The film begins with the Yoshi family moving to a new town. The boys, Ryoichi (Hideo Sugawara, the older brother) and Keiju (Tomio Aoki, the younger) watch with a mix of awe and boredom as their father takes off his suit jacket to help push the moving truck out of the mud. The shots are the low-angles that are so prevalent in Ozu’s films, but while on the whole these are known as “tatami shots”—named for the tatami mat flooring in traditional Japanese architecture—they feel here as if they have more to do with portraying Ryoichi and Keiju’s perspectives. The world as visualized from this position is alien and abstract, so that we—like the Yoshi boys—feel a sense of lackadaisical whimsy. It’s interesting to watch Dad move the truck, but there’s no sense of urgency or direction.Yasujiro Ozu’s silent parable begins with a simple title card reading “A Picture Book for Grownups.” And really, more than any of his other films, I Was Born, But… does adopt a child’s perspective. 

by Joyless Staff

As the 88th Academy Awards approach we are faced with an unhappy reality. Once again every single acting nominee (and nearly every director, screenwriter, cinematographer, etc.) is white. In light of this, we at Joyless Creatures have decided to forego our ordinary Oscar Feature and instead hone in on something more obvious about the Academy Awards: they suck. Not only is the Academy a hotbed of racism, classism, sexism, cronyism, and basically every other negative -ism in the book, but it is also notoriously bad at picking a good movie.

Sure, with hindsight, it's easy to see the sore thumbs sticking out in the history of the Academy Awards (here's looking at you Crash) but this institution has been consistently atrocious at predicting whether a film would become a classic. So to show solidarity for #OscarsSoWhite, we at Joyless Creatures have decided to look back at the worst Academy Awards ever given.

by Joyless Staff

One of the most important legacies that David Bowie leaves behind in the wake of his death last week is his key role in catalyzing the potential of music to be not only an aural medium but a visual one. His iconic personae, including Ziggy Stardust, were forged out of both sound and image, through fashion, performance, and a spate of promotional films that presaged the contemporary music video.

It’s fitting, then, that he also penned pop’s greatest ode to watching movies. “Life on Mars?,” the surreal centerpiece of Bowie’s 1972 masterpiece Hunky Dory, expertly captures the sweeping duality of spectatorship, of feeling not only one’s own emotions but also those of the figures on screen. In one brilliant lyric, Bowie’ finds his protagonist—a young girl “hooked to the silver screen”—honing in on this central paradox, as she contemplates whether a film’s characters are as aware that they’re being watched as she is of watching them: “Take a look at the lawman / Beating up the wrong guy / Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know / He’s in the best-selling show.”

The questions raised by the song’s uncanny and cerebral wordplay echo throughout Bowie’s career, which spans not only some of the most vital and revolutionary music of the past 50 years, but the dozens of movies in which he appeared either as an actor or as himself (or somewhere inseparably between the two). Here, the staff of Joyless Creatures pays tribute to this inimitable icon by reflecting on his music, his films, and his influence. (Peter Valelly)

by Joyless Staff

Any list is just the sum of its parts, and in the case of Joyless Creatures' Best Movies of 2015, those parts include ten cinephiles whose tastes run the gamut of what the year had to offer. Ten lists from ten individuals produced a staggering 70 titles, a virtual cage match between a seductive lesbian love story and a rousing boxing throw-back, and a number of eclectic ties (check out the three movies tied for the number three spot) that raised our top ten to sixteen. See our individual lists here. Enjoy!

by Joyless Staff

Writing about film is often an exercise in self-restraint: for the sake of objective analysis, we're taught to be impartial and to seek cohesion and quality craftsmanship, applauding movies in which the whole is sometimes greater than the sum of its parts. But there's no denying that cinema is an art form given to euphoric moments and jolts of briefly-sustained adrenaline, exuding a joy and creativity that no pseudo-objective analyst could dare refuse. With this in mind—and with a few more weeks until we unveil our Best Films of 2015 lists (thanks mostly to the January Twin Cities releases of Anomalisa and The Revenant)—we'd like to highlight the greatest movie moments of 2015. Some of the following scenes are of a high quality that define the movie as a whole; others might be glimmers of greatness within films that are not deserving of such brilliance. In any case, the following 15 scenes (listed alphabetically by film title) make these movies worth the price of admission (or an Amazon rental) alone. (WARNING: some spoilers may be found below.) 

by Joyless Staff

For many moviegoers, the review exists to answer the question, "Do I really want to spend ten bucks on this?" We at Joyless Creatures put ourselves on the frontline, subjecting ourselves to a wide swath of movies every year. Some are really bad. (Seriously) But then, among the most critically maligned there are a few diamonds in the rough, misunderstood films that slip through the cracks and fall into undeserved critical disdain. Here is our attempt to rejuvenate a few of those films that were wrongfully condemned as stinkers. Here they are, 2015's best of the worst.

by Joyless Staff

Sound Unseen 2015 runs this week, November 11-15. Truly one of Minnesota's most unique cinematic forums, Sound Unseen pulls in a variety of films for, by, and about musicians. From conventional documentaries to narrative films starring musicians to films directed by musicians, Sound Unseen delves into what it means to be a music film. The Joyless Creatures staff took a look at a sliver of what the festival has in store.

by Joyless Creatures Staff

"What's your favorite scary movie?" a creepy voice asks Drew Barrymore to open Wes Craven's 1996 film, Scream. We at Joyless Creatures decided to ask ourselves the same question. Here follow our Halloween picks – from chilling characters and half-human monsters to legitimate encounters with hell itself, these movies are guaranteed to keep your Halloween spooky and your dreams troubled.

by Jeremy Meckler

This review is our third entry in the Joyless Canon—our 100 favorite movies, from enshrined classics to guilty pleasures to left-field oddities, which (we hope) define our personalities as film-lovers. Every few weeks, we’ll analyze another of our canonical entries in-depth. Check out our Index page for other Joyless Canon (JC) selections.

by Jeremy Meckler

Since its inception, Sesame Street has had one central icon—the biggest, baddest bird on the block. Caroll Spinney has played Big Bird (and his spiritual foil, Oscar the Grouch) for the show's entire 45-year run. Dave LaMattina and Chad N. Walker's documentary, I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story, delves into the history of this iconic character and the man who plays him. From his humble beginnings working with Captain Kangaroo and Bozo the Clown to his deep friendship with Jim Henson, I Am Big Bird is a comprehensive and moving look at this figure that is quintessential in so many childhoods. It is also a love story, pulling from home movies and Sesame Street footage to depict the lifelong love affair Caroll has shared with his wife Debra, a crew member he met on the Sesame Street set.  The film played at the Minneapolis Saint Paul International Film Festival and opens for a limited run at the Film Society of Minneapolis Saint Paul from May 15-23.

In advance of this documentary, Caroll agreed to a short phone interview. Little did I know that I wouldn't just be interviewing him, but also Big Bird and Oscar, who made appearances throughout our conversation.