Artsweek

February 16, 2006

Closing Time

By Aly Comingore

There's something heartwarming about Philip Seymour Hoffman, and it isn't just that scruffy teddy bear look he's been sporting as of late. In front of an overflowing theater of friends and fans, Hoffman appeared not only...

February 16, 2006

Thank You for Smoking | Go Ahead, Light Up

By Aly Comingore

After 10 days of back-to-back movie viewing, reviewing, discussing and disliking, one's appreciation for a sub-par trip to the cinema is all but shot. Lucky for us, Sunday night's closing film, "Thank You for Smoking," m...

February 16, 2006

And the Award Goes To…

By Aly Comingore

After nearly two weeks of non-stop moviegoing, we here at Artsweek would like to stop, recognize and congratulate the winners of the 2006 Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The envelope please...

February 16, 2006

Globalization of Animation

By Harrison Coltun

It's ba-ack. That's right, "The Animation Show" has survived its second year and is coming to an end right back where it started: Santa Barbara. "The Animation Show" is the brain child of Mike Judge, creator of "Beavis a...

February 16, 2006

Firewall | Burn It Down

By Robert Rische

You have to wonder what happened to Harrison Ford. Throughout the '80s and '90s, he was one of the most bankable actors in Hollywood and arguably the biggest star in the world. However, it seems that the assortment of re...

February 16, 2006

In Flames | Come Clarity | Ferret Music

By Matt Cappiello

This is the popification of death metal. On In Flames' latest accomplishment, Come Clarity, the Swedish Gothenburg maestros fuse fearsome, Metallica-emulating guitar riffs with FM staple hooks.

February 9, 2006

Bragging Rights

By Aly Comingore

It takes a certain type of guy to get on a stage in front of 2,000 people and wax poetical on himself for two-plus hours without coming across like a self-centered schmuck. And after Friday's Modern Master Award presenta...

February 9, 2006

Dazed and Confused

By Debbie Green

Does the phrase "School Daze" ring any bells? If so, that may be because there are some seven films with this title. But fear not, the new independent Japanese film, "School Daze," is nothing like the sketchy Spike Lee m...

February 9, 2006

Aurora Borealis | I’ve seen the Lights

By Alyson Osterman

James C.E. Burke's drama "Aurora Borealis" opens in the icy waters of Minneapolis, echoing Duncan Shorter's (Joshua Jackson) inability to connect with another human being. Duncan struggles to find a job while trying to c...

February 9, 2006

“Woman is the Future of Man” | Sexual Evolution

By Brad Vargyas

It's utterly amazing how much action one man can get and still not have any idea about the true nature of women. In "Woman is the Future of Man," South Korean director Hong Sang-soo paints a vivid, if at times stoic, pic...

February 9, 2006

The Guns of the Navaronne

By Amita Chollate

I can almost guarantee that at some point in our lives, we all have seen some variation of the hero's epic journey taken straight from the Greeks to the big screen. The hero, through encounters with various mentor figure...

February 9, 2006

Wonda’ From Down Unda’

By Harrison Coltun

If George Clooney were the matador of this year's film festival, then Naomi Watts was certainly the picador or possibly the banderillero. Naomi Watts graced our humble town on Saturday as the recipient of the Santa Barba...

February 9, 2006

The Nature of the Business

By Harrison Coltun

What do you think the most successful filmmaker of all time is doing these days? For one, he was here at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) to receive the Attenborough Award for Excellence in Nature Fi...

February 9, 2006

Lights, Camera…

By system

Sunday morning's Directors on Directing Panel discussion played out like the film class that everyone is dying to take: There was educated discussion, rational debate and that one kid who just loves to make an ass of him...

February 9, 2006

The West Wittering Affair | An Affair to Forget

By Amita Chollate

Imagine a cross between the sexual escapades of “The Real World” and the hilarious circumstances of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and you have the makings of “The West Wittering Affair.” Writ...

February 9, 2006

Artist in Profile; Adam de Boer

By Stephanie Cain

Adam de Boer's oil paintings prove art is more than a craft. They prove that the artist is an intellectual and that he can take a step back from reality and see the patterns of culture. A senior creative studies art majo...