(sorry Geoff, couldn't resist)

Fair comment--but I hold to my opinion of Roger Hall

They attempted to treat terrorists merely as criminals, and in doing so allowed the terrorists a large measure of control in setting the agenda and general 'playing to the gallery'.

Giving in to their demand that they all be housed together and be allowed all those materials and ability to…

He actually enjoyed the second half more than I did. Apparently the courthouse/trial stuff was quite…

It's pretty good. First half is a cracker, but it sags a fair bit in the second half (when the main bunch are in jail). The ending seemed a bit weird and abrupt.

Caught this on Monday. Yes it was long, first half was good, second half was meh. The…

Humpday is the tale of two former college friends, reunited in their early 30s, who decided to make a gay porn film. Not that they're gay, it's just something thay they decide to do for art. So the film is a really funny look at the tension…

Mostly, it's down to the mesmerizing performance of Calpiaddi as Malcolm Tucker, quite possibly the scariest (and swearing-est) villain of this year.

Meh... Yes, Fucking Minister You Horse-Cock Cunt is how one friend described it to me, and have to say the prospect is not appealing. I justs suspect relitigating…

In the Loop

Every bit as good as I was hoping, Armado Innacui's status in the satire pantheon was assured more than a decade ago with his involvement with Chris Morris in "On the Hour", "Brass Eye" and "The…

Worth a watch. A lot like Paul Verhoeven's 'Black Book' in tone.

If you do see it, it's worth bearing in mind that for most of the war, the Nazi jackboot was not quite as firmly on the throat of Denmark as it was the rest…

It was a really satisfying film, sort of set in on Kubrickian moon of 2001. At first I was expecting it…

Last night was Cleo from 5 to 7: Nouvelle Vague FTW! It was well worth the price of entry for the early 60s Paris street scenes

And the Auckland Film Society is going to be running some of Varda's short films after the festival — she's, IMO, sadly under-rated but…

You should have rolled in regardless, because there were a lot of people rolling in well after the film had started. And please accept my blushes at the very unkind thoughts I had about every one of them...

I am so passive-aggressively psychotic about late entrants myself (oh yes! I…

Anyone of a certain age (say, 30s, early 40s), who liked Freaks and Geeks and who has a penchant for good 80s music (of the Replacements and Husker Du variety, although some 70s Nick Lowe and Big Star make appearances too) will probably like Adventureland. Very sweet, very funny.

I'm…

Whining: I missed Coco Avant Chanel because the idiots in the Civic car park kept letting people in when the place was full, causing a giant half-hour-long traffic jam, and by the time we got out the film had already started. To which I say: bah!

You should have rolled…

Zombies and nazis – together at last.

A sure fire nominee for many Zombie Oscars, including 'best use of intestines', 'most imaginative use of fishing line and gaffer tape', and, yes 'BRAAAAIIINS'.

Hat tips from the makers to many films,…

I'm also taking some advice from Dan Slevin and only seeing films that aren't going to be available later on general release. It seems much more fun that…

Or did I have the wrong end of the stick there?

No, I don't think so Danielle, I thought that was what the book was largely about as well, the guilt of white South Africa against the aspirations and casual violence of new South Africa, set around two disgraceful (one…

Disgrace. Loved the book

I could see its worth, but at the same time, the whole 'this woman symbolises white South Africa and she therefore shall be gang-raped to make up for apartheid' thing didn't sit particularly well with me. (Or did I have the wrong end of the stick…

Probably the closest thing Ken Loach will ever make to a feel-good crowd pleasing confection, with some wonderful comic moments (apparently much of the supporting cast were Manchester stand-up comedians) alongside the usual social commentary.

And Eric Cantona -…

It's also one of the slowest-moving films I think I've ever seen,…

The programme notes that at two cinema's (LIDO and Bridgeway), tickets can't be bought in advance. The wording in the programme is phrased in such as way as to suggest that tickets can't be brought in advance for screening at these shows…

Although, Craig, they're so horrible that they're like a kind of grand folly of the old school. It's as if the Earl of Crack designed them.

Or Prince Charles in one of his more puckish moods — but, seriously, the next time I'm in a place where it takes five…

Last night I saw Every Little Step, a documentary about…

That's four terrible films in a row for our Jane which is a bit of a worry.

I think all her films are terrible — but some are terrible in an interesting way (The Piano, The Portrait of a Lady), others not so much.

I have just realised that I may combine all of my Film-Festival-going themes – douchebag, asshole, *and* batshit – in one film this afternoon, and that film is: Tyson.

