Netflix Instant Watch: Louie, Season one

Louie season one, B+

“Written and directed by comic Louis C.K. -- who plays a fictionalized version of himself -- this FX series eschews sitcom structure for a loose format that lets single dad Louie be his irascible self -- through vignettes, club performances and more.” – Netflix

This Emmy-nominated TV show uses its unusual structure to both humorously and honestly examine ordinary issues like weight gain and exercise, middle-aged dating, and, most importantly and poignantly, raising children as a single parent. Watch this if you're looking for something that's short, light, and funny, but not silly and stupid. It will play with your mind and your heart without bringing down your day. 

The Wire, a portrait of Baltimore

The Wire series, A+

**spoiler-free**

Not only is The Wire the best TV show I’ve ever seen, but it is one of the best pieces of art I’ve ever experienced in any form. This American drama series, set and produced in Baltimore, Maryland, showed on HBO from June 2002 to March 2008. With episodes lasting about an hour each, it ran for 60 episodes across five seasons. The Wire is a fictional but realistic portrait of the city of Baltimore.

Red State, a fun and terrifying horror flick (re-posted, revamped)

This was originally posted in March after I saw the film via the Red State USA tour at the Wilbur Theater in Boston. I've edited it again, added more images and video, and updated the release information including the theatrical plan, VOD, and DVD/Blu-ray. Feel free to scroll to the end where I put the full length trailer, as well as the new release information. The film is out on VOD NOW till approximately October 13th, including iTunes! 

Fight For Your Right Revisited, a fun short film

Written and directed by Adam Yauch (MCA of the Beastie Boys), this Sundance Film Festival short follows the end of the storyline from the original “Fight For Your Right” music video. As IMDB breaks down the plot, “the Beasties break into a liquor store, drop acid with groupies, and get into a breakdance competition with time-traveling future versions of themselves.” The video was used as a promotional tool for the Beastie Boys’ new album Hot Sauce Committee Part Two. At MTV's Video Music Awards (VMAs), a shortened version of the film was nominated for Video of the Year (for the lead-off track "Make Some Noise") and Best Direction. The video is embedded at the end of this post. 

Kickstarter, and Sundance film On the Ice

by Brandon Isaacson

Kickstarter is an emerging online method for funding art projects, that allows ordinary art fans the ability to co-fund projects in manageable sums. Creative projects can mean films, music, photography, theater, art or anything really. As Shawn Levy put it in The Oregonian, “Kickstarter allows people with creative projects to build pages on the site to describe the work they hope to do and the costs they face, and, crucially, to offer various rewards and benefits to potential backers in exchange for pledges of support.” This method of crowdfunding allows artists to spread the word on their project while raising money and letting their fans be involved. As Levy noted, Kickstarter campaigns use rewards as incentives to donate money. One such example lies with current project On the Ice, an award-winning film that seeks money for marketing. For my donation of $30, I will receive a digital download of the film (upon its release in late 2011 or early 2012), a DVD copy, and a thank you from the film’s Facebook. Interestingly, if a project isn’t fully funded by its stated deadline, it doesn’t receive anything. This all-or-nothing method is cited by Kickstarter as less risky for both the artist and consumer, and motivates consumers to spread the word in order to see a project come to life. Kickstarter truly is a revolutionary way to connect artists to their audience.

Transitions, or: Why You Should Be Excited for the Future of this Blog

by Eliza Rosenberry


In reawakening from this sleepy summer, we here at Bostonian on Film would like to thank our readers for their patience. Like many of you, we've spent the past few months in a transitory state; between our collective internships, jobs, travels, and sheer exhaustion due to humidity, regular updates to the site have become fewer and farther between. We apologize for this temporary lull with a promise to assume our usual enthusiasm within the next few weeks.
On a personal note, I am leaving Boston in the fall to pursue career opportunities in New York City. However, after discussions with the rest of the staff here, I'm going to remain the Editor-in-Chief of Bostonian on Film. More excitingly, I'll have access to a whole new world of movies! Many films premiere in New York weeks before they reach other cities, if they even reach there at all, and there are often promotional events, screenings, and talks that I wouldn't have access to in Boston.
That means more exciting blog posts, potential interviews, and information for all of you to enjoy. Read about the New York Film Festival after the jump.

Netflix Instant Watch: William S. Burroughs: A Man Within

William S. Burroughs: A Man Within is a documentary portrait of radical beat author William Burroughs. Burroughs, author of Queer, Junkie and Naked Lunch, lived and wrote on the edge of what readers were willing to accept. He burst onto the art scene in the 1950s, being one of the artists that ushered in the 1960s counterculture of America. As John Waters says in the film, “[Burroughs] had punk values. William was…angry and caused trouble and was not politically correct.” Burroughs’ social extremism (of the 1950s) is examined through his immersion into guns, drugs, and homosexuality. In addition to John Waters, director Yony Leyser interviews Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, Gus Van Sant, Amiri Baraka, members of Sonic Youth, and David Cronenberg. If you like documentaries and/or are interested in the beat movement, I recommend this film about one of the great radicals of the 20^th century.