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    <title>Slums of Beverly Hills's Recent Activity - Spout</title>
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      <title>Slums of Beverly Hills's Recent Activity - Spout</title>
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      <title>Film:Slums of Beverly Hills</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/films/Slums_of_Beverly_Hills/118201/default.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<table width='100%' style='font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><tr><td><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t02201ohkdv.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' /></td>
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<strong>Title:</strong> Slums of Beverly Hills<br/>
<strong>Year:</strong> 1998<br/>
<strong>Director:</strong> Tamara Jenkins<br/>
<strong>Plot:</strong> Tamara Jenkins wrote and directed this comedy-drama depicting the experience of growing up poor in the 90210 zip code, told from the point of view of Vivian Abramowitz (<a href="/players/P___215743/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Natasha Lyonne</a>), a teen who lives a nomadic existence in the outskirts of Beverly Hills with her single, divorced father, Murray (<a href="/players/P____79913/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Alan Arkin</a>) and her two young brothers (<a href="/players/P____39484/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>David Krumholtz</a>, <a href="/players/P___232712/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Eli Marienthal</a>). As Murray tries to keep the family in the Beverly Hills school district, the family moves into a one-bedroom apartment in a shabby complex. When sexually liberated Rita (<a href="/players/P____71267/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Marisa Tomei</a>), daughter of Murray's brother Mickey (<a href="/players/P___107881/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Carl Reiner</a>), checks out of a drug rehab and moves into the apartment, she becomes a "role model" for the young Vivian. Jenkins's semi-autobiographical screenplay was developed and refined during Screenwriters and Filmmakers Labs sessions at the Sundance Institute. Produced by <a href="/players/P___107758/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Robert Redford</a> and Michael Nozik, this film was shown in the Directors Fortnight section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide<br/>
<strong>Times Tagged:</strong> 11<br/>
<strong>Number of Lists:</strong> 11<br/>
<strong>Number of blog posts:</strong> 2<br/>
<strong>Number of discussion threads:</strong> 1<br/>
<strong>SpoutRating:</strong> 3<br/>
</td></tr></table>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 14 Jan 2009 03:00:55 GMT</pubDate><spout:Title>Slums of Beverly Hills</spout:Title><spout:Year>1998</spout:Year><spout:Director>Tamara Jenkins</spout:Director><spout:Plot>Tamara Jenkins wrote and directed this comedy-drama depicting the experience of growing up poor in the 90210 zip code, told from the point of view of Vivian Abramowitz (&lt;a href="/players/P___215743/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Natasha Lyonne&lt;/a&gt;), a teen who lives a nomadic existence in the outskirts of Beverly Hills with her single, divorced father, Murray (&lt;a href="/players/P____79913/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Alan Arkin&lt;/a&gt;) and her two young brothers (&lt;a href="/players/P____39484/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;David Krumholtz&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="/players/P___232712/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Eli Marienthal&lt;/a&gt;). As Murray tries to keep the family in the Beverly Hills school district, the family moves into a one-bedroom apartment in a shabby complex. When sexually liberated Rita (&lt;a href="/players/P____71267/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Marisa Tomei&lt;/a&gt;), daughter of Murray's brother Mickey (&lt;a href="/players/P___107881/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Carl Reiner&lt;/a&gt;), checks out of a drug rehab and moves into the apartment, she becomes a "role model" for the young Vivian. Jenkins's semi-autobiographical screenplay was developed and refined during Screenwriters and Filmmakers Labs sessions at the Sundance Institute. Produced by &lt;a href="/players/P___107758/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Robert Redford&lt;/a&gt; and Michael Nozik, this film was shown in the Directors Fortnight section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide</spout:Plot><spout:TimesTagged>11</spout:TimesTagged><spout:taglevel>Tag Target (&gt;10)</spout:taglevel><spout:Numberoflists>11</spout:Numberoflists><spout:NumberOfBlogPosts>2</spout:NumberOfBlogPosts><spout:NumberOfDiscussionThreads>1</spout:NumberOfDiscussionThreads><spout:SpoutRating>3</spout:SpoutRating><spout:FilmCoverURL>http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t02201ohkdv.jpg</spout:FilmCoverURL><spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL>http://www.spout.com/films/Slums_of_Beverly_Hills/118201/default.aspx</spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL><spout:type>Film</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Re:Depressing holidays, dysfunctional families, foreign films you gotta love</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Depressing_holidays_dysfunctional_families_fo/190/37173/1/ShowPost.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t02201ohkdv.