Tilda Swinton Project Update 2023 Redux

(June 26, 2023)

My bi-annual (or is it semi-annual?) er every other year or so update to my project to determine whether the future has arrived yet (by checking if all films from a pretty famous actor are available one way or another) is now done. And I got a bigger batch of films than usual: Caprice (1986) … Continue reading Tilda Swinton Project Update 2023 Redux

TSP2022: The Eternal Daughter

(June 26, 2023)

Oh, A24? And BBC? This really does have a BBC vibe going on — as if this were a horror story from the 70s… And I mean that in the best way possible. I’m totally into this. And I think it really is a horror story? I mean, it’s so well done — the creaky, … Continue reading TSP2022: The Eternal Daughter

TSP2022: Three Thousand Years of Longing

(June 26, 2023)

Oh, does MGM still exist? So aspect-to-aspect editing. Who’s the main character!? Hm… is this based on a comic book, by any chance? It feels very comic bookey so far. Nope: Written by Miller and Augusta Gore, it is based on the short story “The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye” by A. S. Byatt And … Continue reading TSP2022: Three Thousand Years of Longing

TSP2021: Memoria

(June 25, 2023)

I’ve seen three Apichatpong Weerasethakul movies before, and they’ve all been great, if I remember correctly. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, of course, has the best movie title ever. This looks very Apichatpong Weerasethakul in the first few minutes, so *crosses fingers*. I have absolutely no fucking idea what is going on … Continue reading TSP2021: Memoria

TSP2021: The French Dispatch

(June 25, 2023)

Huh. Did Fox sell of Searchlight… or… er… Oh yeah, that’s basically the old 20th Century Fox logo thing, isn’t it? How confusing. Geez. This is head-swimmingly dense. Just so many details. I love it. Of course, he can’t keep going at that speed — people would faint. I’m still disappointed when he slows down… … Continue reading TSP2021: The French Dispatch

TSP1990: Das offene Universum

(June 23, 2023)

I finally found this film on Vimeo, so I’ve updated the post.

TSP2021: The Dong with the Luminous Nose

(June 22, 2023)

The Dong with the Luminous Nose. Jonny Phillips. 2021. I was unable to locate this film anywhere for my Tilda Swinton project. If somebody knows where it can be found (either in some physical format or online), please let me know.

TSP2021: What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?

(June 22, 2023)

I’ve watched a substantial portion of the Marvel superhero thing, but I’m pretty much over it now (as apparently is the rest of the world). I did not watch this, because I’m just really annoyed by modern animation. But apparently Tilda Swinton does some voice-over stuff for The Ancient One (reprising her Doctor Strange role), … Continue reading TSP2021: What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?

TSP2011: Amore carne

(June 21, 2023)

Love Flesh. Pippo Delbono. 2011. I was unable to locate this film anywhere for my Tilda Swinton project. If somebody knows where it can be found (either in some physical format or online), please let me know. That is, I did buy a DVD from France: But it doesn’t have English subtitles, and I’ve been … Continue reading TSP2011: Amore carne

TSP1986: Caprice

(June 21, 2023)

I found this 1986 short finally — one of Tilda Swinton’s earliest movies. Somebody uploaded it to youtube seven months ago. Perhaps that was because of the Souvenir movies (which are fictionalised accounts of making this movie — sort of)? This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2021: The Souvenir Part II

(June 21, 2023)

Right! OK, an explanation before we get started: Almost a decade ago, I started a blog project to look at the brave new world of movie availability: It was the heyday of Netflix and people were going “oooh, ah, you can watch every movie now”. And I was rather sceptical, because… well, just because. But … Continue reading TSP2021: The Souvenir Part II

TSP2018: Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema

(August 9, 2021)

Women Make Film: A New Road Movie Through Cinema. Mark Cousins. 2018. I was unable to locate this documentary anywhere for my Tilda Swinton project. If somebody knows where it can be found (either in some physical format or online), please let me know.

TSP1986: Caprice

(August 9, 2021)

So, I’ve just watched The Souvenir Part II, which is a kinda-sorta autobio film… about making this film, I think. This may be Tilda Swinton’s first film? And she’s in The Souvenir, too, playing Joanna Hogg’s mother. It’s all very meta. It’s the earliest Swinton film I haven’t seen before (ed note — add some … Continue reading TSP1986: Caprice

TSP2017: Tania Libre

(August 9, 2021)

Tania Libre. Lynn Hershman-Leeson. 2017. I was unable to locate this film anywhere for my Tilda Swinton project. If somebody knows where it can be found (either in some physical format or online), please let me know.

