I must deliver the regrettable news that, after October 31, 2009, Karina Longworth will no longer serve as SpoutBlog’s editor.

Spout.com, the online community, continues as it has. As of now, we have no plans to publish new content on SpoutBlog after October 31. We hope the SpoutBlog book will console those of you who are used to making your daily visit to blog.spout.com.

Karina’s contract ends at the end of the month and we’ve amiably decided to part ways, the result of a difference in vision over the direction of SpoutBlog. She has been, and continues to be, an exceptional writer, critic and editor. It’s her devotion to her work that made SpoutBlog what it is today.

In hiring Karina Longworth a little over two years ago, I knew we had a talented writer. It was over the last two years that I realized–as many of you did–her opinion on film is the one I value most.

We wish Karina the best in what we know will be a bright future for her.

Only a handful of people were in attendance for last night’s world premiere of blogger/filmmaker Sujewa Ekanayake’s new documentary Indie Film Blogger Road Trip at NYC’s Anthology Film Archives. Apparently most fans and writers of blogs had better things to do, such as read and write posts on the internet. Because really, what is the point of watching a film about writers about films? The only thing more unnecessary and inwardly spiraling — obviously I’m guilty of it here — is blogging about a film about bloggers about film.

Even with the film blogosphere’s reputation for insularity Ekanayake’s doc has no purpose, because its subject matter and content are already well documented on blogs. And anything new that might be discussed, any new questions that might be raised would also be more appropriately written about on the web. The film’s largest offense, though, is that it doesn’t even seem to have an intended purpose. It does not actually attempt to offer anything new to the discourse on film blogging. Nor does it have any sort of cohesive thesis regarding any preexisting discourse. The doc is simply a series of long, mostly uncut interviews with film bloggers. It’s not even necessarily a sufficient profile of the film blog community, in a “Meet the Bloggers” kind of way.

…Read more

A couple of months ago, Kevin Lee asked me to watch Peter Greenaway’sThe Draughtsman’s Contract, #922 on the They Shoot Pictures, Don’t They? list of the 1,000 Greatest Films of all time, so that I could contribute to his series of video essays devoted to the films on the list.

I’ve actually been known in the past as something of a Greenaway apologist, but for whatever reason, I found Draughtsman’s ridiculously difficult to get through. I kept returning to a note that I jotted down within the first couple of minutes of the film: “What was Derek Jarman doing the year this film was made? What was Duran Duran doing?” It’s that axis of British culture of the early 1980s that Kevin and I ended up exploring in the above video. But if it was my idea idea to travel down this road, the brilliance of applying the video effects from Rio to footage of Margaret Thatcher on the eve of the Falklands War was all Kevin. Watch and discuss.

About a month ago, I emailed Adam Ross and asked him if he’d let me do one of his Friday Screen Test interviews at his blog, DVD Panache. He graciously agreed to allow me to promote myself via personal movie history confession. The interview is up now; I’ve pasted an excerpt after the jump, as companion to the above video. You can read the full thing here. Also: I’d like to note that I just laughed out loud reading the quote that makes up the entirety of the “About Me” section of Adam’s blog: “I think it would be fun to run a [blog].” –C.F. Kane.

…Read more

Karina is going to be on G4’s Attack of the Show tonight, talking about the SXSW Film Festival. The show airs live at 7pm EST, and reruns at 10pm. Watch it!

We’ve spent the past three weeks previewing films that are going to be premiering at SXSW, but the festival also has a conference component, with four days packed full of panels. Karina (that’s me) will be speaking on the Blogs, Buzz and Buddy lists panel on Sunday at 3:30. I’ll also be moderating a panel at 1pm on Monday called Deal or No Deal: The Road to Self-Distribution.

As far as panels that don’t actually require me to operate a microphone are concerned, I’m really excited about the Jeffrey Tambor Acting Workshop. Yes, George (and Oscar) Bluth himself is going to let us in on his “process.” Even cooler, he’s gonna do it by coaching Hannah Takes the Stairs stars Greta Gerwig and Kent Osbourne through a reading of an excerpt of John Patrick Shanley’s The Dreamer Examines His Pillow. Yes, seriously. The magic happens at 1pm on Sunday.

There are tons of other great events going on and no one can attend them all, but after the jump you’ll find a list of a few I have my eye on. If you’re on a panel or have panels you’re particularly excited about, let us know in the comments.

…Read more

Blatant self promotion alert: I did an interview about SpoutBlog and being a film blogger in general for Film in Focus, the editorial site produced by Focus Features and FILMMAKER Magazine. If you’re dying to know what time I wake up in the morning, which film blogger rock stars I worship, and other sundry details of my, um, “process,” click here.

George Romero’s Diary of the Dead opens tonight. In an interview with him at Sundance, our eyes were opened to what an eloquent artist he is. We watch Night of the Living Dead to examine the origins of the zombie genre and compare it to Diary. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Karina Longworth gets personal with the loneliest movie going experience ever: Watching Build a Ship, Sail to Sadness.

 

 FilmCouch 57 [29:40m]: Play Now | Download

(Subscribe to FilmCouch in the iTunes store and an episode will download each Friday)

FilmCouch 57

Night of the Living Dead, Build a Ship, Sail to Sadness

Going beneath the surface of Superbad (Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen). Questioning the “substance” of R. Kelly’s Trapped in the Closet. Also, the high school comedy that should have made it, Karina investigates whatever happened to High School Record.

Download FilmCouch #34 or subscribe in the iTunes store (search for “filmcouch” or click here to launch iTunes) and a new free episode will download every Friday. Join the FilmCouch group

Superbad Trapped in the Closet High School Record

Kevin and I get emotional about No End in Sight, a documentary on the Iraq war in theaters now. The controversy surrounding this film is the product of how comprehensive it is.

The 11th Hour–starring Leonardo DiCaprio–opens tonight. Karina Longworth asks if Leo and activism go together like icebergs and boats.

Download FilmCouch #33 or subscribe in the iTunes store (search for “filmcouch” or click here to launch iTunes) and a new free episode will download every Friday. Join the FilmCouch group

An artist takes on the remake of a canonical film by opening up the creation to the YouTube generation. Interviewing artist Perry Bard who is calling for people everywhere to shoot pieces of their lives to remake Dziga Verdov’s Man with a Movie Camera (1929) shot by shot. Also, Karina Longworth gets personal about Broken English (2007) starring Parker Posey, Gena Rowlands and directed by Zoe Casssavetes. We also discuss The Gleaners and I (2000).

Download FilmCouch #32 or subscribe in the iTunes store (search for “filmcouch” or click here to launch iTunes) and a new free episode will download every Friday. Join the FilmCouch group