The MacGuffin

The opening shot is as striking as any you’ll see. Up high in the Peruvian mountains, amongst the clouds and mist, a line of soldiers, animals, and workers snake their way down a steep path. While the shot is taken from a distance, it’s clear that this moment is not manipulated at any point—those are real people steadily going through the dangerous cliffs of the rock side, with the green canyon thousands of feet below. This is just one of the many haunting images that populate Werner Herzog’s daring and ambitious examination of human nature, (1972). It’s a film that examines the depths to which obsession can take a person, created by a man who has made a career out of his obsession for the cinema. There are some filmmakers who do the work as a job, others because they simply enjoy it. Herzog does it because it is ingrained in his very being.

With 2011 officially in the books, it’s time once again to look back and reflect on some of the best films that have come out in the past year. As with all movie writers, coming up with a list like this is usually expected, but also damn near impossible. To me, reading and writing these types of articles are only beneficial in spreading word about titles that really had an effect on me, while stirring up debate between those who strongly agree with my choices, or vehemently disagree. No one list is ever truly definitive; what is considered great to one may not register the same way to another. The only real truth is that 2011 had a wide range of very interesting and fascinating films, and just like every year, there’s always a good handful worth noting.

Another Top 5 segment from The MacGuffin. This time Allen and Brandi share their top 5 winter films.

This segment is also available on Stitcher and iTunes. The audio version can be downloaded directly from here. After you’ve watched the video please vote in our poll and share which one you think is the best.

I want to celebrate Werner Herzog’s voice, one of my favorite noises in cinema. I don’t speak metaphorically here: I don’t mean his cinematic “voice,” revealed through things like his shooting style, editing technique or any recurring themes. Instead, I’m more concerned with actual sound: his tone (almost always monotonous), an idiosyncratic lexis (“erotical,” for example) and his use of his voice in his films. I’m sure, though, that there’s only so much talking I can do: I’ll provide only a few words and, instead, let him speak for himself.

As I finished some exams a few weeks ago, I’ve been able to watch a lot more films recently. In fact, I’ve probably seen more pictures over the last couple of weeks than I caught over the preceding couple of months. Here, then, are a few of the things that I’ve seen this week.

In the middle of this summer season of blockbusters at the theater, it seemed like a good midway checkpoint to see how 3D is faring. In a previous article I wrote in response to the tacit dismissal of 3D as being worthwhile (you can see that article here), I stated how the idea of watching some of the coming summer delights would be more fun with Hal Jordan’s power ring shooting beams into the audience or Thor’s hammer flying over our heads. Now that we’ve seen a goodly amount of these big popcorn flicks, I wanted to take a look at how value-added the 3D was at this point.

Amongst cineastes, be they as famous as Roger Ebert, or we mere mortals on this website, it has become de rigueur to trash the new trend of 3D film. The industry is pushing everyone toward putting on sometimes unwieldy glasses while staring at a potentially headache-inducing flicker in the desperate hope of getting audiences back into the theaters. Meanwhile, the TV manufacturers are touting more and more 3D-enabled flat screens, trying to drive sales.

Production companies love this new model for a couple of reasons. They tack on exorbitant fees to tickets prices, making an evening at the movies cost a family of four up to $100. Blu-ray 3D DVDs with current technology are extremely difficult to copy, which cuts down on the rampant Internet piracy of video. Also, let’s face it, Hollywood will always be about business. Getting us to pay more money for anything is simply attractive to them.

Many vocal critics have pointed out the downsides of the medium itself. The 3D projection process produces a dimmer picture, making everything underlit and gloomy. Improper refresh rates on TVs create images that cause considerable eye strain. And multiple 3D standards (Digital 3D, IMAX 3D, Real 3D) cause consumer confusion.

Someone once said that movies are like an addiction, and the only way to cure it is to watch more movies. Wiser words couldn’t have been said. In my never-ending pursuit of watching all things worthwhile, I’ve come across stories and characters that have taken me from the mean streets of Manhattan to the nostalgic, dreamlike world of an Italy long since passed. The toughest thing about loving all kinds of movies (and I mean all kinds), is trying to keep up with what is out there. I want to see everything, from the great silent films of the past to the latest blockbuster release, and all that’s in between. I guess the thing that I can be happy about is that there will never be a shortage of great films from around the world—there will always something to see, a gem just waiting to be discovered.

Another MacGuffin Film Podcast Top 5′s segment. Inspired by the film Conviction, Brandi and Allen share their top 5 films based on a true story.

For thirteen summers, Timothy Treadwell lived in the Alaskan wilderness near and amongst the wild bears of the area.  He interacted with them, talked with them, even went so far as to go up to and touch them.  During this time, he recorded over one hundred hours of his self-proclaimed “expeditions” on video camera.  He became famous, even making an appearance on the David Letterman show.  Unfortunately, in October of 2003, the worst possible event occurred, Treadwell was attacked and killed by the very bears he swore to protect, along with his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard.  It is the story of Treadwell’s love for these animals that is the basis for acclaimed director Werner Herzog’s documentary, Grizzly Man (2005).