I’ve just returned from several days in Chattanooga, TN, where Anne and I spent some wild times with her family. Surrounded by kids, drinking way too much coffee, eating good food, and basking in the glow of so many great people… it was a blast.
Then we came home to find out that our friends Nathan and Sarah Partain (formerly of the band People You Meet) were hanging out just a mile or two down the road all week, and we didn’t realize it. Now we’re kicking ourselves.
I have little to report as far as movies go, because the week gave me a good “fast” from television and movies. (I did, however, stand next to television star Katherine Heigl (Gray’s Anatomy, Roswell) at the Nashville airport on Wednesday. That was cool. Man… she’s taller than I thought.)
Stay tuned. Tomorrow, I unveil my top 25 favorite albums of 2006. And my film-favorites list is not far behind.
Anyway, I’m tired, jet-lagged, and fighting off a bad cold. But that doesn’t stop me from feeling a bit giddy about all of the upcoming excitement in 2007. Thanks for keeping me company here at Looking Closer. It’s just going to get more and more interesting.
The spirit moves in mysterious ways.
Happy New Year.
January 2nd, 2007 at 2:49 am
Katherine Heigl? I love her!
Belated Merry Christmas to you both!
April 13th, 2007 at 12:52 am
I watched “Stalker” for the first time two weeks ago. He’s got some amazingly profound stuff going on in there. The last scene had me in awe … so simple, yet so deep. I would probably greatly benefit from a second viewing, although I found the first part, although stunningly beautiful, a bit hard to stay awake through. I think I just need some more Tarkovsky conditioning.
If I could find a copy of “The Sacrifice”, I’d join you, but I doubt I’ll find one anywhere close by unless I start up Netflix again.
April 13th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Man, Jeffrey, I envy you. There are some movies I wish I’d never seen just so I could have the joy of seeing them for the first time. The Sacrifice is definitely one of these.
April 13th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
I’ll hope your dvd will do justice to this sublime movie. I have two versions both very bad and nothing like what I saw in the theatre.
Peter
April 13th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
I think “Stalker” is my favorite Tarkovsky film — partly due to the premise, which I find fascinating, and partly due to the film’s incredible atmospheric sense.
However, I think “The Sacrifice” is perhaps the most accessible of Tarkovsky’s films that I’ve seen (my review). Of course, “accessible” is a relative term and it’s still pretty cryptic and frustrating at times. But I suppose if I have to be frustrated, I’d rather be frustrated by Tarkovsky than anyone else.
There’s some beatiful stuff in “The Sacrifice” — the various dream sequences, the main character’s anguished prayer, and of course, the climactic final scene and denouement.
April 13th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
I’m curious why you need 4+ hours when the film is a “mere” 145 minutes. I’m interested in seeing it and discussing, but I’m also unsure I can get a copy.
April 13th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
JRL,
The Netflix package says:
Sacrifice: Directedby andreiTarkovsky
Rated PG 4hr 6min
So, they must be very wrong.
Jeffrey
April 13th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
Jeff, you’re probably getting this double-feature:
http://www.kino.com/video/item.php?product_id=874
Enjoy it. I own a copy of “The Sacrifice,” but it and “Solaris” are two Tarkovskys that never moved me. “The Sacrifice” is the better of the two, and it has an amazing extended take that involves fire. But it’s not a film I’m eager to return to. When I do, though, I hope the film opens up to me more so than it has in the past.
Personal Tarkovsky favorite: “Stalker”
April 13th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
Methinks Netflix is also including the documentary feature “Directed By Andrei Tarkovsky,” which is well over an hour in length, in the runtime.