TSP2020: The Human Voice

(August 9, 2021)

This was really good! Swinton and Almodóvar should work together more! And that’s totally what I want my next apt. to look like. I mean, a fake house in the middle of a big hangar. I’d love that. Yes, yes, I know, it’s all metaphorical and stuff, but I still want it. It’s gorgeously shot, … Continue reading TSP2020: The Human Voice

TSP2017: Last and First Men

(August 9, 2021)

That’s what I want my living room to look like! In the 80s, if you were interested in interesting science fiction (think Octavia Butler, Joanna Russ or Samuel Delany), everybody would recommend the two Olaf Stapledon books — Last and First Men and Star Maker. They’re proto-sf novels… and I really did give it a … Continue reading TSP2017: Last and First Men

TSP2019: The Personal History of David Copperfield

(August 9, 2021)

Is it that time of year again? I think it is! A few years back, I randomly decided to watch all of Tilda Swinton’s movies, and now I seem to be doing yearly mop-up evenings where I watch her new movies, and any old movies that I’ve been able to score ove the last year. … Continue reading TSP2019: The Personal History of David Copperfield

“You Are Tilda Fucking Swinton”

(September 18, 2020)

This post is not part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2013: Death for a Unicorn

(July 28, 2020)

I found this short from 2015 on Amazon Prime, and I updated the placeholder post. Clicky the linky for postie. And that concludes this year’s Tilda Swinton Project update, I think. I found more stuff this year then the previous ones, for some reason or other. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP1990: Fruits of Fear

(July 28, 2020)

Somebody finally (like six years ago) finally uploaded this documentary short to youtube, so I could fill in a missing post. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2020: Story and the Writer

(July 28, 2020)

Story and the Writer. Andrew Ondrejcak. 2020. So, this is a short you can watch on Youtube. Swinton does the voiceover… which is pretty oddly recorded. It’s very dry, as if she’s just talking into her phone or something. Which is a wasted opportunity. And… when you’re doing this sort of thing, your performers had … Continue reading TSP2020: Story and the Writer

TSP2019: What We Do in the Shadows: “The Trial”

(July 28, 2020)

What We Do in the Shadows: “The Trial”. Taika Waititi. 2019. Oh, OK — this is the TV series based on the movie? I saw that movie at the Sundance Film Festival! (I know! How hoity toity!) I think I gave it a… five? a four? on the score cards. It was fun, but kinda … Continue reading TSP2019: What We Do in the Shadows: “The Trial”

TSP2019: Uncut Gems

(July 25, 2020)

Uncut Gems. Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie. 2019. [twenty minutes pass] Oh deer. This is the Adam Sandler Oscar bait movie? To ensure getting nominated, you have to have some sort of health angle, so it starts with a colonoscopy (it is Sandler, after all) and some possible cancer, before we go into full-bore New … Continue reading TSP2019: Uncut Gems

TSP2019: The Dead Don’t Die

(July 25, 2020)

The Dead Don’t Die. Jim Jarmusch. 2019. [five minutes pass; i.e., I watched the titles] Wow; this movie basically has everybody that’s famous. It’s not just Jarmusch’s normal troupe (although many of them are here), but a bunch of random famous people. I’m assuming they called his agent or his agent called them and they … Continue reading TSP2019: The Dead Don’t Die

TSP2017: War Machine

(July 25, 2020)

War Machine. David Michôd. 2017. Oops. This is a Netflix movie from 2017? Starring Brad Pitt? I’ve never heard of it, but apparently Tilda Swinton has a tiny role in this, so I’ve gotta see it for this blog series. [ten minutes pass] Oh deer. This is my least favourite movie genre ever? The satirical-military-movie-with-an-omniscient-voice-over … Continue reading TSP2017: War Machine

TSP2019: The Souvenir

(July 24, 2020)

The Souvenir. Joanna Hogg. 2019. Hey! We’re back with our sorta-yearly “what has that Swinton woman been up to since last we checked?” This year, we have … about half a dozen movies? So she’s been busy. First off a movie by Joanna Hogg? That name seems so familiar to me that I assumed that … Continue reading TSP2019: The Souvenir

TSP2019: Letters from Baghdad

(September 19, 2019)

Letters from Baghdad. Sabine Krayenbühl. 2016. This is not my favourite genre: It’s a docudrama with the footage “aged” to simulate oldee tymee stock; everything played back slightly too fast to make it look like an old silent movie. But with fake sounds inserted… incessantly… it’s never silent; always a bed of foley or music. … Continue reading TSP2019: Letters from Baghdad

TSP2019: Suspiria

(September 17, 2019)

Suspiria. Luca Guadagnino. 2018. I have not seen the original Suspiria movie, but I’ve seen quite a few movies by Luca Guadagnino, and I’ve liked almost all of them. There’s so many references here… “Dr. Klemperer”… Arthur Koestler… “Berger”… Baader-Meinhof… Surely these can’t all have been in the original horror movie? Or perhaps they were? … Continue reading TSP2019: Suspiria

TSP2019: Avengers: Endgame

(September 17, 2019)

Avengers: Endgame. Anthony & Joe Russo. 2019. Hey! It’s time to catch up with Tilda Swinton again. I really enjoyed the previous Avengers movie (by the same directors as this one). The Marvel Studios movies have really gotten a whole lot better the past few years, embracing humour and sci-fi more than the first few … Continue reading TSP2019: Avengers: Endgame