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/119628/default.aspx'>mercurial</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/190/discussions.aspx'>Top 5</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 11/10/2008 10:13:51 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> 10 Best Dysfunctional Families in Movies (in no particular order):  1.) Gosford Park  2.) Beetlejuice  3.) Happiness  4.) Little Miss Sunshine  5.) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation  6.) Mommie Dearest  7.) Parenthood  8.) Slums of Beverly Hills  9.) The Virgin Suicides  10.) Welcome to the Dollhouse  <br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 11 Nov 2008 03:13:51 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>mercurial</spout:postby><spout:postto>Top 5</spout:postto><spout:postdate>11/10/2008 10:13:51 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>10 Best Dysfunctional Families in Movies (in no particular order):  1.) Gosford Park  2.) Beetlejuice  3.) Happiness  4.) Little Miss Sunshine  5.) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation  6.) Mommie Dearest  7.) Parenthood  8.) Slums of Beverly Hills  9.) The Virgin Suicides  10.) Welcome to the Dollhouse  </spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: 10 Best Masturbation Scenes</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/8/1/33404.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t02201ohkdv.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/9325/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog on spout.com</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 8/1/2008 2:01:40 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> 
Andrew Sarris may be one of the most influential American film critics, but here’s a claim, located within his recent review of In Search of a Midnight Kiss, that may not hold up to some of his better-remembered theories: “Even when we confront 40-year-old virgins of either gender, movies refuse to show them compensating for the lack of a sexual partner. There is lasting shame involved in this spectacle.”
Not to ever, ever profess superiority over Sarris, but I’ve nonetheless compiled today’s list as a way of proving the man wrong. There are actually tons and tons of masturbation scenes found in non-porn movies, from the low brow to the high brow, from as indirect as the boy wizard playing with his wand under the covers in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban to as direct as the non-simulated masturbation in Michael Winterbottom’s 9 Songs and John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus (which would probably feature my #1 pick, from the sound of it, if I ever bothered to see it).
The following 10 films are some of the most memorable masturbation scenes, excluding any movies that might be considered examples of, in Sarris’ words, “the fringe exploitation genres” (I’ve even gone so far as to leave out mainstream horror like The Exorcist, considering it’s crucifix masturbation is far from the self-pleasuring moments Sarris is clearly interested in). Oh, and I’ve attempted to chart these films artistically from lowbrow to high.

10. Fast Times at Ridgemont High - Everybody remembers this scene because of the fantasy: Phoebe Cates emerges from a swimming pool in slow motion and removes her bikini top. And then Cates’ character walks in on the fantasizer, Judge Reinhold, for one of the most awkward moments in the history of awkward comedy. There’s been plenty of uncomfortable scenes of guys being caught in the act, including those moments in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Little Children and the most obvious masturbation movie, American Pie.
9. Léolo - Speaking of masturbating with food, not even pie-fucking beats the scene in this French-Canadian gem in which our young titular hero decides that his real father is a man who jerked off with a tomato, which later impregnated Léolo’s mother when she fell onto it. There are other less memorable masturbation scenes involving liver and chicken, too. Yum!
8. Spanking the Monkey - I always found the masturbation scenes in this movie so interesting because of how clean a “job” Ray Aibelli (Jeremy Davies) does with his personal business. I guess when you’re probably fantasizing about your mother, your mind is dirty enough, and so (seemingly) uncomfortably jacking off while sitting on a toilet is the best way to go. But couldn’t he just do it in the shower, like Kevin Spacey in American Beauty? I’m surprised that Sarris forgot about this one, since the title alone refers to the act.
7. The Squid and the Whale - If I have to select one movie involving a little kid masturbating (and writing this sentence has already got me feeling immensely ashamed), I pick this one over Todd Solondz’ Happiness (”I came!”), because while both scenes in question are quite disturbing, the one featuring the real-life son of Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates jerking off in a library and then wiping his hands off on some books is at least a little amusing. A lot amusing if you take into account his mother’s appearance in movie #10 above. And if you need another little kid masturbating movie to choose from (I’m not judging), Babel has one too.
6. But I’m a Cheerleader - That Natasha Lyonne sure loves to masturbate! is a quick response to the realization that she pleasures herself in both this film and the earlier Slums of Beverly Hills. The reason that this movie is the more significant of the two is because the masturbation scene is very tastefully done, and yet in its original form, it controversially garnered the film an NC-17 rating, only because, as argued in the documentary This Film is Not Yet Rated, it deals with both homosexual desire and female sexuality. The main evidence: American Pie was released in the same year with an R rating.