Heh. Definitely Westie.

There are several degrees of separation between me and the events this film portrays. I am able to view it at least somewhat dispassionately. Similarly 'out of the blue'. I wasn't living…

Craig – your post implies that there was controversy around the making of this film in Germany. I'm not at all up to speed on the background. Could you please elaborate?

Will do — but I've got to hook off to Newmarket in about quarter of an hour, so I'm…

3) A belief that the end justifies the means, however violent and destructive that means may be.

Also the complete lack of realism about the means getting to the end. A campaign of terror was never going to stop American involvement in the war. It was, if anything, counter-productive.

5)…

My comments relating to radical mentaility were intended in a general sense. The mentality of far-left and far-right organisations…

an exercise in radical chic that rationalised, or even treated as glamourous, the actions of killers

I don't know whether it was the filmmakers' intent, or if it's just my inherent bourgeois conformity expressing itself, but I started thinking the RAF were completely horrid about fifteen minutes into the film.…

Interesting analysis, but I can understand why there was enormous sensitivity in Germany that the would, not to put too fine a point on it, be an exercise in radical chic that rationalised, or even treated as glamourous, the actions of killers. I know its not a perfect analogy,…

>"what is the answer if you believe that something is going on that is so horrific that it must be stopped, and every reasonable legal and illegal means for stopping it has been tried? What do you do?"

Which is more or less the question that most radicals ask themselves,…

Last night I saw Soul Power, the film of the Zaire 74 concert timed to coincide with the Foreman-Ali Rumble in the Jungle. It was rad

There's an interesting backstory around the footage used for Soul Power, which is basically from the same 450 hours shot by Leon Gast, who…

It's a lot more complex than that.

Erm, yes. I was speaking more generally, not just about SDS. Also: kinda joking. (The Asshole/Douchebag Theory of Revolutionary Truebelievers, however, may – seriously – partly explain the second-wave feminist movement in the US. So it's got that going for it.)

Lots of beautiful young things running around with not very many clothes on, and lots of guns.

Our post-film conversation to that effect:

Me:…

My particular academic interest is why political movements go from non-violent protest methods, to embracing violence and the (often delusional) reasonings for adopting violence. Particularly Students for a Democratic Society and the move to break away into the Weather Underground, but Baader-Meinhof is obviously of interest.

Dunno if anyone needs…

It's pretty good. First half is a cracker, but it sags a fair bit in the second half (when the main bunch are in jail). The ending seemed a bit weird and abrupt.

That's not a bad description of how the actual historical events around them went as well. A…

What is it you do? You've piqued my curiosity.

I don't do anything closely related to my area of academic interest. I want to do a PhD on the New Left, most likely in New Zealand history (it hasn't been well done to date). Sadly no great wads of cash…

Please let us know if Baader-Meinhof is any good Rich. I'll make time to go see it if it's worth seeing (its my area of academic interest), but it involves skipping something that I've already paid for and can't get refunded for.

An awful lot of responsibility to put on…

The Scottish Thread

Lovin' it...I won't go there, but this reference to it is primo.

I was also at the "RiP: A remix manifesto" screening. Always good to know what the enemy is thinking*. Enough material in there to keep The Scottish Thread death-spiralling for months.

Baader-Meinhof this afternoon. 'Visual…

Was highly entertained by "RiP: A remix manifesto" which covers copyright issues in a much (mash?) more lively manner than usual. It's also food for thought in the current discussion around the NZ internet copyright infringement legislation. What are we trying to achieve anyway? Protecting…

I enjoy the festival but sometimes have trouble seeing the point of watching a "film" projected from DVD or video. This happens a lot.

The other thing that happens with DVD/video is that it restricts what we see here in Napier as The Century Theatre where the festival is shown…

We haven't had the festival down here yet but people in Auckland have been saying good things about Afghan Star, a doco about Afghanistan's Pop Idol.

Yes, it is a real treat--and just on the ticket for including in my second year Television course.

I have been in touch with…

I enjoy the festival but sometimes have trouble seeing the point of watching a "film" projected from DVD or video. This happens a lot.

Well, I don't disagree but if it comes down to a good quality DVD transfer or a shitty, scratchy print (or more likely, the distributor deciding…

And if anyone out there likes Project Runway you'll love The September Issue.

'A place to stay' is a social/architectural/design history of community in…

I keep meaning to go :-)

Although I did once see a film festival film a couple of weeks before it arrived for the festival by watching it on TV1 one ad-free Sunday morning.