I have to admit, I had skepticism about watching the film, Hugo, after my loyalty for Martin Scorsese had slightly diminished after The Departed, for reasons that I won’t go into detail about lest I start another debate about Infernal Affairs.  I finally watched the movie tonight and I have to say it is such a fantastic movie. The opening sequences are so visually dynamic and beautiful that it’s difficult not to take your eyes off the screen once the camera starts zooming into the train station. The film is such a departure from Scorsese’s usual gangster thriller genre, yet it feels like a film closest to his heart, divulging straight into the soul of his love for cinema. For film enthusiasts out there, the homage to early film-making, referencing Le Voyage dans la Lune and the first footage of a train entering a station is so wonderfully told. I can’t deny that my heart swelled a bit as I recalled watching the same images during my video art class in college.

The Houston Cinema Arts Festival was back in town these past few days and I was able to catch a matinee screening of  this awesome performance by Miwa Matreyek. Myth & Infrastructure was so visually beautiful and magical, the way the scenes flowed organically and seamlessly into one another accompanied by a lush and ethereal soundtrack. I really loved everything about it. Watch snippets of it here.

Yesterday, I, along with a full house of people at the MFAH,  saw a screening of Ethan Hawke’s new film, The Woman in the Fifth. It was really beautifully filmed and Ethan Hawke never fails to impress me with his performance. I really loved the way the camera moved throughout the film, shifting focus in and out, revealing people, as if there was always a third person watching from behind the trees. And Hawke  is such an eloquent, intelligent, and  likeable guy in person. The Q & A session after the movie screening revealed an honest and passionate side of him that I hadn’t seen before in his interviews. You can listen in on the conversation here. ( It’s a little blurry but the audio is good.)

Having a low key Halloween this year. A few classic films like  Practical Magic, and Something Wicked This Way Comes and some kettle corn to chill with tonight. These watercolor stills form Fantasia are so awesome and sublime.

Two end of the world films that I have been dying to see this year. (I love how the film posters are so similar too!) Another Earth had a limited showing in Houston that I totally missed out on, so I really cannot wait until November when the DVD is released and also when Melancholia comes out in theaters. I love Kirsten Dunst, especially when she does more dramatic roles, and I’ve heard very fantastic things about Brit Marling.   See the trailers here and here