5. Mulholland Drive - A less beautiful yet no less exploitive depiction of female masturbation occurs in David Lynch’s enigmatic film. Despite the fact that guys tend to enjoy watching a girl pleasure herself, only the most sadistic of men could be turned on by Naomi Watts crying and painfully attempting to get off.
4. Bad Lieutenant - When I first heard about the scene in which Harvey Keitel’s corrupt cop masturbates in front of two teens in a car he pulls over, I thought it had to be the most debauched scene in film history. Of course, I was only 15 when it came out and wasn’t yet familiar with a lot of cinema. By the time I actually bothered to watch the scene many years later, it was less shocking than I expected. Still, as far as depraved things a character can do in a movie — at least in theory — it’s up there, and it’s certainly one of the first scenes that comes to mind when I think of movie masturbation.
3. Amarcord - Oh, right, here’s another movie with little kids masturbating. But it’s a Fellini movie, so obviously it’s incomparable to the three referenced earlier. Although an amusing scene, featuring a bunch of kids masturbating in unison in a car, it’s much less disturbing, as it simply displays the act as a part of growing up.
2. Being There - “I like to watch.” Hopefully you’ve seen this wonderful film, and that’s all I need to say. But just in case you’re not familiar, here’s the scene: Eve Rand (Shirley MacLaine) attempts to seduce the rather simple Chauncey Gardner (Peter Sellers), who responds by saying, “I like to watch.” Of course, he means the television, but Eve takes the statement to mean he wants to watch her pleasure herself. And so she proceeds to humiliate herself on the floor while Chauncey hilariously takes enjoys an exercise show on the TV.
1. Adaptation - Really, the whole movie is one big masturbation scene. There is a literal masturbation scene, though, in which Charlie (Nicolas Cage) fantasizes about Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep), and it’s pretty good on its own. But it takes the top spot for affirming that screenwriter Charlie Kauffman created the literary equivalent of beating off. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:01:40 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>SpoutBlog</spout:postby><spout:postto>SpoutBlog on spout.com</spout:postto><spout:postdate>8/1/2008 2:01:40 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>
Andrew Sarris may be one of the most influential American film critics, but here’s a claim, located within his recent review of In Search of a Midnight Kiss, that may not hold up to some of his better-remembered theories: “Even when we confront 40-year-old virgins of either gender, movies refuse to show them compensating for the lack of a sexual partner. There is lasting shame involved in this spectacle.”
Not to ever, ever profess superiority over Sarris, but I’ve nonetheless compiled today’s list as a way of proving the man wrong. There are actually tons and tons of masturbation scenes found in non-porn movies, from the low brow to the high brow, from as indirect as the boy wizard playing with his wand under the covers in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban to as direct as the non-simulated masturbation in Michael Winterbottom’s 9 Songs and John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus (which would probably feature my #1 pick, from the sound of it, if I ever bothered to see it).
The following 10 films are some of the most memorable masturbation scenes, excluding any movies that might be considered examples of, in Sarris’ words, “the fringe exploitation genres” (I’ve even gone so far as to leave out mainstream horror like The Exorcist, considering it’s crucifix masturbation is far from the self-pleasuring moments Sarris is clearly interested in). Oh, and I’ve attempted to chart these films artistically from lowbrow to high.

10. Fast Times at Ridgemont High - Everybody remembers this scene because of the fantasy: Phoebe Cates emerges from a swimming pool in slow motion and removes her bikini top. And then Cates’ character walks in on the fantasizer, Judge Reinhold, for one of the most awkward moments in the history of awkward comedy. There’s been plenty of uncomfortable scenes of guys being caught in the act, including those moments in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Little Children and the most obvious masturbation movie, American Pie.
9. Léolo - Speaking of masturbating with food, not even pie-fucking beats the scene in this French-Canadian gem in which our young titular hero decides that his real father is a man who jerked off with a tomato, which later impregnated Léolo’s mother when she fell onto it. There are other less memorable masturbation scenes involving liver and chicken, too. Yum!
8. Spanking the Monkey - I always found the masturbation scenes in this movie so interesting because of how clean a “job” Ray Aibelli (Jeremy Davies) does with his personal business. I guess when you’re probably fantasizing about your mother, your mind is dirty enough, and so (seemingly) uncomfortably jacking off while sitting on a toilet is the best way to go. But couldn’t he just do it in the shower, like Kevin Spacey in American Beauty? I’m surprised that Sarris forgot about this one, since the title alone refers to the act.
