Cinema Scope 31

It seems so stupid to continually extol the virtues of Cinema Scope, but I can't help it. I don't think I could wish for better articles on film, always including things at the forefront of mind mind and things I have never heard of. After seeing Sicko, I'm wondering if they are hiring (as they are located in Canada.) Everyone needs a committed janitor. My copy of Cinema Scope Issue 31 landed last week, and it is already dog-eared from being carried around in my backpack all week. What the hell is on the cover, you ask. Well, that is Aisa Argento locking tongues with a dog (an image from Abel Ferrara's new film Go Go Tales) on top of a birthday cake for Cannes. I honestly don't know any place that carries this magazine, so do yourself a favor and subscribe. Here is the page by page details of what is inside:

• "The Show Must Go On - Abel Ferrara's Go Go Tales" by Dennis Lim This is a pretty great article and interview focusing mostly on Ferrara's new film Go Go Tales which screened at Cannes to mixed reviews.
• "Beyond Brut - The Art of Cornel Wilde" by Andrew Tracy I haven't seen any of Cornel Wilde's films, but now his films are at least on my radar.
• "Regarding John Wayne" by Tom Charity John Wayne's hundredth birthday would have been in May; Charity takes an arms-length look at John Wayne.
• "Human, All Too Human - The Re-imagined Battlestar Galactica" by Christoph Huber For real. This is a serious and entertaining article about the TV series I have never seen.
• "Straightening the Picture of Africa - Chad's Mahamat-Saleh Haroun" by Emilie Bickerton This is what I count on Cinema Scope for: introducing me to important contemporary filmmakers. This is a lengthy interview with Mahamat-Saleh Haroun. His latest film, Daratt, was part of the New Crowned Hope series. I would really like to see this film and all the films in the series.
• "Hot Docs 2007 - Experiments in Trusted Realities" by Brandon Wee The title says it all.
• "Original Pirate Material - Twelve Rounds with William E. Jones" by Michael Sicinski Well, what a coincidence. Three of Jones' films just screened at the Walker as part of the Queer Takes series, and his work is included in a exhibition called "Modes of Disclosure" at Form + Content Gallery.
• "Cannes 2007 - Hell Is Not Other People" by Mark Peranson Cinema Scope's editor's take on Cannes.
• "Trials and Tribulations - Lee Chang-dong on the Making of Secret Sunshine" by Mark Peranson I am a Lee Chang-dong fan and can't wait to see his new film.
• "4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days - Cristian Mungiu, Romania" by Scott Foundas Report from Cannes about this Palme d'Or winner.
  
• "Import Export - Ulrich Seidel, Austria" by Christoph Huber Another report from Cannes on this "standout" film.
• "Continental Drifts" - by Kent Jones Another report on Cannes focusing on new films from Wong Kar-wai and Hou Hsiao Hsien. Get ready to have your suspicions confirmed or jolted down to Earth. I was hanging my head for most of this article.
• "Terror's Advocate - Barbet Schoeder, France" by Richard Porton Another report from Canes focusing on this doc about Jacques Vergès, the controversial lawyer and former Free French Forces guerrilla who has defending unpopular figures such as Nazi war criminal Klaus Barbie and Holocaust denier Roger Garaudy.
• "Night Train - Diao Yi'nan, China" by Shelly Kraicer From the man most likely to take over Tony Ryans post at the Vancouver International Film Festival, this entry from Cannes.
• "Ghost Stories - Wang Bing's Startling New Cinema" by Robert Koehler This report focuses on Wang's new documentary, Fengming: A Chinese Memoir, his first since the epic West of the Tracks.
• "Control - Anton Corbijn, UK/USA" by Jason Anderson Yes, it is the biopic about Ian Curtis, Joy Division singer, by hot shot video director Anton Corbijn.
• "Ploy - Pen-ek Ratanaruang, Thailand" by Kong Rithdee Rithdee weighs in on Ratanaraung's new film.
• "Global Discoveries on DVD" by Jonathan Rosenbaum An invaluable feature in every issue of Cinema Scope, Rosenbaum details DVD finds from around the world.
• "Line Describing a Casablanca - Pierre Bismuth's Other Feature" by Andrea Picard Art/film, film/art by the man better known for co-writing Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
• "Books Around" by Olaf Moller Another regular feature, squaring up new books on film.
• Knocked Up review by Jessica Winter
• Rescue Dawn review by Adam Nayman
• Killer of Sheep review by Andrew Tracy