http://homepage.mac.com/dkholm/iblog/B2010262857 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss dkholm@mac.com © Far From Hollywood Film Society of Portland Sun, 01 May 2005 09:18:26 -0700 Sun, 01 May 2005 09:20:31 -0700 iBlog 1.4.2 http://homepage.mac.com/dkholm/iblog/B2010262857/C1793469224/E194384020/index.html In a quiet meeting place on Sunday February the 13th, the Far From Hollywood Film Society of Portland, Oregon, meet auspiciously for its first annual award ceremony.

In attendance were acting president D. K. Holm, vice-president Ed Goldberg and friend, and member Ellen Kimball and spouse. Award recipients in attendance were Steffen Silvis, theater reviewer for Willamette Week, and filmmaker Chel White. On behalf of exhibitor Tom Ranieri of the Cinema 21 in Portland, Larry Smith accepted an award. Mr. Smith spoke movingly of Tom Ranieri's commitment to the public; Chel White and Steffen Silvis accepted their award graciously; and Ed Goldberg paid homage to the work of Oregonian music critic Marty Hughley, also a winner this year in such terms that would be the envy of any writer.

After the very brief "ceremony," which was more like a meeting, the group retired to the nearby It's a Beautiful Pizza parlor for post meeting libations and slices, where convivial conversation was had by all.

As the first baby steps of an organization just getting on its feet, these events were small and modest in scale. Hopes are that next year, members of FFH will receive Academy screeners to facilitate voting. We may revise the voting process.

A board meeting in March will be focused on an agenda for activities and changes in 2005. ]]> Wed, 16 Feb 2005 09:47:09 -0800 http://homepage.mac.com/dkholm/iblog/B2010262857/C1793469224/E194384020/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/dkholm/iblog/B2010262857/C1793469224/E1142190605/index.html I've corrected a stupid error in the ballot: Steffen Silvis is the theater reviewer for Willamette Week, not the Oregonian. The sins of cutting and pasting ... My apologies to Mr. Silvis. ]]> Fri, 04 Feb 2005 23:44:53 -0800 http://homepage.mac.com/dkholm/iblog/B2010262857/C1793469224/E1142190605/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/dkholm/iblog/B2010262857/C1793469224/E327699681/index.html The balloting is completed. The results are in. Here are the winners in the Far From Hollywood Film Society's first annual round of voting.

Best Feature
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Best Animated Feature
The Incredibles

Best Director
Michel Gondry, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Best Actor
Don Cheadle, Hotel Rwanda
Jamie Foxx, Ray

Best Actress
Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Best Supporting Actor
Timothy Olyphant, The Girl Next Door
Clive Owen, Closer

Best Supporting Actress
Virginia Madsen, Sideways
Natalie Portman, Closer

Best Comic Performer
Thomas Hatden Church, Sideways

Best Original Screenplay
Charlie Kaufman, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Best Independent feature
Napoleon Dynamite

Best Foreign Film
Since Otar Left

Best Fiction Film by a NW filmmaker
Coming Up Easy, directed by Rebecca Rodriguez

Best Non-Fiction Film by a NW filmmaker
Big City Dick: Richard Peterson's First Movie, directed by Scott Milam and Todd Pottinger

Best Animated Film by a NW filmmaker
Magda, directed by Chel White

Best Local Non-Film Critic
Steffen Silvis, theater critic for the Willamette Week
Marty Hughley, popular music reviewer for the Oregonian

Special Award: Local Filmmaker
Nick Peterson

Special Award: Local Exhibitor
Tom Ranieri

One of the interesting peculiarities of this year's results was the presence of ties in three categories (the Society just happened to have an even number of voters this year).

Northwest recipients will receive their awards during a modest ceremony held sometime in early February.
]]> Fri, 28 Jan 2005 08:01:17 -0800 http://homepage.mac.com/dkholm/iblog/B2010262857/C1793469224/E327699681/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/dkholm/iblog/B2010262857/C1793469224/E1849737836/index.html Dawn Taylor is the movie reviewer for the Portland Tribune. Dawn writes:

 This was, to put it as politely as possible, a pretty awful year for movies.

 To put it another way: When you’ve seen well over 100 films during the
year and have trouble coming up with 10 that qualify as “best,” you know
that the field was littered with dreck.

There were a few bright spots amid the detritus, however. Here, in
alphabetical order, are the 10 films this reviewer enjoyed the most in
2004:
 





 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
   Not just notable because Jim Carrey isn’t irritating — a mesmerizing,
deeply touching, hilarious and technically awe-inspiring meditation of the
power of love by oddball screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Adaptation).
 
 The Five Obstructions
  One director (Lars Von Trier) challenges another director (Jorgen Leth)
to remake one of his films five different ways according to five
different, punishing rules. The result is a fascinating examination of the
men’s relationship and of the process of filmmaking itself.
 
The Incredibles
Part superhero origin epic, part James Bond adventure thriller and all
giddy excitement. This is Pixar’s best film yet and arguably the best
movie of the year — tightly plotted, deftly acted and animated with
jaw-dropping perfection.
 