TSP2012: Radioman

(August 25, 2018)

Radioman. Mary Kerr. 2012. Whaaa! Another documentary! I’m developing a hatred of documentaries… But mostly American ones. This one in British, by Mary Kerr, and it’s good. But you have to wonder about whether this film will do its subject any good or whether it’ll just… make him so public that he can’t continue to … Continue reading TSP2012: Radioman

TSP2017: Letters From Generation RX

(August 25, 2018)

Letters From Generation RX. Kevin P. Miller. 2017. OH FUCK! It’s an American documentary, So it’s an incessant barrage of pedestrian imagery, where they try to keep the interest of bored viewers by putting in as many edits in per second as possible replete with “action reenactments”. I just loathe the “sentence fragment with dramatic … Continue reading TSP2017: Letters From Generation RX

TSP2011: Genevive Goes Boating

(August 25, 2018)

Genevive Goes Boating. Lucy Gray. 2011. This short (narrated by Tilda Swinton) can be found on Vimeo. It’s a kind of fairy tale/parable thing. I really like the way it’s made: The home-made-aesthetic scenography etc, and it is interesting, but I didn’t really get much involved. I guess the fairy tale thing just doesn’t work … Continue reading TSP2011: Genevive Goes Boating

TSP2017: Okja

(August 25, 2018)

Okja. Joon-ho Bong. 2017. I remember there being some controversy about this film at the Cannes Film Festival because it’s a Netflix film. That is, it wasn’t released to movie theatres? I think? And they changed the rules to exclude such films afterwards? Anyway, I signed up to Netflix to see just this film, and … Continue reading TSP2017: Okja

TSP2014: The Gospel According to St. Derek

(August 25, 2018)

The Gospel According to St. Derek. Andy Kimpton-Nye. 2014. This documentary can be found on Youtube here, here, and here. It’s a quite traditional documentary: A theme is established, and then they get a series of people talking about that, and then a new subject, and then pretty much all the same people talking about … Continue reading TSP2014: The Gospel According to St. Derek

TSP2017: async – first light

(August 25, 2018)

async – first light. Apichatpong Weerasethakul. 2017. This short can be found on Vimeo. It’s based on a piece by Ryuichi Sakamoto and is by the guy who made Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives and is a series of clips of people sleeping. It’s nice. This post is part of The Tilda … Continue reading TSP2017: async – first light

TSP2016: The Seasons in Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger

(August 24, 2018)

The Seasons in Quincy: Fout Portraits of John Berger. Bartek Dziadosz. 2016. This is a documentary film in four parts (with four different directors) produced by The Derek Jarman Lab. I know nothing about John Berger (but I’ve probably seen a couple of films based on his… work?), and this is not a film that … Continue reading TSP2016: The Seasons in Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger

TSP2018: Isle of Dogs

(August 24, 2018)

Isle of Dogs. Wes Anderson. 2018. Hey, it’s a Wes Anderson film, so of course Tilda Swinton is in here somewhere. It’s an animated film, but she does the voice of Oracle. (She has like four lines in the film, and two of them are “what?”) And… I love Wes Anderson, but it’s weird. Not … Continue reading TSP2018: Isle of Dogs

TSP2015: B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989

(August 24, 2018)

B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989. Jörg A. Hoppe. 2015. Hey! This is another part of my project to see whether all the films of a moderately famous actor are available in these modern days. (Spoiler: No.) It’s been a couple of years since the last one, so I thought I’d just do mop-up … Continue reading TSP2015: B-Movie: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin 1979-1989

TSP1994: Visions of Heaven and Hell

(April 22, 2017)

Hey!  It’s time for that yearly Google session to try to find the missing films for my Tilda Swinton project. Unfortunately, nothing new seems to be available (although The Dilapidated Dwelling seems to have been available on Youtube for a bit of time before being deleted).  Boo! But a kind reader had pointed me towards … Continue reading TSP1994: Visions of Heaven and Hell

TSP2016: Doctor Strange

(April 22, 2017)

Doctor Strange. Scott Derrickson. 2016. This is an amusing film, but any scene where they attempt gravitas, it goes into snooze land. Well, almost. But still: Much amusement. One of the more successful super hero films for sure, but it’s not like there’s a lot of competition. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton … Continue reading TSP2016: Doctor Strange

TSP2015: Dreams Rewired

(September 2, 2016)

Dreams Rewired was released on DVD recently.

TSP2016: Hail, Caesar

(August 26, 2016)

Oh, CGI. Boo. So colour corrected. Hail, Caesar. Ethan Coen. 2016. Hm… on the one hand, this film is very much like if Mel Brooks wanted to make a Wes Anderson movie. On the other hand, there are fun scenes like the Gene Kelly sailor scene. On the fourth hand, there’s the horrible CGI-looking (even … Continue reading TSP2016: Hail, Caesar

TSP2015: A Bigger Splash

(August 26, 2016)

A Bigger Splash. Luca Guadagnino. 2015. There are some really fantastic scenes in here. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

“I had to airbrush a hot chick on the back of my truck”

(April 15, 2016)

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is back for a second season. This post in not part of my Tilda Swinton project.