7. The Squid and the Whale - If I have to select one movie involving a little kid masturbating (and writing this sentence has already got me feeling immensely ashamed), I pick this one over Todd Solondz’ Happiness (”I came!”), because while both scenes in question are quite disturbing, the one featuring the real-life son of Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates jerking off in a library and then wiping his hands off on some books is at least a little amusing. A lot amusing if you take into account his mother’s appearance in movie #10 above. And if you need another little kid masturbating movie to choose from (I’m not judging), Babel has one too.
6. But I’m a Cheerleader - That Natasha Lyonne sure loves to masturbate! is a quick response to the realization that she pleasures herself in both this film and the earlier Slums of Beverly Hills. The reason that this movie is the more significant of the two is because the masturbation scene is very tastefully done, and yet in its original form, it controversially garnered the film an NC-17 rating, only because, as argued in the documentary This Film is Not Yet Rated, it deals with both homosexual desire and female sexuality. The main evidence: American Pie was released in the same year with an R rating.
5. Mulholland Drive - A less beautiful yet no less exploitive depiction of female masturbation occurs in David Lynch’s enigmatic film. Despite the fact that guys tend to enjoy watching a girl pleasure herself, only the most sadistic of men could be turned on by Naomi Watts crying and painfully attempting to get off.
4. Bad Lieutenant - When I first heard about the scene in which Harvey Keitel’s corrupt cop masturbates in front of two teens in a car he pulls over, I thought it had to be the most debauched scene in film history. Of course, I was only 15 when it came out and wasn’t yet familiar with a lot of cinema. By the time I actually bothered to watch the scene many years later, it was less shocking than I expected. Still, as far as depraved things a character can do in a movie — at least in theory — it’s up there, and it’s certainly one of the first scenes that comes to mind when I think of movie masturbation.
3. Amarcord - Oh, right, here’s another movie with little kids masturbating. But it’s a Fellini movie, so obviously it’s incomparable to the three referenced earlier. Although an amusing scene, featuring a bunch of kids masturbating in unison in a car, it’s much less disturbing, as it simply displays the act as a part of growing up.
2. Being There - “I like to watch.” Hopefully you’ve seen this wonderful film, and that’s all I need to say. But just in case you’re not familiar, here’s the scene: Eve Rand (Shirley MacLaine) attempts to seduce the rather simple Chauncey Gardner (Peter Sellers), who responds by saying, “I like to watch.” Of course, he means the television, but Eve takes the statement to mean he wants to watch her pleasure herself. And so she proceeds to humiliate herself on the floor while Chauncey hilariously takes enjoys an exercise show on the TV.
1. Adaptation - Really, the whole movie is one big masturbation scene. There is a literal masturbation scene, though, in which Charlie (Nicolas Cage) fantasizes about Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep), and it’s pretty good on its own. But it takes the top spot for affirming that screenwriter Charlie Kauffman created the literary equivalent of beating off. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: The Savages</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/shaunhuston/archive/2008/1/20/24119.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t02201ohkdv.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/63637/default.aspx'>ShaunHuston</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/shaunhuston/default.aspx'>ShaunHuston filmblog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 1/20/2008 6:01:19 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> The good in The Savages has, at this point, been well and duly noted elsewhere. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney are utterly convincing as siblings Jon and Wendy Savage. Watching them together is certainly worth the price of admission. Tamara Jenkins&#39; script is refreshingly authentic and low-key in its treatment of big issues ??? family, death ??? although it suffers from a few clunky moments where cheap laughs are bought at the expense of emotional insight. I was not, however, so blinded by the film&#39;s strengths that I was able to ignore otherwise sloppy craft behind the camera. When Philip Bosco&#39;s Lenny Savage first appears on screen I was stunned to see a microphone bobbing around at the top of the frame. After my momentary surprise, I thought, ???Well, sometimes you just have to go with the best take for the performance, I guess.??? But, then it kept happening. At one point, you can even see the boom pole as it is positioned from the right of the screen.   I&#39;ve tried to come up with some reason why this may have been intentional, and particularly so after learning that writer-director Tamara Jenkins has a few shorts and the perfectly respectable Slums of Beverly Hills (1998) to her credit.   The obvious possibility coming out of The Savages is that the appearance of the mic is a Brechtian device, intended to draw attention to the film as a film. However, if that is the reason, it does not seem to have worked very well. The audience at Salem Cinema seemed pretty well engaged with their emotions, and the keywords for critics appear to be ???naturalistic??? and ???emotionally real.??? I found the microphone to be more a distraction than a provocation. And while I&#39;m no expert in theories of drama, I&#39;m fairly certain that randomly dropping the mic into the frame in an otherwise realist film is not enough by itself to ???distance??? the audience from their emotional reactions to the characters and their stories.  In addition, the photography is best described as flat (it seemed very much like The Savages was shot on digital video, a medium which does tend to flatten an image if you don&#39;t work at creating a sense of depth or richness). There are a couple of nicely composed images, a moving overhead shot of Jon and Wendy napping on the same bed, a long shot of Wendy standing alone in front of a colorful theater storefront, but the film is knitted together by oddly framed and forgettable shots of the winter landscape. Perhaps these images are intended to prompt viewers to mediate on the end of life, but they&#39;re far too casually composed to achieve such an end.  Similarly, the editing is, strangely, both challenging and banal. At the beginning, risks are taken. One sequence, for example, cuts from Jon on the phone with Wendy to a plane in the air to Jon in an airport terminal without any information as to how he got there, if he&#39;s coming or going, or where he is. Typically, the audience would be provided visual and aural cues regarding those pieces of the narrative. Here the film invites a sense of disorientation and asks the audience to catch up without being fed information in a linear sequence. Eventually, though, the movie settles into a conventional rhythm, forgoing further demands on viewers.  