Kill Bill: Vol. 2
Even better than the first half, a spectacular fanboy homage to Shaw
Brothers chop-socky films, spaghetti Westerns and film noir thrillers. A
delirious cartoon of a movie and one heck of a lot of fun.
 
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Sad, funny and quirky, Life Aquatic occasionally threatens to capsize
under the weight of its own self-conscious irony, but still offers
intermittent brilliance. Bill Murray’s dry performance is one of his best,
despite being repeatedly upstaged by a hilarious Willem Dafoe.
 
Napoleon Dynamite
A surprising, deadpan depiction of high school dorkiness, this is the
rare teencentric comedy that doesn’t go for easy, crude or stupid laughs.
A laugh-filled little film that loves its geeky heroes and delights with
its weird charm.
 
The Saddest Music in the World
This high-concept, obsessively strange art film by director Guy Maddin
was the year’s most challenging and absurd film. Starring ex-Kid in the
Hall Mark McKinney as a fast-talking huckster and Isabella Rossellini as a
legless beer baroness, it’s haunting, amusing, confusing and surreal —
Maddin’s films may not be to everyone’s taste, but they’re refreshingly
unique.
 
Shaun of the Dead
BBC’s The Office meets George Romero in this wonderfully original
horror-comedy. A ripping good zombie flick, Shaun manages the
nigh-impossible by being both scary and sidesplittingly funny, often at
the same time.
 
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
By doing everything right in front of a green-screen that George Lucas
did wrong, first-time director Kerry Conran blew the Star Wars prequels
out of the water with his energetic take on Saturday afternoon sci-fi
serials. A simply gorgeous cliffhanger pastiche that deserves a second —
and third — viewing.
 
Stage Beauty
In this lushly cinematic ode to British theater, Billy Crudup plays a
circa-1600’s actor who’s devoted his life to playing women on the stage.
When the king proclaims that only the fairer sex will play those roles,
Crudup finds that not just his livelihood but his very identity are
threatened. A witty, bawdy and surprisingly touching period piece with
Crudup’s amazing performance at its center. ]]> Sat, 15 Jan 2005 00:13:08 -0800 http://homepage.mac.com/dkholm/iblog/B2010262857/C1793469224/E1849737836/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/dkholm/iblog/B2010262857/C1793469224/E2025746469/index.html D. K. Holm is the acting president of the Far From Hollywood Film Society of Portland, Oregon. His 10 best and worst list is available in his column at Kevin Smith's website, MoviePoopShoot.com . ]]> Fri, 14 Jan 2005 09:30:15 -0800 http://homepage.mac.com/dkholm/iblog/B2010262857/C1793469224/E2025746469/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/dkholm/iblog/B2010262857/C1793469224/E624451742/index.html Far From Hollywood Film Society of Portland member Kerry Fall currently is the co-host of KBOO radio's Movie Talk.

Here is Kerry Fall's 10 Best and Worst list. Far From Hollywood member Kerry Fall currently is the co-host of KBOO radio's Movie Talk.

Best Films of 2004




Since Otar Left
Broken Wings
Control Room
Fahrenheit 911
Kill Bill 2
Supersize Me
Tokyo Godfathers
A Very Long Engagement
Sideways
Before Sunset
Dogville
Touching the Void
Osama (Siddiq Barmak, Afghanistan)

 Honorable Mention

Riding Giants
Dodgeball
Monster Road
5 Obstructions
The Incredibles
My Architect
  
Worst
Catwoman
Troy
Riddick
Harold and Kumar go to White Castle
Van Helsing ]]> Fri, 14 Jan 2005 09:27:54 -0800 http://homepage.mac.com/dkholm/iblog/B2010262857/C1793469224/E624451742/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/dkholm/iblog/B2010262857/C1793469224/E1382548458/index.html Below is the 10 Best list of Far From Hollywood member Ed Goldberg, the host of KBOO radio's Movie Talk.

Best Films of 2004
(In no particular order):





Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
The Saddest Music in the World
I’m Not Scared
Shrek 2
Spiderman 2
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Kinsey
Oasis
The Motorcycle Diaries
Vera Drake
Sideways
Ray
The Incredibles
The Aviator

Honorable Mention:
The Manchurian Candidate
Collateral
The Bourne Supremacy
Finding Neverland

Documentaries:
Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election
Fahrenheit 9/11
Control Room
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
Festival Express
End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones

Worst:
Taking Lives
Troy
A Slipping Down Life
Scumrock
The Clearing
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
The Village
The Grudge
Beyond the Sea
Spanglish
Saw

Most Overrated:
Open Water ]]> Fri, 14 Jan 2005 09:23:52 -0800 http://homepage.mac.com/dkholm/iblog/B2010262857/C1793469224/E1382548458/index.html http://homepage.mac.com/dkholm/iblog/B2010262857/C1451236237/E771307951/index.html The Far From Hollywood film society of Portland, Oregon, is now live and active. Check this spot for the announcements of the Society's annual awards. ]]> Thu, 06 Jan 2005 17:09:09 -0800 http://homepage.mac.com/dkholm/iblog/B2010262857/C1451236237/E771307951/index.html