TSP1986: Zastrozzi: A Romance

(January 10, 2016)

I’m apparently part of the Tilda Swinton Underground now, where we swap rare, unavailable Tilda Swinton TV series and shorts. Or something. In any case, I got a copy of this 1986 British TV series from a kind reader. It’s rather good. Bits of it are brilliant. And some bits, er, aren’t. Have a peek … Continue reading TSP1986: Zastrozzi: A Romance

The Tilda Swinton Checklist

(October 15, 2015)

After a pretty random decision to see all films Tilda Swinton had appeared in, and a basic run-through and then a mopping-up weekend, I’ve basically seen all the Swinton films that are kinda available.  (In some form or other.) This post is a place-holder article I’ll just be editing to keep track of what films … Continue reading The Tilda Swinton Checklist

TSP1989: Play Me Something

(October 9, 2015)

A reader pointed me towards where I could find a copy of Play Me Something.

TSP2015: Dreams Rewired

(October 3, 2015)

Dreams Rewired. Manu Luksch. 2015. Hey, it’s a documentary. Sort of. It’s mostly old film clips with Swinton reciting a text over the images, but now and then they play longer bits and Swinton plays the characters, giving them preposterous lines. It’s funny and scary and edjumacational. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton … Continue reading TSP2015: Dreams Rewired

TSP2014: Travelling at Night with Jim Jarmusch

(October 3, 2015)

Travelling at Night with Jim Jarmusch. Léa Rinaldi. 2014. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2014: Antarctica 3D: On the Edge

(October 3, 2015)

Antarctica 3D: On the Edge. Jon Bowermaster. 2014. I was unable to locate this documentary short anywhere for my Tilda Swinton project. If somebody knows where it can be found (either in some physical format or online), please let me know.

TSP2012: Radioman

(October 3, 2015)

Radioman. Mary Kerr. 2012. I was unable to locate this documentary anywhere for my Tilda Swinton project. If somebody knows where it can be found (either in some physical format or online), please let me know.

TSP2011: Making it In Hollywood

(October 3, 2015)

You can watch this documentary here. Uhm…  I might have been a bit too cranky.  It’s not really that bad. Making it In Hollywood. Doug McFarlane. 2011. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2011: Cinema is Everywhere

(October 3, 2015)

The film can be found here, but I wouldn’t really recommend watching it there.  It’s interrupted every ten minutes by a really annoying thirty second ad for two movies that I’ve now sworn never ever to see. So there. Cinema is Everywhere. Teal Greyhavens. 2011. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2011: Women War & Peace

(October 2, 2015)

Women War & Peace. Gini Reticker. 2011. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2010: Spur der Bären

(October 2, 2015)

It’s a kinda fascinating story (about the Berlin film festival), but it has a kinda boring structure. Kinda. Spur der Bären. Hans-Christoph Blumenberg. 2010. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2010: Climate of Change

(October 2, 2015)

This is a really interesting documentary. It seems to be an overt propaganda film for local action as a way to solve environmental issues and climate change. However, it subtly undermines what the people interviewed seem to say. For instance, the British PR woman who says that these problems can be solved easily suddenly yields … Continue reading TSP2010: Climate of Change

TSP2008: Requiem for Jarman

(October 2, 2015)

Requiem for Jarman. Carl Daft. 2008, I was unable to locate this documentary short anywhere for my Tilda Swinton project. If somebody knows where it can be found (either in some physical format or online), please let me know.

TSP2007: Derek

(October 2, 2015)

This is how you do a documentary. Derek. Isaac Julien & Bernard Rose. 2007. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2007: Schau mir in die Augen, Kleiner

(October 2, 2015)

Schau mir in die Augen, Kleiner. André Schäfer. 2007. I was unable to locate this documentary anywhere for my Tilda Swinton project. If somebody knows where it can be found (either in some physical format or online), please let me know.

TSP2007: Hitler’s Favourite Royal

(October 2, 2015)

Hitler’s Favourite Royal. Fiona Cotter Craig. 2007. I watched the version here and here, but it seems heavily edited, I think? This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2006: Deep Water

(October 2, 2015)

Deep Water. Louise Osmond, Jerry Rothwell. 2006. This documentary can be found here. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2004: Derek Jarman: Life as Art

(October 2, 2015)

That’s the wrong hue! Derek Jarman: Life as Art. Andy Kimpton-Nye. 2004. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2002: Tilda Swinton: The Love Factory

(October 2, 2015)

Tilda Swinton: The Love Factory. Luca Guadagnino. 2002. I was unable to locate this  short anywhere for my Tilda Swinton project. If somebody knows where it can be found (either in some physical format or online), please let me know.

TSP2000: The Dilapidated Dwelling

(October 2, 2015)

The Dilapidated Dwelling. Patrick Keiller. 2000. I was unable to locate this documentary anywhere for my Tilda Swinton project. If somebody knows where it can be found (either in some physical format or online), please let me know.