Rough edges, in and of themselves, are not a problem for me. If they were, I could hardly teach and write about Canadian film and television as I do. I take great pleasure in seeing filmmakers play with and subvert conventional norms. But such choices are best made with intelligence and purpose, or at least verve. The Savages just looks and feels sloppy. The actors, and, ironically enough, Jenkins&#39; own script, deserved better. Post-Script:On my home blog - link below - a friend and reader informed me that the mic issue was not a problem of the filmmakers, but  the projectionist. I am somewhat embarassed that this possibility hadn&#39;t occurred to me, and now I feel a little bad for critiquing Tamara Jenkins&#39; direction on this score. I do, however, stand by the basic argument of the review - the movie is not as thoughtfully made as it could or should have been. I would also add that, given the general lack of professional projectionists in the world, as a director I would hardly want to be at the mercy of the untrained seventeen year olds who staff local theaters. Aside from keeping mics and other equipment securely off camera, I understand that you can guide or force the hand of the projectionist by blacking out the &quot;extraneous&quot; area of the frame.  Originally posted on:Short-Circuit Signs<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 20 Jan 2008 23:01:19 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>ShaunHuston</spout:postby><spout:postto>ShaunHuston filmblog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>1/20/2008 6:01:19 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>The good in The Savages has, at this point, been well and duly noted elsewhere. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney are utterly convincing as siblings Jon and Wendy Savage. Watching them together is certainly worth the price of admission. Tamara Jenkins&amp;#39; script is refreshingly authentic and low-key in its treatment of big issues ??? family, death ??? although it suffers from a few clunky moments where cheap laughs are bought at the expense of emotional insight. I was not, however, so blinded by the film&amp;#39;s strengths that I was able to ignore otherwise sloppy craft behind the camera. When Philip Bosco&amp;#39;s Lenny Savage first appears on screen I was stunned to see a microphone bobbing around at the top of the frame. After my momentary surprise, I thought, ???Well, sometimes you just have to go with the best take for the performance, I guess.??? But, then it kept happening. At one point, you can even see the boom pole as it is positioned from the right of the screen.   I&amp;#39;ve tried to come up with some reason why this may have been intentional, and particularly so after learning that writer-director Tamara Jenkins has a few shorts and the perfectly respectable Slums of Beverly Hills (1998) to her credit.   The obvious possibility coming out of The Savages is that the appearance of the mic is a Brechtian device, intended to draw attention to the film as a film. However, if that is the reason, it does not seem to have worked very well. The audience at Salem Cinema seemed pretty well engaged with their emotions, and the keywords for critics appear to be ???naturalistic??? and ???emotionally real.??? I found the microphone to be more a distraction than a provocation. And while I&amp;#39;m no expert in theories of drama, I&amp;#39;m fairly certain that randomly dropping the mic into the frame in an otherwise realist film is not enough by itself to ???distance??? the audience from their emotional reactions to the characters and their stories.  In addition, the photography is best described as flat (it seemed very much like The Savages was shot on digital video, a medium which does tend to flatten an image if you don&amp;#39;t work at creating a sense of depth or richness). There are a couple of nicely composed images, a moving overhead shot of Jon and Wendy napping on the same bed, a long shot of Wendy standing alone in front of a colorful theater storefront, but the film is knitted together by oddly framed and forgettable shots of the winter landscape. Perhaps these images are intended to prompt viewers to mediate on the end of life, but they&amp;#39;re far too casually composed to achieve such an end.  Similarly, the editing is, strangely, both challenging and banal. At the beginning, risks are taken. One sequence, for example, cuts from Jon on the phone with Wendy to a plane in the air to Jon in an airport terminal without any information as to how he got there, if he&amp;#39;s coming or going, or where he is. Typically, the audience would be provided visual and aural cues regarding those pieces of the narrative. Here the film invites a sense of disorientation and asks the audience to catch up without being fed information in a linear sequence. Eventually, though, the movie settles into a conventional rhythm, forgoing further demands on viewers.  Rough edges, in and of themselves, are not a problem for me. If they were, I could hardly teach and write about Canadian film and television as I do. I take great pleasure in seeing filmmakers play with and subvert conventional norms. But such choices are best made with intelligence and purpose, or at least verve. The Savages just looks and feels sloppy. The actors, and, ironically enough, Jenkins&amp;#39; own script, deserved better. Post-Script:On my home blog - link below - a friend and reader informed me that the mic issue was not a problem of the filmmakers, but  the projectionist. I am somewhat embarassed that this possibility hadn&amp;#39;t occurred to me, and now I feel a little bad for critiquing Tamara Jenkins&amp;#39; direction on this score. I do, however, stand by the basic argument of the review - the movie is not as thoughtfully made as it could or should have been. I would also add that, given the general lack of professional projectionists in the world, as a director I would hardly want to be at the mercy of the untrained seventeen year olds who staff local theaters. Aside from keeping mics and other equipment securely off camera, I understand that you can guide or force the hand of the projectionist by blacking out the &amp;quot;extraneous&amp;quot; area of the frame.  Originally posted on:Short-Circuit Signs</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:teenagers</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/teenagers/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/teenagers/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>teenagers</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 3025</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 97</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 399</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:42:10 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>3025</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>97</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>399</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:comingofage</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/comingofage/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/comingofage/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>comingofage</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 1186</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 72</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 219</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:51:56 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>1186</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>72</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>219</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:father</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/father/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/father/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>father</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 3580</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 51</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 213</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:51:56 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>3580</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>51</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>213</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:coming-of-age</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/coming-of-age/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/coming-of-age/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>coming-of-age</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 