estephan Reviews

The Who Rocks America (1983)

Absolutely excellent concert video

[7 November 2010]

Please ignore the one reviewer that said this was a poor film. This performance and video are truly excellent, this had me riveted for years as a portrayal of the Who on an excellent night, yes later in their history, post Keith Moon, but absolutely sharp.

It was acknowledged that this was an excellent show when, 4 years later, the audio of this exact same concert was released on a CD called "The Who Live from Toronto." On wikipedia at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_from_Toronto_%28The_Who_album%29 I would seriously love to have a copy of this like I used to. High points are many but even new songs like 'Eminence Front' sound incredible... the classics are delivered flawlessly. They do "Young man blues" (Orig. from Live at Leeds) and it's awesome though Roger screws the lines up, funny.

A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1963 TV Movie)

This is the TV Documentary, not the animated cartoon.

[13 December 2008]

There are two films called A Boy Named Charlie Brown. First there was a TV documentary about Charles Schulz and Charlie Brown, that failed and never made it onto TV. Then, later, they used the same title for a longer, animated Peanuts special.

This entry is for the TV documentary special, I believe. It is not easy to find this documentary. It is said to have footage of Charles Schulz in 1965 going through his life in Sepastapol, California, driving his kids to school, getting honored at a SF Giants game at Candlestick Park, etc.

Anyone that can succeed in filling out this entry with graphics or information about the never-aired TV documentary, it would be appreciated.

Helvetica (2007)

a great story about two camps in the design world, and people that are passionate about their work

[9/10 · 30 March 2008]

Simply a fascinating trip into the world of design and design history, and how one movement rose up, essentially saying that "you can have a certain apparent uniformity of font and design," i.e. Helvetica font and its clean modern atmosphere, but that supposedly "lockstep" appearance can in fact carry a vastly wide range of ideas, emotions, etc. Others rose up and say "no, dammit, design should be free and expressive and part of the message, and that tyranny of modern fonts represents real conformity." The documentary not only takes you into those ideas, but also in its production values and its visual expression, practices exactly what it is talking about.

Great documentary, gets your mind going.

10 on Ten (2004)

detailed lesson on K.'s film ideas

[1 December 2004]

This is simply a very detailed set of lessons and ideas from kiarostami on the unique formula he has struck for making films. kiarostami lovers will find it definitely fulfils their thirst for thoughts on his genius. if you're not a huge fan, this, like his movies, will seem slow and too detailed for some. you will learn about: why he loves cars as settings so much. how he thinks digital video cameras are the most important new thing ever. plus thoughts on music, actors, [lack of] screenplay, etc. etc. etc. Fun -- he gives the lesson from a car's drivers seat as he drives around. Just like his movies! clever.

Crimson Gold (2003)

Excellent recent chapter in Iranian film

[5 November 2004]

This is a bit of a dream team coming together for a recent iranian film: Kiarostami writes and Panahi directs. And the film is an appropriate hybrid. It has the sloow, thoughtful, gritty realistic, real-life dialogue laden, meandering-but-focused story that Kiarostami makes, along with the focus on social injustice that Panahi had in the Circle.

It's on the top ten for Iranian film which means definitely get it. Great film. Great photography. Lots of teheran and iranian morality police -- cool. If you can't stand movies that don't have a clear Hollywood plot -- if you don't like art house movies -- if you get bored or tired in slow movies -- don't rent it.

Blackboards (2000)

symbolism and harshness

[5 October 2004]

I have nothing against slow movies -- for instance kiarostami is a huge favorite of mine. But I have to admit, this film really pushes the slow-and-obtuse envelope. it's mainly the script. the teachers encounter various nomads and desperately harangue them to hire them as teachers... when people refuse, they just repeat themselves again and again, and it seems that nobody really listens to anyone else. it's a study in harshness. it leans heavily on symbolism, and you feel that the whole thing is totally constructed by the filmmaker, that no respect at all is being paid to naturalism or the kinds of reactions that people would likely have in a situation like this. so, if you're really excited by a symbol-filled, quite stark time, you will appreciate this. I wasn't up for it.