TSP1994: Visions of Heaven and Hell

(October 2, 2015)

Visions of Heaven and Hell. Mark Harrison, Leanne Klein. 1994. This is a documentary TV series about the Internet and technology narrated by Tilda Swinton. The programme starts with a disclaimer about how difficult it’s to say what the future’s going to be like, but they’re pretty much correct about a lot of what they … Continue reading TSP1994: Visions of Heaven and Hell

TSP1990: Fruits of Fear

(October 2, 2015)

Fruits of Fear. Ngozi Onwurah. 1990. You can watch this on Youtube. “Every time you buy a Cape apple you’re buying a bullet to kill our people.” This is a documentary short with a simple message: Boycott South Africa Now. (I.e., in 1990.) While the message is clear, I’m surprised at how fairly they present … Continue reading TSP1990: Fruits of Fear

TSP1989: Cycling the Frame

(October 2, 2015)

I saw the follow-up first, The Invisible Frame, without knowing about the existence of this film.  But I went to Berlin last week and we watched them both, in sequence, at the hotel room one night. They’re really good.  The first film is grainier, of course, but they’re a pretty fascinating pair.  And the entire … Continue reading TSP1989: Cycling the Frame

The Tilda Swinton Project Reloaded

(October 1, 2015)

When I decided to watch all the films Tilda Swinton had appeared in (because reasons) I used imdb as the primary source for her appearances.  I also added a couple I found on her Wikipedia page, but I assumed that imdb had virtually everything of interest. But then I discovered the 1989 longish short “Cycling … Continue reading The Tilda Swinton Project Reloaded

The Tilda Swinton Project Redux

(August 8, 2015)

This spring I decided to see all films that Tilda Swinton had appeared in. It was a somewhat random decision, but I felt that I hadn’t seen her in any bad films ever, so perhaps she had exceptional taste? And perhaps that would lead me to see films I otherwise wouldn’t have seen? I think … Continue reading The Tilda Swinton Project Redux

TSP2015: Trainwreck

(August 8, 2015)

Trainwreck. Judd Apatow. 2015. The Amy Schumer show is funny.  This film isn’t. I haven’t seen any of the other Judd Apatow films.  My impression is that they are going for cringe humour, but this one just isn’t that cringe-worthy.  Instead it’s just slow. It’s like a very, very, very long partially improvised HBO sitcom. … Continue reading TSP2015: Trainwreck

TSP2014: The Grand Budapest Hotel

(August 7, 2015)

The Grand Budapest Hotel. Wes Anderson. 2014. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2013: Death for a Unicorn

(August 7, 2015)

Death for a Unicorn. Riccardo Bernasconi and Francesca Reverdito. 2013. Geez. This short is only available on Amazon Prime? So I had to hook up my Ipod Touch again to the rest of my system, and then spend half an hour re-routing the HDMI through splitters and capture devices to do this blog post… Everything … Continue reading TSP2013: Death for a Unicorn

TSP2013: The Zero Theorem

(August 7, 2015)

The Zero Theorem. Terry Gilliam. 2013. The start made me go “Yes!  Gilliam!  Yay!”  Unfortunately, the last four hours of the film is so dreary.  It’s looks so cheap, and nothing much happens.  Too bad.  I think Gilliam really needs a huge budget to shine. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2013: Snowpiercer

(August 7, 2015)

Snowpiercer. Joon-ho Bong. 2013. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2013: When Björk Met Attenborough

(August 7, 2015)

When Björk Met Attenborough. Louise Hooper. 2013. Hey!  It’s the third film in this series that’s mentioned Britten! This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2013: Only Lovers Left Alive

(August 7, 2015)

Only Lovers Left Alive. Jim Jarmusch. 2013. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2013: The Stars Are Out Tonight

(August 7, 2015)

The Stars Are Out Tonight. Floria Sigismondi. 2013. It’s a proper music video!  Yay. This video can be found on Youtube. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2012: Getting On

(August 7, 2015)

Getting On. Susan Tully. 2012. This is a really uninformed opinion, as this is the first episode I’ve seen.  And this was the last episode from the third series.  So it might be brilliant, and I’m just not getting it.  But I’m unlikely to get around to watching the entire series, because it’s filmed in … Continue reading TSP2012: Getting On

TSP2012: Moonrise Kingdom

(August 7, 2015)

Moonrise Kingdom. Wes Anderson. 2012. All of Anderson’s films I seen have been good (except Bottle Rocket, which was awful), but I think this one is probably the best one.  So funny. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2011: Genevieve Goes Boating

(August 7, 2015)

I found Genevive Goes Boating, so that’s one more down.