83</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 40</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 99</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:47:51 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>83</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>40</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>99</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:adolescence</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/adolescence/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/adolescence/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>adolescence</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 398</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 38</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 120</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:50:43 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>398</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>38</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>120</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:selfdiscovery</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/selfdiscovery/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/selfdiscovery/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>selfdiscovery</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 514</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 22</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 38</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:56:35 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>514</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>22</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>38</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:la</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/la/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/la/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>la</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 24</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 16</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 27</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:57:36 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>24</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>16</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>27</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:cousin</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/cousin/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/cousin/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>cousin</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 347</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 9</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 11</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:04:09 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>347</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>9</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>11</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:sexualawakening</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/sexualawakening/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/sexualawakening/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>sexualawakening</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 347</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 9</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 12</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:03:06 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>347</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>9</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>12</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:singleparent</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/singleparent/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/singleparent/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>singleparent</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 351</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 7</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 16</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:02:59 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>351</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>7</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>16</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:fork</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/fork/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/fork/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>fork</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 4</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 6</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 6</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:49:47 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>4</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>6</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>6</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:growingpains</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/growingpains/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/growingpains/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>growingpains</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 47</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 4</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 4</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:01:43 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>47</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>4</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>4</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:puberty</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/puberty/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/puberty/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>puberty</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 45</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 4</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 10</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:02:40 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>45</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>4</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>10</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:salesperson</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/salesperson/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/salesperson/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>salesperson</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 280</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 3</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 4</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 15 May 2009 13:02:12 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>280</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>3</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>4</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:bra</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/bra/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/bra/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>bra</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 2</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 2</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 2</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 27 Nov 2007 14:19:59 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>2</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>2</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>2</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
  </channel>
</rss>