scene), it is the acid trip that has me fascinated. Very fascinating stuff.

18. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu



The filmmaker with the most recent film on this list. However aside from the highly acclaimed Birdman (2014), he posses a very interesting filmography. Sadly the only South American director on this list, a shame.

17. David Cronenberg



The king of body horror, and a mad genius of American independent cinema. One of the most prolific directors on this list, so I have a lot to get to.

16. John Ford



Here we have a grandmaster of classic cinema, and the progenitor of so many careers and film making techniques. I desperately need to see The Searchers (1956), not want, need.

15. Yasujiro Ozu



Whilst Kurosawa looked to the West for his inspiration, Ozu is considered to be the definitive great Japanese director. An emotive master and pioneer in emotive realism. I am determined to track this directors work sometime.

14. David Lynch



Perhaps the face of surrealism for most western audiences. We're now getting to the directors who I'm honestly embarrassed to have not experienced more of, I need to consume this guy's filmography as soon as possible.

13. Lars Von Trier



This guy is probably a little nuts, and he is known to say and do some really stupid things. However, he is also a very distinct and highly influential director. I'm certainly one to enjoy some controversial and schizophrenic movies.

12. Terry Gilliam



This director should be in the top ten, possibly even the top five. However I am a fan of Monty Python, so I do have a little experience with this guy already. Brazil, Twelve Monkeys Fear and Loathing, need I say more? I need to see these films, or my credibility is in eternal doubt.

11. Francois Truffaut

 

I also considered this director for the top ten, however a slight lack of knowledge on my part excluded him. One of the most subtly influential directors of all time, molding dozens of great directors (including some on this list) in his wake.

The top ten is here.

10. Jim Jarmusch 



One of the most important filmmakers in American independent film, ever. With a long and illustrious career, I only surprised that I haven't gotten around to seeing this guy's work before now.

9. Werner Herzog



One of Rodger Eberts favorite filmmakers, and perhaps the most beloved documentarian of all time. With a career spanning five decades, I have a lot to get through with this one. However I have heard nothing but sparkling praise about this melancholic director.

8. Fredrico Fellini



Il Maestro himself. With a record winning run of films, the most to ever win best foreign language film, and a unique blend of realism and surrealism, I am beyond enthused to witness one of history's most beloved filmmakers in action. Also, 8 1/2 seems like exactly the kind of film which may become a personal favourite.

7. Richard Linklater



I have a friend who insists the 'Before' trilogy will change my life. I am inclined to belive him on such matters. In addition, Boyhood (2014) has already been lauded as one of the greatest filmmaking achievements of the century. How can I not be curious?

6. Woody Allen



Possibly the most prolific director on this entire list, it is shocking that I have never found time to watch Annie Hall (1977). What can I say? It's Woody Allen, an all time legend of comedy and drama in American cinema.

5. Charlie Chaplin





It is inexcusable that I have not ever seen a Chaplin film. I am a great lover of silent film, and classic comedy (Abbot and Costello, in particular), and yet I have not ever seen a Chaplin picture. How is this possible? I assure you that I will track down City Lights (1931) as swiftly as possible.

4. Andrei Tarkovsky



The man that Ingmar Bergman called, 'the greatest filmmaker of all time'. Very high praise indeed, and with a wealth of absurdly fascinating films I will certainly have to put that claim to the test one day. Oh, and some of the long-shots I've heard are remarkable.

3. Micheal Powell



Martin Scorsese's near obssesion with The Red Shoes (1948) has definatly got me intrigued. However Micheal Powell is often cited as one of the most technically influential,and dynamic directors of his time. I do own the Red Shoes on Blu-Ray, and yet I still have not seen it. That is probably heresy.

2. Ingmar Bergman



I have no excuses. This filmmaker is often cited as one of, if not the, greatest titans of world cinema. And yet I have not seen a single film of his. Sorry.

1. Terrence Malick



Possibly the most polarising director working today, my #1 is a man who is either despised or adored. Not only does the controversy and total split of the cinephile community in regards to this director intrigue me, but regardless of how I feel about his movies one thing is guaranteed. They will look stunning. Also I am really interested in Badlands (1973), It looks really interesting.

By Jack D. Phillips

A Zoom Film List