TSP2011: We Need To Talk About Kevin

(August 1, 2015)

We Need To Talk About Kevin. Lynne Ramsay. 2011. I remember reading about this film way back then in 2010 and thinking it sounded awful. So I was prepared for a Benjamin Button sized turd. This is a kinda good film, and perhaps an important film, but it’s such an enormous downer. And the archer … Continue reading TSP2011: We Need To Talk About Kevin

TSP2010: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Trader

(August 1, 2015)

It’s Alan Moore!!! The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Trader. Michael Apted. 2010. This is much better than the second film. The only thing I remember from the book is the picture on the well, and that that annoying kid was annoying. The film certainly reflects the book in that regard, but … Continue reading TSP2010: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Trader

TSP2009: The Invisible Frame

(August 1, 2015)

The Invisible Frame. Cynthia Beatt. 2009. It’s hypnotic. It turns out that this is a sequel to a short made in 1988.  imdb doesn’t list it on Swinton’s page, but they do list it here.  What’s up with that?  How come some short films are listed on the actors’ pages, but some aren’t? Now my … Continue reading TSP2009: The Invisible Frame

TSP2009: Io sono l’amore

(July 31, 2015)

Io sono l’amore. Luca Guadagnino. 2009. This film starts off extremely well, and then gets all sweaty. At then end they go full Sirk, and it’s glorious, but the middle part is problematic. I love the soundtrack by John Adams. (The blu-ray I bought didn’t have Enligsh subtitles, so I had to pirate a copy … Continue reading TSP2009: Io sono l’amore

TSP2009: The Limits of Control

(July 31, 2015)

The Limits of Control. Jim Jarmusch. 2009. I didn’t mean to re-watch this film (I saw it last summer), but it was just too good. That Jarmusch guy, man. And Isaach De Bankolé! He’s so enjoyable to watch. I think all films I’ve seen with him in have been great? Chocolat, White Material, Coffee and … Continue reading TSP2009: The Limits of Control

TSP2008: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

(July 31, 2015)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. David Fincher. 2008. If some director were to design a movie purely culculated to be nominated in all Oscar categories, it would look just like this turd. Whaddayouknow. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2008: Burn After Reading

(July 25, 2015)

Burn After Reading. Joel and Ethan Coen. 2008. This was hilarious. Easily the best Coen film I’ve seen. It was slightly let down by its last third when some things turned all serious, which didn’t suit the film at all. Third act syndrome. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2008: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

(July 25, 2015)

So teal. Very colour correct. Very hair product. Finally!  Half a minute of Swinton! Did I mention the hair? The battle scenes are so real. Much. Miaow. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Andrew Adamson. 2008. I quite liked the first Narnia film. It was just like I remembered from reading that book at ten. … Continue reading TSP2008: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

TSP2008: Julia

(July 25, 2015)

Julia. Erick Zonca. 2008. This is a good film, but it’s kind of excruciating to watch. Swinton’s amazing, of course, but it’s at least half an hour too long. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2007: Michael Clayton

(July 25, 2015)

Michael Clayton. Tony Gilroy. 2007. After watching a string of European films, it’s always a struggle to readjust to American acting. American acting is so stylised and unreal. You can always imagine any of these actors dropping into a McDonalds’s commercial or a four camera sitcom and behaving exactly the same way. They conform to … Continue reading TSP2007: Michael Clayton

TSP2007: The Man From London

(July 24, 2015)

The Man From London. Béla Tarr. 2007. Somehow, I’ve never seen any films by Béla Tarr before. And if I squint a bit, I could easily see this as being a French & Saunders parody of Bergman or Tarkovski. If it had moved slightly faster and had more women in it. So I have no … Continue reading TSP2007: The Man From London

TSP2007: Faceless

(July 24, 2015)

Faceless. Manu Luksch. 2007. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2007: Strange Culture

(July 24, 2015)

Strange Culture. Lynn Hershman-Leeson. 2007. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2007: Sleepwalkers

(July 19, 2015)

Sleepwalkers. Doug Aitken. 2007. This art documentation video can be found on Youtube. I wanna visit New York again soon, anyway. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2006: Galápagos

(July 19, 2015)

Galápagos. BBC. 2006. I haven’t really watched a nature documentary since I was a teenager or something. I always feel that documentaries just waste my preciouses time. “Give me a ten sentence summary! I mean five! Stat!” But this is rather brilliant. It’s all slo-mo/time lapse hi-def video (especially on Blu-Ray), with fake foley sounds, … Continue reading TSP2006: Galápagos

TSP2006: Stephanie Daley

(July 18, 2015)

Stephanie Daley. Hilary Brougher. 2006. This is mostly not very good, but the final scene is a great twist. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2005: Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

(July 18, 2015)

Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Andrew Adamson. 2005. I read the book when I was like ten. (Several times.) This film is just like what I remember the book being like. For better and for worse. So I can’t really fault the film. My ten year old self would have loved it. … Continue reading TSP2005: Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

TSP2005: The Somme

(July 18, 2015)

The Somme. Carl Hindmarch. 2005. It’s not that bad, really, but the sentimental music underscoring every. single. thing. did my head in. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2005: The Absent Presence

(July 18, 2015)

The Absent Presence. Hussein Chalayan, Martin R. Davison. 2005. This short film can be found on Vimeo. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2005: Broken Flowers

