By Tim Winterstein - From 1949 until 1990, East Germany (or the German Democratic Republic—DDR auf Deutsch) was perhaps the most technologically advanced, the most severe, the highest functioning surveillance state the world had yet seen—and maybe hasn't seen since. (When North Korea finally, hopefully, ceases to be what it is, it will be interesting … Continue reading The Lives of Others
By Tim Winterstein - [SPOILERS] I wasn't sure what kind of movie I was watching when Carlos Reygadas' Silent Light (Stellet Licht; 2007, streaming on the Criterion Channel or disc for purchase on Amazon) began with a minutes-long time lapse of a sunrise, and there is no dialogue for more than seven minutes. I think … Continue reading Time’s Burden
By Tim Winterstein - Imagine having a six-year-old son, who has just been admitted into a prestigious elementary school, who seems happy and well-adjusted. Then imagine that you receive a phone call from the hospital where he was born, telling you that six years ago, there was some kind of mistake and your child isn't … Continue reading What We Know
By Tim Winterstein - [SPOILERS] Whenever films are based on true stories, there's always a little dramatic enhancement to the story. Sometimes it's to fill in missing details; sometimes it's in the form of actors and actresses (almost always) more attractive than the real people; sometimes it's simply to increase the action so people will … Continue reading Family Ties
By Tim Winterstein - I was a little worried that The Prisoner (1955; streaming on the Criterion Channel and for free on Amazon Prime video) wouldn't live up to its controversy. (Thanks to whomever recommended it. Dan B., maybe? Sorry!) According to a book on Alec Guinness, it was withdrawn from Cannes and banned from … Continue reading Prisoners, All
By Tim Winterstein - Honestly, I can't believe we'd never thought of it before. My brother, Jay, and I talk a lot about movies. He's the one who went to film school. He's the one who introduced me to the Newport Beach Film Festival. He's the one who tells me which classic movies I've missed … Continue reading Talking Movies With My Brother
By Tim Winterstein - The older I get, the more I realize just how unreliable my memories actually are. It is easy to assume without reflection that what we “remember” is true. Memento is one of the movies that first hinted to me that (even without a brain injury) what we think we remember is … Continue reading The Past that is not Past