(July 18, 2015)

Broken Flowers. Jim Jarmusch. 2005. I’d seen this film before, but I didn’t realise that that was Tilda Swinton.  Her part lasted for half a minute, though. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2005: Constantine (Video Game)

(July 18, 2015)

I don’t have any gaming consoles, but I found an old laptop that had Windows installed! So I downloaded the .rar file off of a totally legal site. Sure.  Even if it’s infested with viruses, I don’t care much, because the laptop isn’t interweb-connected. Cool! Boo! Boo! Hm.  This is Windows 7… Oh!  Instructions! Game … Continue reading TSP2005: Constantine (Video Game)

TSP2005: Constantine

(July 18, 2015)

People read slowly. Sure. It’s Keanu!  Again! Constantine. Dylan Beale. 2005. This is a pretty confounding film. It almost seems like they’re making a parody of something? No scenes connect. It’s weird. And not in a good way. The director of this film went on to fuck up the The Hunger Games series. This post … Continue reading TSP2005: Constantine

TSP2005: Thumbsucker

(July 17, 2015)

2005!? Keanu! Three wolf moon!  I’ve got that t-shirt! Thumbsucker. Mike Mills. 2005. I’ve seen this film before, somehow.  It’s still pretty good. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2003: The Box

(July 17, 2015)

The Box. Luke Losey. 2003. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2003: The Statement

(July 17, 2015)

Much photoshop. Very budget. So eh? He agrees. Oh, whatever. There!!! Oh, Michael Caine.  I can’t quit you. Uh-oh, missy! So there! Properly chastised. Tell me more. EEEVIL! Je pense. A lot! Equations… The Statement. Norman Jewison. 2003. This is the kind of film where the dialogues go: “Why wasn’t I told this earlier?” “I’m … Continue reading TSP2003: The Statement

TSP2003: Young Adam

(July 17, 2015)

Young Adam. David Mackenzie. 2003. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2002: Adaptation.

(July 11, 2015)

Adaptation.. Spike Jonze. 2002. The first two thirds of this film are extremely entertaining. Metafictional tomfoolery to the max. And then, in the last third, it turns into a normal American action movie, and it’s incredibly boring. Which is a metafictional thing, too, because within the film, Kaufman is advised that people only remember the … Continue reading TSP2002: Adaptation.

TSP2002: Teknolust

(July 11, 2015)

Teknolust. Lynn Hershman-Leeson. 2002. This is a very amusing film.  There’s a lot about it I liked.  So I really feel bad about this roll of the die: Edit: I’ve now watched the commentary track, and I feel even worse about the die. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2001: Vanilla Sky

(July 11, 2015)

Vanilla Sky. Cameron Crowe. 2001. This film is so much worse than The Beach that I regret giving The Beach a ⚀. But I don’t have a die with a skull and crossbones, so it’ll have to do. THIS IS AWFUL!!!?!1!!! This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2001: The Deep End

(July 11, 2015)

The Deep End. Scott McGehee. 2001. This started off as a run-of-the-mill spiralling-into-complications film, but then it took a more original turn. It’s weird seeing films from this area, though. Cell phone usage was prevalent, but script writers didn’t want to acknowledge that, because it makes all the traditional “person who can’t be reached” plot … Continue reading TSP2001: The Deep End

TSP2000: Possible Worlds

(July 11, 2015)

Possible Worlds. Robert Lepage. 2000. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP2000: The Beach

(July 10, 2015)

The Beach. Danny Boyle. 2000. This was excruciating. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP1999: The Protagonists

(July 10, 2015)

The Protagonists. Luca Guadagnino. 1999. Absolutely fascinating. The levels of meta on display here are mind-boggling. And the different versions of the murder (the shouty American TV carjacking vs the European art movie killing) were… er… I mean. This is a film for film nerds, but it’s a playful, interesting and affecting one. It’s slightly … Continue reading TSP1999: The Protagonists

TSP1999: The War Zone

(July 10, 2015)

The War Zone. Tim Roth. 1999. Feel-bad movie of the year. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP1998: Love is the Devil

(July 10, 2015)

Love is the Devil. John Maybury. 1998. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP1997: Conceiving Ada

(July 6, 2015)

Conceiving Ada. Lynn Hershman-Leeson. 1997. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP1996: Female Perversions

(July 6, 2015)

Female Perversions. Susan Streitfeld. 1996. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP1994: Remembrance of Things Fast: True Stories Visual Lies

(July 6, 2015)

Remembrance of Things Fast: True Stories Visual Lies. John Maybury. 1994. I was unable to locate this film anywhere for my Tilda Swinton project. If somebody knows where it can be found (either in some physical format or online), please let me know.

TSP1990: Das offene Universum

(July 6, 2015)

One of the reasons for doing this blog series was to poke at the “well, everything is available now” thing (spoiler warning: it’s not), but then you have things like this movie: Made in 1990, and then largely unavailable for three decades, before suddenly becoming available on Vimeo. That’s a hopeful sign, perhaps: A couple … Continue reading TSP1990: Das offene Universum

TSP1993: Blue

(July 6, 2015)

Blue. Derek Jarman. 1993. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP1993: Wittgenstein

(July 6, 2015)

Wittgenstein. Derek Jarman. 1993. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP1992: Shakespeare: The Animated Tales

(June 28, 2015)

Shakespeare: The Animated Tales. Natalya Orlova/Dave Edwards. 1992. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP1992: Orlando

(June 27, 2015)

Orlando. Sally Potter. 1992. This is dead brilliant, this is. So funny. Was this Swinton’s first “major”-ish film? I mean, with proper general distribution? I think I remember seeing this in an normal cinema in Oslo, instead of the Cinemateques where the Jarman films were shown… I’ve read a bunch of Woolf’s books (Between the … Continue reading TSP1992: Orlando

TSP1992: Man to Man: Another Night of Rubbish on the Telly

(June 27, 2015)

Man to Man: Another Night of Rubbish on the Telly. John Maybury. 1992. I was unable to locate this tv episode anywhere for my Tilda Swinton project. If somebody knows where it can be found (either in some physical format or online), please let me know.

TSP1991: The Party: Nature Morte

(June 27, 2015)

The Party: Nature Morte. Cynthia Beatt. 1991. I was unable to locate this film anywhere for my Tilda Swinton project. If somebody knows where it can be found (either in some physical format or online), please let me know.

TSP1991: Edward II

(June 27, 2015)

Edward II. Derek Jarman. 1991. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP1990: Your Cheatin’ Heart

(June 27, 2015)

Your Cheatin’ Heart. Michael Whyte. 1990. There were lots of weird British TV series during the 80s. This was one of them. I have no idea what it’s about, and I watched all six episodes. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP1990: The Garden

(June 26, 2015)

The Garden. Derek Jarman. 1990. It has more of a narrative arc than The Last of England, and the imagery is wonderful (as you can see above), but it’s just not as compelling.  The actors who play the protagonist pair might be the main problem… This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP1989: Play Me Something

(June 26, 2015)

Play Me Something. Timothy Neat. 1989. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP1989: War Requiem

(June 26, 2015)

War Requiem. Derek Jarman. 1989. There should have been subtitles on the DVD.  I was straining to understand what they were singing, and sometimes I wouldn’t understand what they were singing at all.  So I went on teh interwebs, and some parts of the libretto were in Latin, not English.  Har de har. Anyway, the … Continue reading TSP1989: War Requiem

TSP1988: Das andere Ende der Welt

(June 21, 2015)

Das andere Ende der Welt. Imogen Kimmel. 1988. I was unable to locate this film anywhere for my Tilda Swinton project. If somebody knows where it can be found (either in some physical format or online), please let me know.

TSP1988: Degrees of Blindness

(June 21, 2015)

Degrees of Blindness. Cerith Wyn Evans. 1988. I bought this short film from Distrify, which is apparently kinda legit?  I hope?  I paid via Paypal, so it should be safe-ish, anyway. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP1988: L’ispirazione

(June 20, 2015)

L’ispirazione. Derek Jarman. 1988. I was unable to locate this film anywhere for my Tilda Swinton project. If somebody knows where it can be found (either in some physical format or online), please let me know.

TSP1988: The Last of England

(June 20, 2015)

The Last of England. Derek Jarman. 1988. What a tour de France.  I mean force.  I did see this back in the 80s, and it’s still as powerful as back then. I still don’t get the cauliflower scene. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP1987: Friendship’s Death

(June 20, 2015)

Friendship’s Death. Peter Wollen. 1987. I feel a bit bad about the dice up there, but I just don’t think this piece is that good.  I mean, it’s interesting (it’s about the Palestinian conflict reemagined as an alien robot conflict thing (sort of)), but… This film isn’t available on DVD, but it’s available from the … Continue reading TSP1987: Friendship’s Death

TSP1987: Aria

(June 20, 2015)

Aria. Various directors. 1987. It’s an anthology film, so some bits were good and some were…  less good? This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP1986: Egomania

(June 19, 2015)

Egomania. Christoph Schlingensief. 1986. This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP1986: Zastrozzi: A Romance

(June 19, 2015)

This is quite mad, this is. There are several scenes I found riveting, but for long stretches (especially the scenes with Verezzi), I kinda lost interest. I enjoyed the langudity of it all, though. Zastrozzi: A Romance. David G. Hopkins. 1986. This post is part of the Tilda Swinton Project series.

TSP1986: Caravaggio

(June 19, 2015)

Caravaggio. Derek Jarman. 1986.

The Tilda Swinton Project

(June 19, 2015)

You know?  You think there’s some actors who have better taste than others? This can be a false impression sometimes.  Any movie with Nicholas Cage makes me go “hmm” for a few microseconds because he started out kinda strong (Raising Arizona, Wild at Heart, etc), but he really has a pretty unerring ability to pick … Continue reading The Tilda Swinton Project